2010 CHEVROLET EXPRESS roof

Sensing System for Passenger
Airbag
The passenger sensing system, if equipped, will turn off
the right front passenger frontal airbag under certain
conditions. The driver airbag and roof-rail airbags,
if equipped, are not affected by this.
If the vehicle has a passenger sensing system, the
passenger airbag status indicator will be visible on the
instrument panel when the vehicle is started.
SeePassenger Sensing System on page 2-73for
important information.
Mirror Adjustment
Exterior Mirrors
Vehicles with outside manual mirrors can be adjusted
by moving the mirror up and down or left to right so you
can see a little of the side of your vehicle, and have
a clear view of objects behind you.
Vehicles with outside
power mirrors have
controls located on the
driver side door.
Select each mirror by turning the knob clockwise for the
passenger side mirror or counterclockwise for the
driver side mirror. Adjust the mirror angle by moving the
knob in the desired direction.
Keep the selector switch in the center position when not
adjusting either outside mirror. United States
Canada
1-9

Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbag:
•A frontal airbag for the driver.
The vehicle may have the following airbags:
•A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
•A roof-rail airbag for the driver (cargo van).
•A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger
position (cargo or passenger van equipped
with a sliding door).
If you have a passenger van with a right front
passenger roof-rail airbag and a sliding door, you
will also have a separate roof-rail airbag for the
passenger seated directly behind the right front
passenger and the third row outboard passenger
position.
•A roof-rail airbag for the driver, passenger seated
directly behind the driver, and the third row
outboard passenger position (passenger van
equipped with a sliding or hinged door).
•A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger,
passenger seated directly behind the right
front passenger, and the third row outboard
passenger position (passenger van equipped with
a hinged door).
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 roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.
2-60

Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{WARNING:
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 Inate? on
page 2-65.
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.
{WARNING:
Airbags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates 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
roof-rail airbags.
2-61

If the vehicle is a cargo or passenger van with a sliding
door and it has a roof-rail airbag for the driver and
right front passenger position, the roof-rail airbags are in
the ceiling above the side window.If the vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver, right
front passenger, passengers behind the driver and right
front passenger, and the third row outboard passengers,
the roof-rail airbags are in the ceiling above the side
windows. On the driver side of the vehicle, there is one
single roof-rail airbag for either vehicles with a hinged
door or a sliding door. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
2-64

For passenger vans with a sliding door, on the
passenger side of the vehicle, you will have a separate
roof-rail airbag for the passenger seated directly
behind the right front passenger and the third row
outboard passenger position.
{WARNING:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inflating 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.
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 inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
When Should an Airbag Inate?
Frontal airbags are designed to inflate 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 inflate 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 inflate and
help restrain the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will or should deploy is not
based on how fast the vehicle is traveling. It depends
largely on what you hit, the direction of the impact, and
how quickly the vehicle slows down.
2-65

Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash speeds.
For example:
•If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags
could inflate at a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits a moving object.
•If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the
airbags could inflate 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 inflate 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 inflate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with specific vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to inflate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
Single Stage vs. Dual Stage Airbags
Depending on the weight of the vehicle, you will have
either “Single Stage Airbags” or “Dual Stage Airbags.”
Vehicles that have a passenger sensing system
also have dual stage airbags. SeePassenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 4-25orPassenger Sensing
System on page 2-73.If the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of the
vehicle is 8,500 lb (3 855 kg) or above, the vehicle may
have single stage airbags. If the GVWR is below
8,500 lb (3 855 kg) then the vehicle may have dual
stage airbags. You can find the GVWR on the
certification label on the rear edge of the driver door.
SeeLoading the Vehicle on page 5-19for more
information.
In addition, the vehicle may have 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 inflate at a level less than full deployment. For
more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
The vehicle may or may not have roof-rail airbags. See
Airbag System on page 2-60. Roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes.
In addition, these roof-rail airbags are intended to
inflate during a rollover. Roof-rail airbags will inflate if
the crash severity is above the system’s designed
threshold level. The threshold level can vary with
specific vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not intended to inflate in frontal
impacts, near-frontal impacts, or rear impacts. All
roof-rail airbags will deploy when either side of the
vehicle is struck.
2-66

In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, inflation is determined by
what the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down. For 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 inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causing
the bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The
inflator, 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
roof-rail airbags, there are airbag modules in the ceiling
of the vehicle, near the side windows for the first,
second, and third rows (if equipped). SeeWhere Are
the Airbags? on page 2-63for more information.
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. 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 first, second, and third
rows, if equipped. 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
Inate? on page 2-65for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
2-67

What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the frontal airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not even realize an
airbag inflated. Roof-rail airbags may still be at least
partially inflated for some time after they deploy. Some
components of the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the airbag modules, see
What Makes an Airbag Inate? on page 2-67.
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
deflated airbags. Airbag inflation 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.
{WARNING:
When an airbag inflates, 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 inflates, 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 (if equipped with power door locks), turn on
the interior lamps and hazard warning flashers, and shut
off the fuel system after the airbags inflate. You can
lock the doors, turn off the interior lamps and turn the
hazard warning flashers by using the controls for
those features.
2-68