2009 SATURN OUTLOOK steering
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Vehicle Symbol Chart
Here are some additional symbols
that may be found on the vehicle
and what they mean. For more
information on the symbol, refer to
the index.
9:Airbag Readiness Light
#:Air Conditioning
!:Antilock Brake System (ABS)
g:Audio Steering Wheel
Controls or OnStar®
$:Brake System Warning Light
":Charging System
I:Cruise Control
B:Engine Coolant Temperature
O:Exterior Lamps
#:Fog Lamps
.:Fuel Gage
+:Fuses
i:Headlamp High/Low-Beam
Changer
j:LATCH System Child Restraints
*:Malfunction Indicator Lamp
::Oil Pressure
g:Outside Power Foldaway
Mirrors
}:Power
/:Remote Vehicle Start
>:Safety Belt Reminders
7:Tire Pressure Monitor
_:Tow/Haul Mode
F:Traction Control
M:Windshield Washer Fluid
iv Preface
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Page 52 of 432
All of the airbags in the vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed
in the trim or on an attached
label near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the middle
part of the steering wheel for
the driver and on the instrument
panel for the right front passenger.
With seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG
will appear on the side of the
seatback closest to the door.
With roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear along the
headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement
the protection provided by safety
belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce
the risk of injury from the force of an
in ating bag, all airbags must
in ate very quickly to do their job.Here are the most important things
to know about the airbag system:
{CAUTION
You can be severely injured or
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt — even if
you have airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, but do not replace them.
Also, airbags are not designed to
deploy in every crash. In some
crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. SeeWhen Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 1-51.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your chance
of hitting things inside the vehicle
or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to
the safety belts. Everyone in your
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{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.
Occupants should not lean on or
sleep against the door or side
windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags
and/or roof-rail airbags.
1-48 Seats and Restraint System
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{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 1-28orInfants and Young
Children on page 1-30.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 3-33for
more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
middle of the steering wheel.
Seats and Restraint System 1-49
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Page 55 of 432
{CAUTION
If something is between an
occupant and an airbag, the
airbag might not in ate properly or
it might force the object into that
person causing severe injury or
even death. The path of an
in ating 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 in ation 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
in ating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag
In ate?
Frontal airbags are designed to
in ate 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
in ate 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 in ate 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 in ate at
different crash speeds. For example:If the vehicle hits a stationary
object, the airbags could in ate at
a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that
deforms, the airbags could in ate
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
in ate 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
in ate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight
into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with
speci c vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
in ate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
Seats and Restraint System 1-51
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Page 56 of 432
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
in ate 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. See
Airbag System on page 1-47.
Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags are intended
to in ate in moderate to severe side
crashes. In addition, these roof-rail
airbags are intended to in ate during
a rollover or in a severe frontal
impact. Seat-mounted side impact
and roof-rail airbags will in ate if the
crash severity is above the
system’s designed threshold level.
The threshold level can vary
with speci c vehicle design.Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are not intended to in ate in
frontal impacts, near-frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts. Roof-rail
airbags are not intended to in ate 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 in ated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, in ation 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. Ina rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by
the direction of the roll.
What Makes an Airbag
In ate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
in ator. Gas from the in ator lls the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The in ator,
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.
1-52 Seats and Restraint System
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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.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 In ates?
After the frontal airbags and
seat-mounted side impact airbags
in ate, they quickly de ate, so
quickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag in ated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially in ated 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 1-52.
Seats and Restraint System 1-53
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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 in ate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
in ates. Avoid yellow connectors.
(Continued)
CAUTION (Continued)
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 quali ed to do so.
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
1-60 Seats and Restraint System
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((LOCK/OFF):This position
locks the ignition and transmission.
The key can be removed in
LOCK/OFF.
The shift lever must be in P (Park)
to turn the ignition switch to
LOCK/OFF.
The steering can bind with the
wheels turned off center. If this
happens, move the steering wheel
from right to left while turning
the key to ACC/ACCESSORY.
If this doesn’t work, then the vehicle
needs service.
ACC (ACC/ACCESSORY):This is
the position in which you can
operate the electrical accessories or
items plugged into the accessory
power outlets. This position unlocks
the ignition and steering wheel.
Use this position if the vehicle must
be pushed or towed.R(ON/RUN):This position can be
used to operate the electrical
accessories and to display some
instrument panel warning and
indicator lights. The switch stays in
this position when the engine is
running. The transmission is
also unlocked in this position.
If you leave the key in the
ACC/ACCESSORY or ON/RUN
position with the engine off,
the battery could be drained. You
may not be able to start the vehicle
if the battery is allowed to drain
for an extended period of time.
/(START):This is the position
that starts the engine. When
the engine starts, release the key.
The ignition switch will return to
ON/RUN for driving.
Retained Accessory
Power (RAP)
These vehicle accessories can be
used for up to 10 minutes after
the ignition key is turned off:
Audio System
Power Windows
Sunroof (if equipped)
Power to the windows and sunroof
will work up to 10 minutes or
until a door is opened.
The radio continues to work for
10 minutes or until the driver’s door
is opened.
For an additional 10 minutes of
operation, close all the doors and
turn the key to ON/RUN and
then back to LOCK/OFF.
All these features will work when
the key is in the ON/RUN or
ACC/ACCESSORY positions.
Features and Controls 2-21
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