2010 CHEVROLET TAHOE airbag

Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.
The right front passenger frontal airbag is in the
instrument panel on the passenger's side.
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Driver Side Shown, Passenger Side Similar
If the vehicle has seat‐mounted side impact airbags for
the driver and right front passenger, they are in the side
of the seatbacks closest to the door.Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver, right front passenger,
and second row outboard passengers are in the ceiling
above the side windows.
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Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
If the vehicle has a third row passenger seat, the
roof-rail airbags are located in the ceiling above the rear
windows for the outboard passenger positions in the
third row.
{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.
Do not use seat accessories that block the
inflation 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 inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
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When Should an Airbag Inflate?
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.
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 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.
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 inflate at a level less than full deployment. For
more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
The vehicle has a seat position sensor. Vehicles with
dual stage airbags also have seat position sensors
which enable the sensing system to monitor the position
of the driver seat.
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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 airbags. The vehicle has roof-rail airbags.
SeeAirbag System
on page 2‑83. Seat‐mounted side
impact airbags 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 airbags 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 veicle 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, second, and
third rows, if equipped with a third row seat. 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. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate?on
page 2‑89for 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 2‑90.
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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, 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.
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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.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic
module which records information after a crash.
SeeVehicle Data Recording and Privacy
on
page 8‑18and Event Data Recorderson
page 8‑18.
.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.
Passenger Sensing System
If the vehicle has the passenger airbag status indicator
pictured in the following illustration, then the vehicle
has a passenger sensing system for the right front
passenger position. The passenger airbag status
indicator, if equipped, is 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, if equipped, to start the vehicle from
a distance, 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 4‑33.
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