2009 GMC ACADIA Owner's Manual

Roof-rail airbags are not intended
to inate in 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, or
if the sensing system predicts that
the vehicle is about to roll over, or in
a severe frontal impact.
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. In
a rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by
the direction of the roll.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
the door. 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.
Seats and Restraint System 1-53

Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain
the head and chest of occupants in
the outboard seating positions in
the rst, second, and third rows. The
rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help reduce the risk
of full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can
prevent all such ejections.
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 1-51for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.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 1-53.
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.
1-54 Seats and Restraint System

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 7-16
andEvent Data Recorders on
page 7-16.
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, are visible
during the system check. If you are
using remote start, if equipped,
to start the vehicle from a distance,
you may not see the system
check. When the system check is
complete, either the word ON
or OFF, or the symbol for on or off,
will be visible. SeePassenger
Airbag Status Indicator on
page 3-36.
The passenger sensing system turns
off the right front passenger frontal
airbag under certain conditions. The
driver airbag, seat-mounted side
impact airbags and the 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. United States
Canada
Seats and Restraint System 1-55

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.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
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.
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.
1-56 Seats and Restraint 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 3-36.
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 childrestraints 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 3-36for more information,
including important safety
information.
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 to
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position on
page 1-45.
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.
Seats and Restraint System 1-57

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.
If the Off Indicator is Lit for an
Adult-Size Occupant
If a person of adult-size is sitting
in the right front passenger seat,
but the off indicator is lit, it could
be because that person is not
sitting properly in the seat.If this happens, use the following
steps to allow the system to detect
that person and enable the right
front passenger frontal airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material
from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully
upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the
seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. Restart the vehicle and have the
person remain in this position for
two to three minutes after the
on indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the
passenger in position on the seat
during vehicle maneuvers and
braking, which helps the passenger
sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See
“Safety Belts” and “Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion, or
aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system
operates. We recommend that you
not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when
approved by GM for your specic
vehicle. SeeAdding Equipment
to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-60for more information
about modications that can affect
how the system operates.
1-58 Seats and Restraint System

A wet seat can affect the
performance of the passenger
sensing system. Here is how:
The passenger sensing system
may turn off the passenger airbag
when liquid is soaked into the
seat. If this happens, the off
indicator will be lit, and the airbag
readiness light on the instrument
panel will also be lit.
Liquid pooled on the seat that has
not soaked in may make it more
likely that the passenger sensing
system will enable (turn on) the
passenger airbag while a child
restraint or child occupant is on
the seat. If the passenger airbag
is turned on, the on indicator
will be lit.
If the passenger seat gets wet, dry
the seat immediately. If the airbag
readiness light is lit, do not install a
child restraint or allow anyone to
occupy the seat. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 3-36for
important safety information.
{CAUTION
Stowing of articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer/retailer and the service
manual have information about
servicing the vehicle and the airbag
system. To purchase a service
manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-15.
{CAUTION
For up to 10 seconds after the
ignition is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualied to do so.
Seats and Restraint System 1-59

Adding Equipment to
Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add
to or change about the
vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working
properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle’s frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument panel,
roof-rail airbag modules, ceiling
headliner or pillar garnish trim,
front sensors, side impact
sensors, rollover sensor module,
or airbag wiring can affect the
operation of the airbag system.In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger position,
which includes sensors that are
part of the passenger seat. The
passenger sensing system may
not operate properly if the original
seat trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery or trim, or with
GM covers, upholstery or trim
designed for a different vehicle.
Any object, such as an
aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or device,
installed under or on top of the
seat fabric, could also interfere
with the operation of the
passenger sensing system.
This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the
passenger sensing system from
properly turning off the passenger
airbag(s). SeePassenger
Sensing System on page 1-55.If you have questions, call
Customer Assistance. The phone
numbers and addresses for
Customer Assistance are in Step
Two of the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure in this manual. See
Customer Satisfaction Procedure
on page 7-1.
If the vehicle has rollover
roof-rail airbags, seeDifferent
Size Tires and Wheels on
page 5-50for additional
important information.
1-60 Seats and Restraint System