2016 CHEVROLET CITY EXPRESS CARGO VAN Owners Manual

Black plate (18,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
3-18 Seats and Restraints
When Should an Airbag
Inflate?
This vehicle is equipped with
airbags. SeeAirbag System on
page 3-15. Airbags are designed to
inflate when the ignition is in the ON
position and 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 higher severity frontal
collisions, although they may inflate
if the forces in another type of
collision are similar to those of a
higher severity frontal impact, to
help reduce the potential for severe
injuries, mainly to the driver's or front outboard passenger's head
and chest. Frontal airbags do not
provide restraint to the lower body.
Depending upon sensor input and
crash severity, it is possible that
only one frontal airbag may inflate
during a crash.
In addition, the vehicle has
advanced technology frontal
airbags. Advanced technology
frontal airbags adjust the restraint
according to crash severity and
safety belt usage.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
vehicle damage or repair costs.
{Warning
.The front airbags ordinarily
will not inflate in the event of
a side impact, rear impact,
rollover, or lower severity
frontal collision. Always wear
your safety belt to help
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
reduce the risk or severity of
injury in various kinds of
accidents.
.The front passenger airbag
will not inflate if the
passenger airbag status
indicator is lit or if the front
passenger seat is
unoccupied. For more
information, seePassenger
Airbag Status Indicator on
page 5-10.
.The safety belts and the front
airbags are most effective
when you are sitting well
back and upright in the seat
with both feet on the floor.
The front airbags inflate with
great force. Even with the
advanced airbag system,
if you are unrestrained,
leaning forward, sitting
sideways, or out of position in
(Continued)

Black plate (19,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
Seats and Restraints 3-19
Warning (Continued)
any way, you are at greater
risk of injury or death in a
crash. You may also receive
serious or fatal injuries from
the front airbag if you are up
against it when it inflates.
Always sit back against the
seatback and as far away as
practical from the steering
wheel or instrument panel.
Always use the safety belts.
.The driver and front
passenger safety belt buckles
are equipped with sensors
that detect if the safety belts
are fastened. The advanced
airbag system monitors the
severity of a collision and
safety belt usage, then
inflates the airbags as
needed. Failure to properly
wear the safety belts can
increase the risk or severity
of injury in an accident.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.The front passenger seat is
equipped with a Passenger
Sensing System (weight
sensor) that turns the front
passenger airbag off under
some conditions. This sensor
is only used in this seat.
Failure to be properly seated
and wearing the safety belt
can increase the risk or
severity of injury in an
accident. For more
information, seePassenger
Airbag Status Indicator on
page 5-10.
.Keep hands on the outside of
the steering wheel. Placing
them inside the steering
wheel rim could increase the
risk that they are injured
when the front airbag inflates.
{Warning
Front seat-mounted side impact
airbags and roof-rail rollover
airbags:
.The seat-mounted side
impact airbags and roof-rail
airbags ordinarily will not
inflate in the event of a frontal
impact, rear impact, or lower
severity side collision. Always
wear your safety belts to help
reduce the risk or severity of
injury in various kinds of
accidents.
.The safety belts, the
seat-mounted side impact
airbags, and roof-rail airbags
are most effective when you
are sitting with both feet on
the floor. The seat-mounted
side impact airbags and
roof-rail airbags inflate with
great force. Do not allow
anyone sitting in the seats to
(Continued)

Black plate (20,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
3-20 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
extend their hand out of the
window or lean against
the door.
.Do not use seat covers on
the seatbacks. They may
interfere with seat-mounted
side impact airbag inflation.
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, seeWhere Are
the Airbags? on page 3-17.
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 by
distributing the force of the impact
more evenly over the
occupant's body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags
are designed to help contain the
head and chest of occupants in the
front outboard seating positions.
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 3-18.
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 inflate. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for
several minutes. For location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? on page 3-17.
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

Black plate (21,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
Seats and Restraints 3-21
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.
{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 front outboard
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 the vehicle covers the need
to replace other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing
and diagnostic module which
records information after a
crash. See
Vehicle Data
Recording and Privacy on
page 13-14 andEvent Data
Recorders on page 13-14.
.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.

