Black plate (12,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-12 Seats and Restraints
Safety Belts
This section of the manual
describes how to use safety belts
properly. It also describes some
things not to do with safety belts.
{WARNING
Do not let anyone ride where a
safety belt cannot be worn
properly. In a crash, if you or your
passenger(s) are not wearing
safety belts, injuries can be much
worse than if you are wearing
safety belts. You can be seriously
injured or killed by hitting things
inside the vehicle harder or by
being ejected from the vehicle.
In addition, anyone who is not
buckled up can strike other
passengers in the vehicle.(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
It is extremely dangerous to ride
in a cargo area, inside or outside
of a vehicle. In a collision,
passengers riding in these areas
are more likely to be seriously
injured or killed. Do not allow
passengers to ride in any area of
the vehicle that is not equipped
with seats and safety belts.
Always wear a safety belt, and
check that all passenger(s) are
restrained properly too.
This vehicle has indicators as a
reminder to buckle the safety belts.
See Safety Belt Reminders on
page 5‑9 for additional information.
Why Safety Belts Work
When riding in a vehicle, you travel
as fast as the vehicle does. If the
vehicle stops suddenly, you keep
going until something stops you.
It could be the windshield, the
instrument panel, or the safety belts!
Black plate (21,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-21
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 5‑10.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver.
.A frontal airbag for the right front
passenger.
Your vehicle may also have the
following airbags:
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the right
front passenger and the
passenger seated directly
behind the right front passenger.
All of the airbags in your vehicle will
have the word AIRBAG embossed
in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
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.
Black plate (23,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
Seats and Restraints 3-23
{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 safety belt
system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young
children and infants need the
protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always
secure children properly in the
vehicle. To read how, seeOlder
Children on page 3‑36 orInfants
and Young Children on
page 3‑38.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument panel, 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 5‑10 for
more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver's airbag is in the middle
of the steering wheel.
Black plate (24,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-24 Seats and Restraints
The right front passenger's airbag is
in the instrument panel on the
passenger's side.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
If your vehicle has roof-rail airbags
for the driver, right front passenger,
and second row outboard
passengers, they 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.
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 (26,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-26 Seats and Restraints
Your vehicle may or may not have
roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbag System
on page 3‑21. Roof-rail airbags are
intended to inflate in moderate to
severe side crashes. 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 frontal impacts, near-frontal
impacts, rollovers, or rear impacts.
Both roof-rail airbags will deploy
when either side of the vehicle
is struck.
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 roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact.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. Roof-rail
airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the
occupant's upper body.
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 3‑25 for more information.
Black plate (28,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-28 Seats and Restraints
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.
.Your vehicle has a crash
sensing and diagnostic module
which records information after
a crash. SeeVehicle Data
Recording and Privacy on
page 13‑20 andEvent Data
Recorders on page 13‑20.
.Let only qualified technicians
work on the airbag system.
Improper service can mean that
the airbag system will not work
properly. See your dealer for
service.
Passenger Sensing
System
If the vehicle has one of the
passenger airbag status indicators
pictured in the following illustrations,
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 instrument panel
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
refer 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. 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 5‑11.
Black plate (34,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
3-34 Seats and Restraints
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q: Is there anything I might addto or change about the vehicle
that could keep the airbags
from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that
change the vehicle's frame,
bumper system, height, front end
or side sheet metal, they may
keep the airbag system from
working properly. Changing or
moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag
sensing and diagnostic module,
steering wheel, instrument
panel, roof-rail airbag modules,
ceiling headliner or pillar garnish
trim, front sensors, or airbag
wiring can affect the operation
of the airbag system.
In addition, the vehicle may have
a passenger sensing system for
the right front passenger
position, which includes sensors
that are part of the passenger
seat. The passenger sensing system may not operate properly
if the original seat trim is
replaced with non-GM covers,
upholstery or trim, or with
GM covers, upholstery or trim
designed for a different vehicle.
Any object, such as an
aftermarket seat heater or a
comfort enhancing pad or
device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of
the passenger sensing system.
This could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the
passenger sensing system from
properly turning off the
passenger airbag(s). See
Passenger Sensing System on
page 3‑28.
If you have any questions, call
Customer Assistance. The
phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. See
Customer Satisfaction Procedure (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13‑3
or
Customer Satisfaction
Procedure (Mexico) on
page 13‑3.
Q: Because I have a disability, I have to get my vehicle
modified. How can I find out
whether this will affect my
airbag system?
A: If you have questions, call
Customer Assistance. The
phone numbers and addresses
for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer
Satisfaction Procedure in this
manual. See Customer
Satisfaction Procedure (U.S. and
Canada) on page 13‑1 or
Customer Satisfaction
Procedure (Mexico) on
page 13‑3.
In addition, your dealer and the
service manual have information
about the location of the airbag
sensors, sensing and diagnostic
module and airbag wiring.
Black plate (10,1)GMC Canyon Owner Manual - 2012
5-10 Instruments and Controls
If the driver safety belt is already
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.
Passenger Safety Belt
Reminder Light
For vehicles equipped with the
passenger safety belt reminder light,
several seconds after the engine is
started, a chime sounds for several
seconds to remind the front
passenger to buckle their safety
belt. The passenger safety belt light,
located on the instrument panel,
comes on and stays on for several
seconds and then flashes for
several more.This chime and light are repeated if
the passenger remains unbuckled
and the vehicle is in motion.
If the passenger safety belt is
buckled, neither the chime nor the
light comes on.
The front passenger safety belt
warning light and chime may turn on
if an object is put on the seat such
as a briefcase, handbag, grocery
bag, laptop or other electronic
device. To turn off the warning light
and/or chime, remove the object
from the seat or buckle the
safety belt.
Airbag Readiness Light
The system checks the airbag's
electrical system for possible
malfunctions. If the light stays on it
indicates there is an electrical
problem. The system check includes
the airbag sensor(s), passenger
sensing system, the pretensioners,
the airbag modules, the wiring, and
the crash sensing and diagnostic
module. For more information on the
airbag system, seeAirbag System
on page 3‑21.