2010 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Owners Manual

Vehicles with dual stage airbags also have a driver's
seat position sensor which enables the sensing system
to monitor the position of the driver seat (all models).
The seat position sensor provides information that is
used to determine if the airbags should deploy at a
reduced level or at full deployment.
The vehicle may or may not have seat‐mounted side
impact and roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbag System
on
page 2‑73. Seat‐mounted side impact and 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 or in a severe frontal
impact. Seat‐mounted side impact and 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 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 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 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 Inflate?
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 seat‐
mounted side impact airbags, there are airbags
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.
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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 first and second 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 2‑78for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impact
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 Inflate? on page 2‑79.
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.
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{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, 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 hazard warning flashers by using the
controls for those features.
{WARNING:
A crash severe enough to inflate the airbags may
have also damaged important functions in the
vehicle, such as the fuel system, brake and
steering systems, etc. Even if the vehicle appears
to be drivable after a moderate crash, there may
be concealed damage that could make it difficult
to safely operate the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt to restart the
engine after a crash has occurred.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate the airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
right front passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflate only once. After an
airbag inflates, 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.
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.The vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic
module which records information after a crash.
SeeVehicle Data Recording and Privacy
on
page 8‑17and Event Data Recorderson
page 8‑17.
.Let only qualified technicians work on the airbag
systems. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer for service.
Airbag Off Switch
If one of the switches pictured in the following
illustrations is located in the glove box, the vehicle has
an airbag on-off switch that you can use to manually
turn on or off the right front passenger airbag.
United StatesCanada
If the vehicle does not have an airbag off switch, it may
have a passenger sensing system. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 2‑86.
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This switch should only be turned to the off position if
the person in the right front passenger position is a
member of a passenger risk group identified by the
national government as follows:
Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old) must
ride in the front seat because:
.My vehicle has no rear seat;
.My vehicle has a rear seat too small to
accommodate a rear-facing infant seat; or
.The infant has a medical condition which,
according to the infant's physician, makes it
necessary for the infant to ride in the front seat so
that the driver can constantly monitor the child's
condition.
Child age 1 to 12. A child age 1 to 12 must
ride in the front seat because:
.My vehicle has no rear seat;
.Although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the rear
seat(s) whenever possible, children ages 1 to 12
sometimes must ride in the front because no space
is available in the rear seat(s) of my vehicle; or
.The child has a medical condition which, according
to the child's physician, makes it necessary for the
child to ride in the front seat so that the driver can
constantly monitor the child's condition.
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Medical Condition. A passenger has a
medical condition which, according to his
or her physician:
.Causes the passenger airbag to pose a special
risk for the passenger; and
.Makes the potential harm from the passenger
airbag in a crash greater than the potential harm
from turning off the airbag and allowing the
passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or
windshield in a crash.
{WARNING:
If the right front passenger's airbag is turned off
for a person who is not in a risk group identified
by the national government, that person will not
have the extra protection of an airbag. In a crash,
the airbag will not be able to inflate and help
protect the person sitting there. Do not turn off the
passenger's airbag unless the person sitting there
is in a risk group.
United StatesCanada
To turn off the right front passenger airbag, insert the
ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the
switch to the off position.
The word OFF or the off symbol will come on in the
passenger airbag status indicator located in the
overhead console to let you know that the right front
passenger airbag is off, after the system check is
completed. The airbag off light will come on and stay on
to let you know that the right front passenger's airbag is
off. See Airbag Off Light on page 4‑32.
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{WARNING:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on and
stays on, it means that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. For example, the right
front passenger airbag could inflate even though
the airbag on-off switch is turned off.
To help avoid injury to yourself or others, have the
vehicle serviced right away. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light
on page 4‑32for more
information, including important safety information.
United StatesCanada
To turn the right front passenger airbag on again, insert
the ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the
switch to the on position.
The right front passenger frontal airbag is now enabled
(may inflate). See Airbag Off Light
on page 4‑32for
more information.
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Passenger Sensing System
If the vehicle has one of the indicators pictured in the
following illustrations, then the vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the right front passenger position,
unless there is an airbag off switch located in the glove
box. If there is an airbag off switch, the vehicle does not
have a passenger sensing system. SeeAirbag Off
Switch
on page 2‑82for more information.
The passenger airbag status indicator will be visible on
the overhead console when the vehicle is started.
In addition, if the vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the right front passenger position, the label
on the vehicle's sun visors refers to “ADVANCED
AIRBAGS”.United StatesCanada
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 4‑34.
The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag under certain conditions.
The driver airbag, seat‐mounted side impact airbags (if
equipped), and the roof-rail airbags (if equipped) are not
affected by the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that
are part of the right front passenger seat and safety
belt. 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
inflate) or not.
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