Black plate (22,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
3-22 Seats and Restraints
Passenger Sensing
System
{Warning
The front passenger airbag is
designed to automatically turn off
under some conditions. Read this
section carefully to learn how it
operates. Proper use of the seat,
safety belt, and child restraints is
necessary for most effective
protection. Failure to follow all
instructions in this manual
concerning the use of seats,
safety belts, and child restraints
can increase the risk or severity
of injury in an accident.
The vehicle has a passenger
sensing system for the front
outboard passenger position. The
passenger airbag status indicator is
under the climate controls.
After the ignition switch is placed in
the ON position, the passenger
airbag status indicator on the
instrument panel will light for aboutseven seconds. When the system
check is complete, the word OFF
and the symbol for off will be visible
if the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag is turned off and the
front outboard passenger seat is
occupied. See
Passenger Airbag
Status Indicator on page 5-10.
The passenger sensing system
turns off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag, under
certain conditions. No other airbag
is affected by the passenger
sensing system.
The passenger sensing system
works with sensors that are part of
the front outboard passenger seat.
The sensors are designed to detect
the presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
should be allowed to inflate or not.
If the front outboard passenger seat
is unoccupied, the passenger airbag
status indicator will not remain lit,
and the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag will be turned off.

Black plate (23,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
Seats and Restraints 3-23
{Warning
To ensure proper operation of the
passenger’s advanced airbag
system, observe the following
items:
.Do not place heavy loads
heavier than 1 kg (2.2 lb) on
the seatback, in the
underseat storage bin, head
restraint, or in the seatback
pocket.
.Do not store luggage behind
the seat that can press into
the seatback.
.If a forward-facing child
restraint is installed in the
passenger seat, do not
position the passenger seat
so the child restraint contacts
the instrument panel. If the
child restraint does contact
the instrument panel, the
system may determine the
seat is occupied and the
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
passenger airbag may deploy
in a collision. Also, the
passenger airbag status
indicator may not light. For
more information, see
Securing Child Restraints on
page 3-42for information
about installing and using
child restraints.
.Confirm the operating
condition with the passenger
airbag status indicator.
.If you notice that the
passenger airbag status
indicator light is not operating
as described in this section,
take your vehicle to your
dealer to check the
passenger sensing system.
According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in a correct
child restraint for their weight
and size. Rear-facing child restraints should
not be transported in the vehicle,
even if the airbag is off.
Never put a rear-facing child seat in
the front. This is because the risk to
the rear-facing child is so great,
if the airbag inflates.
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured
or killed if the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag inflates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would
be very close to the inflating
airbag. A child in a forward-facing
child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is
in a forward position.
(Continued)

Black plate (24,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
3-24 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger frontal
airbag, no system is fail-safe. No
one can guarantee that an airbag
will not deploy under some
unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off.
Do not secure a rear-facing child
restraint in the vehicle.
If you secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the vehicle,
always move the front passenger
seat as far back as it will go.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger airbag if:
.The front outboard passenger
seat is unoccupied.
.The system determines that an
infant is present in a rear-facing
child restraint.
.The system determines that a
small child is present in a child
restraint.
.The system determines that a
small child is present in a
booster seat.
.A front outboard passenger
takes his/her weight off of the
seat for a period of time.
.The front outboard passenger
seat is occupied by a smaller
person, such as a child who has
outgrown child restraints.
.There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the
passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a
person of adult size is sitting
properly in the front outboard
passenger seat. When the passenger sensing
system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the passenger airbag
status indicator will not be lit.
For some children who have
outgrown child restraints, and for
very small adults, the passenger
sensing system may or may not turn
off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, depending upon the
person's seating posture and body
build. Everyone in the vehicle who
has outgrown child restraints should
wear a safety belt properly
—
whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on,
or flashes, it means that
something may be wrong with the
airbag system. To help avoid
injury to yourself or others, have
the vehicle serviced right away.
(Continued)

Black plate (25,1)Chevrolet City Express Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
7707496) - 2015 - CRC - 11/26/14
Seats and Restraints 3-25
Warning (Continued)
SeeAirbag Readiness Light on
page 5-9 for more information,
including important safety
information.
If the Off Indicator Is Not Lit for
a Child Restraint
If a child restraint has been installed
and the off indicator is not lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint following the directions provided
by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints on
page 3-42. 5. If, after reinstalling the child
restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the off indicator is still
not lit, turn the vehicle off. Then
slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat
cushion, if adjustable, to make
sure that the vehicle seatback is
not pushing the child restraint
into the seat cushion. Also make
sure the child restraint is not
trapped under the vehicle head
restraint. If this happens, adjust
the head restraint. See Head
Restraints on page 3-2.
6. Restart the vehicle.
If the off indicator is still not lit, do
not install a child restraint in this
vehicle and check with your dealer.
If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an
Adult-Sized Occupant
If a person of adult size is sitting in
the front outboard passenger seat,
but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat. Use the
following steps to allow the system
to detect that person and enable the
front outboard passenger frontal
airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.