2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA Owners Manual

The roof-rail airbags for the driver, right front passenger,
and second row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an airbag,
the airbag might not inate properly or it might force
the object into that person causing severe injury or
even death. The path of an inating airbag must be
kept clear. Do not put anything between an
occupant and an airbag, and do not attach or put
anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near
any other airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that block the ination
path of a seat-mounted side impact airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof of a vehicle with
roof-rail airbags by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window opening. If you do, the
path of an inating roof-rail airbag will be blocked. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
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When Should an Airbag Inate?
Frontal airbags are designed to inate in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal crashes to help reduce the
potential for severe injuries mainly to the driver’s or
right front passenger’s head and chest. However, they
are only designed to inate if the impact exceeds a
predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds are used to predict how severe a crash is
likely to be in time for the airbags to inate and
help restrain the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will or should deploy is not
based on how fast your vehicle is traveling. It depends
largely on what you hit, the direction of the impact,
and how quickly your vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inate at different crash speeds.
For example:
If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags
could inate at a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the
airbags could inate at a different crash speed than
if the vehicle hits an object that does not deform.
If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole), the
airbags could inate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall).
If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle, the
airbags could inate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with specic vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to inate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the restraint according to
crash severity. The vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe
frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, dual-stage
airbags inate at a level less than full deployment.
For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
The vehicle has seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail
airbags. SeeAirbag System on page 1-57.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags are
intended to inate in moderate to severe side crashes.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags will
inate if the crash severity is above the system’s
designed threshold level. The threshold level can vary
with specic vehicle design.
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Roof-rail airbags are not intended to inate in rollovers
or rear impacts. A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is intended to deploy on the side of the vehicle that is
struck. Both roof-rail airbags will deploy when either side
of the vehicle is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, ination is determined by
what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down. For seat-mounted
side impact and roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and severity of the side
impact.
What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends an
electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
inator. Gas from the inator lls the airbag causing the
bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The inator, the
airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag
module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags, there are airbag
modules in the side of the front seatbacks closest to thedoor. For vehicles with roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side
windows that have occupant seating positions.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or
the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. Seat-mounted
side impact and roof-rail airbags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over the occupant’s
upper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant’s motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 1-62for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
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What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impact
airbags inate, they quickly deate, so quickly that
some people may not even realize an airbag inated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least partially inated for
some time after they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for several minutes. For
location of the airbag modules, seeWhat Makes an
Airbag Inflate? on page 1-63.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
deated airbags. Airbag ination does not prevent
the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from
leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there may be dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems for
people with a history of asthma or other breathing
trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle
should get out as soon as it is safe to do so. If you
have breathing problems but cannot get out of the
vehicle after an airbag inates, then get fresh air by
opening a window or a door. If you experience
breathing problems following an airbag deployment,
you should seek medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock
the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and turn the
hazard warning ashers on when the airbags inate.
You can lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off, and
turn the hazard warning ashers off by using the
controls for those features.
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In many crashes severe enough to inate the airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger airbag.
Airbags are designed to inate only once. After an
airbag inates, you will need some new parts for
the airbag system. If you do not get them, the airbag
system will not be there to help protect you in
another crash. A new system will include airbag
modules and possibly other parts. The service
manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
The vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic
module which records information after a crash.
SeeVehicle Data Recording and Privacy on
page 7-18andEvent Data Recorders on page 7-18.
Let only qualied technicians work on the airbag
systems. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
The vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position. The passenger airbag
status indicator will be visible on the instrument
panel when the vehicle is started.
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and off,
will be visible during the system check. If you are
using remote start to start the vehicle from a distance, if
equipped, you may not see the system check. When
the system check is complete, either the word ON or the
word OFF, or the symbol for on or off, will be visible.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-29. United States
Canada
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The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver airbag, seat-mounted side impact airbags,
and roof-rail airbags are not affected by the passenger
sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that
are part of the right front passenger seat. The sensors
are designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the right front passenger
frontal airbag should be enabled (may inate) or not.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when
properly secured in a rear seat in the correct child
restraint for their weight and size.
We recommend that children be secured in a rear seat,
including: an infant or a child riding in a rear-facing
child restraint; a child riding in a forward-facing child
seat; an older child riding in a booster seat; and children,
who are large enough, using safety belts.
A label on the sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facing
child seat in the front.” This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger airbag
inates and the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that an
airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the airbag is turned off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear seat,
even if the airbag is off. If you secure a
forward-facing child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger seat as far back
as it will go. It is better to secure the child restraint
in a rear seat.
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The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger frontal airbag if:
The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
The system determines that an infant is present in
a child restraint.
A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
right front passenger frontal airbag, the off indicator
will light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is off.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-29.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn
on (may inate) the right front passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a person of adult
size is sitting properly in the right front passenger seat.
When the passenger sensing system has allowed
the airbag to be enabled, the on indicator will light and
stay lit to remind you that the airbag is active.For some children, including children in child restraints,
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing
system may or may not turn off the right front passenger
frontal airbag, depending upon the person’s seating
posture and body build. Everyone in the vehicle who has
outgrown child restraints should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is an airbag for that
person.
{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on and
stays on, it means that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help avoid injury to
yourself or others, have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-28
for more information, including important safety
information.
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If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as
blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters, or
seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions
provided by the child restraint manufacturer and
refer toSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position on page 1-54.5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, turn the
vehicle off. Then slightly recline the vehicle seatback
and adjust the seat cushion, if adjustable, to
make sure that the vehicle seatback is not pushing
the child restraint into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint. SeeHead Restraints
on page 1-2.
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system may or may not turn off
the airbag for a child in a child restraint depending
upon the child’s seating posture and body build. It is
better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat.
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