Black plate (24,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
3-24 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 5-16.
Airbag System
Vehicles with a standard wheelbase
and a factory installed rear seat
have the following airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver
and for the front outboard
passenger.
.A knee airbag for the driver and
for the front outboard passenger.
.A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver and the front
outboard passenger.
.Seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the second row
outboard passengers.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and the passenger seated
directly behind the driver.
.A roof-rail airbag for the front
outboard passenger and the
passenger seated directly
behind the front outboard
passenger.
Black plate (25,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
Seats and Restraints 3-25
Vehicles with an extended
wheelbase or without a rear seat
have the following airbags:
.A frontal airbag for the driver
and for the front outboard
passenger.
.A knee airbag for the driver and
for the front outboard passenger.
.A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver and the front
outboard passenger.
.A roof-rail airbag for the driver
and front outboard passenger.
All vehicle airbags have the word
AIRBAG on the trim or on a label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the center of the
steering wheel for the driver and on
the instrument panel for the front
outboard passenger.
For knee airbags, the word AIRBAG
is on the lower part of the
instrument panel. For seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG is on the
side of the seatback closest to
the door.
For roof-rail airbags, the word
AIRBAG is on the ceiling 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
with airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
belts, not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to inflate
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
in every crash. In some crashes
safety belts are the only restraint.
SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inflate? on page 3-28.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce the chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or
being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the
safety belts. Everyone in the
vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly, whether or not there is
an airbag for that person.
{Warning
Because airbags inflate with great
force and faster than the blink of
an eye, anyone who is up
against, or very close to any
airbag when it inflates can be
(Continued)
Black plate (27,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
Seats and Restraints 3-27
The driver knee airbag is below the
steering column. The front outboard
passenger knee airbag is below the
glove box.Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
The seat-mounted side impact
airbags for the driver and front
outboard passenger are in the side
of the seatbacks closest to the door.
The roof-rail airbags, for vehicles
with a standard wheelbase and a
factory installed rear seat, are in the
ceiling above the side windows for
the driver, front outboard passenger,
and second row outboard
passengers.Rear Seat Driver Side Shown, Passenger Side Similar
The second row seat-mounted side
impact airbags, for vehicles with a
standard wheelbase and a factory
installed rear seat, are in the sides
of the rear seatback closest to
the door.
Black plate (28,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
3-28 Seats and Restraints
Driver Side Shown, PassengerSide Similar
The roof-rail airbags, for vehicles
with an extended wheelbase or
vehicles without a factory installed
rear seat, are in the ceiling above
the front row side windows, for the
driver and front outboard
passenger only.
{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.
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with
airbags. See Airbag System on
page 3-24. Airbags are designed to
inflate if the impact exceeds the
specific airbag system's 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. The vehicle has
electronic sensors that help the
airbag system determine the
severity of the impact. Deployment
thresholds can vary with specific
vehicle design.
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
front outboard passenger's head
and chest.
Whether the frontal airbags will or
should inflate is not based primarily
on how fast the vehicle is traveling.
Black plate (29,1)Cadillac XTS Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-7707485) -
2015 - CRC - 10/31/14
Seats and Restraints 3-29
It depends on what is hit, the
direction of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at
different crash speeds depending on
whether the vehicle hits an object
straight on or at an angle, and
whether the object is fixed or
moving, rigid or deformable, narrow
or wide.
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, in
rear impacts, or in many side
impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has
advanced technology frontal
airbags. Advanced technology
frontal airbags adjust the restraint
according to crash severity.
Knee airbags are designed to inflate
in moderate to severe frontal or
near frontal impacts. Knee airbags
are not designed to inflate during
vehicle rollovers, in rear impacts,
or in many side impacts.Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are designed to inflate in moderate
to severe side crashes depending
on the location of the impact.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags
are not designed to inflate in frontal
impacts, near frontal impacts,
rollovers, or rear impacts.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is designed to inflate on the side of
the vehicle that is struck.
Roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate in moderate to severe side
crashes depending on the location
of the impact. In addition, the
roof-rail airbags are designed to
inflate in a severe frontal impact.
Roof-rail airbags are not designed
to inflate in rear impacts. Both
roof-rail airbags will inflate when
either side of the vehicle is struck,
or in a severe frontal impact.
The roof-rail airbags in vehicles with
a standard wheelbase and a factory
installed rear seat will also inflate if
the sensing system predicts that the
vehicle is about to roll over on
its side.The roof-rail airbags in vehicles with
an extended wheelbase and in
vehicles without a factory installed
rear seat are not intended to inflate
during a rollover.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
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. The inflator, the airbag,
and related hardware are all part of
the airbag module.
For airbag locations, see
Where Are
the Airbags? on page 3-26.