2011 CHEVROLET SILVERADO seats

Black plate (36,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
3-36 Seats and Restraints
The vehicle may or may not have
seat‐mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbag System
on page 3‑31. 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.

Black plate (37,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-37
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 3‑34for 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 3‑36.
The parts of the airbag that come
into contact with you may be
warm, but not too hot to touch.

Black plate (38,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
3-38 Seats and Restraints
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 may have 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.

Black plate (39,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-39
.The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash. SeeVehicle Data
Recording and Privacy
on
page 13‑16and Event Data
Recorders on page 13‑17.
.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 On-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 States
Canada and Mexico
If the vehicle does not have an
airbag off switch, it may have
a passenger sensing system.
See Passenger Sensing System
on
page 3‑42.

Black plate (40,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
3-40 Seats and Restraints
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.
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
(Continued)

Black plate (41,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-41
WARNING (Continued)
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 States
Canada and Mexico
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 On-Off
Light on page 5‑23.
{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. See Airbag Readiness
Light
on page 5‑22for more
information, including important
safety information.

Black plate (42,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
3-42 Seats and Restraints
United StatesCanada and Mexico
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 On-Off Light
on
page 5‑23for more information.
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. See Airbag On-Off Switch
on page 3‑39for more information.
The passenger airbag status
indicator will be visible on the
overhead console when the vehicle
is started.

Black plate (43,1)Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-43
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 States
Canada and Mexico
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 5‑25.
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.
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.