2011 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE airbag

Black plate (28,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
3-28 Seats and Restraints
Replacing Safety Belt
System Parts After a
Crash
{WARNING
A crash can damage the safety
belt system in the vehicle.
A damaged safety belt system
may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in
serious injury or even death in a
crash. To help make sure the
safety belt systems are working
properly after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon
as possible.After a minor crash, replacement of
safety belts may not be necessary.
But the safety belt assemblies that
were used during any crash may
have been stressed or damaged.
See your dealer to have the safety
belt assemblies inspected or
replaced.
New parts and repairs may be
necessary even if the safety belt
system was not being used at the
time of the crash.
Have the safety belt pretensioners
checked if the vehicle has been in a
crash, or if the airbag readiness light
stays on after you start the vehicle
or while you are driving. See
Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑18.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
.A seat‐mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
.A seat‐mounted side impact
airbag for the right front
passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and passenger directly behind
the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger and passenger
seated directly behind the right
front passenger.
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.

Black plate (29,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-29
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
inflating bag, all airbags must inflate
very quickly to do their job.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. See When Should an
Airbag Inflate? on page 3‑33.
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 the seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in
position before and during a
crash. Always wear a 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.

Black plate (30,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
3-30 Seats and Restraints
{WARNING
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates 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(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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, see Older
Children on page 3‑46 orInfants
and Young Children on
page 3‑48.
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. See Airbag
Readiness Light on page 5‑18 for
more information.

Black plate (31,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-31
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 side.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
The seat‐mounted side impact
airbags for the driver and right front
passenger are in the side of the
seatbacks closest to the door.

Black plate (32,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
3-32 Seats and Restraints
Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
right front passenger, and second
row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
{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. (Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
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.

Black plate (33,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-33
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 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 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 and the right front
passenger seat.
The seat position sensor provides
information that is used to determine
if the airbags should deploy at a
reduced level or at full deployment.

Black plate (34,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
3-34 Seats and Restraints
The vehicle has seat‐mounted side
impact and roof-rail airbags.
SeeAirbag System on page 3‑28.
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.

Black plate (35,1)Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-35
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.
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. See
When
Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 3‑33 for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded
as anything more than a supplement
to safety belts.