2010 CHEVROLET SILVERADO airbag

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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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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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.
{WARNING:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front
passenger airbag inflates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inflating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward
position.
(Continued)
WARNING: (Continued)
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.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat that will
accommodate a rear-facing child restraint, a rear-facing
child restraint should not be installed in the vehicle,
even if the airbag is off.
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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 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.
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. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 4‑34.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn on
(may inflate) 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 your vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should wear a safety belt
properly
—whether or not there is an airbag for that
person.
{WARNING:
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. See Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑32
for more information, including important safety
information.
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