2009 PONTIAC SOLSTICE airbag off
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Infants and Young Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs protection! This includes
infants and all other children. Neither the distance
traveled nor the age and size of the traveler changes
the need, for everyone, to use safety restraints. In fact,
the law in every state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says children up to some age
must be restrained while in a vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Children can be seriously injured or strangled if a
shoulder belt is wrapped around their neck and
the safety belt continues to tighten. Never leave
children unattended in a vehicle and never allow
children to play with the safety belts.Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer protection for
adults and older children, but not for young children and
infants. Neither the vehicle’s safety belt system nor
its airbag system is designed for them. Every time
infants and young children ride in vehicles, they should
have the protection provided by appropriate child
restraints.
Children who are not restrained properly can strike
other people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
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Refer to your child restraint instructions and instructions
in this manual for securing a child restraint using the
vehicle’s safety belts.
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position
This vehicle has airbags. In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system which is designed to
turn off the right front passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. SeePassenger Sensing System on
page 1-42andPassenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 3-24for more information on this, including
important safety information.
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 in ates. This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the
in ating airbag. A child in a forward-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right
front passenger airbag in ates 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 it 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.
SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-42for
additional information.
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Rear-facing child restraints should not be installed in the
vehicle, even if the airbag is off.
If the child restraint has the LATCH system, seeLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on
page 1-31for how to install your child restraint using
LATCH. If you secure a child restraint using a safety belt
and it uses a top tether, seeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-31for top
tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a position without a top
tether anchor if a national or local law requires that the
top tether be anchored, or if the instructions that
come with the child restraint say that the top strap must
be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that forward-facing child
restraints have a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.You will be using the lap-shoulder belt to secure the
child restraint in this position. Follow the instructions that
came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as it will go before
securing the forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off
the right front passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator should light and stay lit when you start the
vehicle. SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 3-24.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder
portions of the vehicle’s safety belt through or
around the restraint. The child restraint instructions
will show you how.
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6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the
lap portion of the belt and feed the shoulder
belt back into the retractor. When installing a
forward-facing child restraint, it may be helpful to
use your knee to push down on the child restraint as
you tighten the belt.7. If the child restraint has a top tether anchor, follow
the child restraint manufacturer’s instructions
regarding the use of the top tether. SeeLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
on page 1-31for more information.
8. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
If the airbag is off, the off indicator in the passenger
airbag status indicator will come on and stay on when
the vehicle is started.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, see “If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint” underPassenger Sensing System on
page 1-42for more information.
To remove the child restraint, unbuckle the vehicle
safety belt and let it return to the stowed position.
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{CAUTION:
Airbags in ate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it in ates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would be if you were
sitting on the edge of your seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with airbags. The driver should sit as far back as
possible while still maintaining control of
the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
airbag when it in ates can be seriously injured or
killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer
protection for adults and older children, but not for
young children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s
safety belt system nor its airbag system is designed
for them. Young children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint system can provide.
Always secure children properly in your vehicle. To
read how, seeOlder Children on page 1-22or
Infants and Young Children on page 1-25.
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-23
for more information.
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{CAUTION:
When an airbag in ates, 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 in ates, 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.
Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically
unlock the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and turn on
the hazard warning ashers when the airbags in ate.
You can lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off, and
turn the hazard warning ashers off by using the
controls for those features.In many crashes severe enough to in ate the airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger airbag.Airbags are designed to in ate only once. After an
airbag in ates, 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.
Your vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic
module which records information after a crash.
SeeVehicle Data Recording and Privacy on
page 7-15andEvent Data Recorders on page 7-15.
Let only quali ed technicians work on the airbag
system. Improper service can mean that the
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
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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 OFF, or the symbol for on or off, will be visible. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-24.The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver airbag is 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 in ate) 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
rear-facing child restraints not be transported in the
vehicle, even if the airbag is off.
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. United States
Canada
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{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag in ates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the in ating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger airbag
in ates 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.The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger airbag if:
The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
The system determines that an infant is present in
a rear-facing infant seat.
The system determines that a small child is present
in a child restraint.
The system determines that a small child is present
in a booster seat.
A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
The right front passenger seat is occupied by a
smaller person, such as a child who has outgrown
child restraints.
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 3-24.
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