2016 GMC SIERRA DENALI seats

GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234761) - 2016 - crc - 7/24/15
Seats and Restraints 59
Safety Belt Pretensioners
This vehicle has safety belt
pretensioners for front outboard
occupants. Although the safety belt
pretensioners cannot be seen, they
are part of the safety belt assembly.
They can help tighten the safety
belts during the early stages of a
moderate to severe frontal, near
frontal, or rear crash if the threshold
conditions for pretensioner
activation are met. And, if the
vehicle has side impact airbags,
safety belt pretensioners can help
tighten the safety belts in a side
crash. If the vehicle has rollover
capable roof-rail airbags, safety belt
pretensioners can help tighten the
safety belts in a rollover event.
Pretensioners work only once. If the
pretensioners activate in a crash,
they will need to be replaced, and
the vehicle’s safety belt system will
probably need other new parts. See
Replacing Safety Belt System Parts
after a Crash 060.
Rear Safety Belt Comfort
Guides
Rear safety belt comfort guides may
provide added safety belt comfort
for older children who have
outgrown booster seats and for
some adults. When installed on a
shoulder belt, the comfort guide
positions the belt away from the
neck and head.
Comfort guides are available
through your dealer for the rear
outboard seating positions.
Instructions are included with the
guide.
Safety Belt Use During
Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone,
including pregnant women. Like all
occupants, they are more likely to
be seriously injured if they do not
wear safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a
lap-shoulder belt, and the lap
portion should be worn as low as
possible, below the rounding,
throughout the pregnancy.
The best way to protect the fetus is
to protect the mother. When a safety
belt is worn properly, it is more likely
that the fetus will not be hurt in a
crash. For pregnant women, as for
anyone, the key to making safety
belts effective is wearing them
properly.
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GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234761) - 2016 - crc - 7/24/15
60 Seats and Restraints
Safety Belt Extender
If the vehicle's safety belt will fasten
around you, you should use it.
But if a safety belt is not long
enough, your dealer will order you
an extender. When you go in to
order it, take the heaviest coat you
will wear, so the extender will be
long enough for you. To help avoid
personal injury, do not let someone
else use it, and use it only for the
seat it is made to fit. The extender
has been designed for adults. Never
use it for securing child seats. To
wear it, attach it to the regular safety
belt. For more information, see the
instruction sheet that comes with
the extender.
Safety System Check
Now and then, check that the safety
belt reminder light, safety belts,
buckles, latch plates, retractors, and
anchorages are all working properly.
Look for any other loose or
damaged safety belt system parts
that might keep a safety belt system
from doing its job. See your dealer
to have it repaired. Torn or frayedsafety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, get a new one right away.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. See
Safety Belt
Reminders 0112.
Keep safety belts clean and dry.
See Safety Belt Care 060.
Safety Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
{Warning
Do not bleach or dye safety belts.
It may severely weaken them. In
a crash, they might not be able to
provide adequate protection.
Clean safety belts only with mild
soap and lukewarm water.
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.
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GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234761) - 2016 - crc - 7/24/15
Seats and Restraints 61
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. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light 0113.Airbag System
The vehicle has the following
airbags:
.
A frontal airbag for the driver.
. A frontal airbag for the front
outboard passenger.
The vehicle may have the following
airbags:
. A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the driver.
. A seat-mounted side impact
airbag for the front outboard
passenger.
. 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
person seated directly behind
the front outboard passenger.
All of the airbags in the vehicle will
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 seat-mounted side impact
airbags, the word AIRBAG is on 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
(Continued)
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GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234761) - 2016 - crc - 7/24/15
62 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
belts, not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to inflate
in every crash. In some crashes
safety belts are the only restraint.
SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inflate? 064.
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
seriously injured or killed. Do not
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
sit unnecessarily close to any
airbag, as you would be if 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. The safety belts and
the front outboard passenger
airbags are most effective when
you are sitting well back and
upright in the seat with both feet
on the floor.
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.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Always secure children
properly in the vehicle. To read
how, seeOlder Children 073 or
Infants and Young Children 075.
There is an airbag readiness light
on the instrument 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 0113 for more
information.
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GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234761) - 2016 - crc - 7/24/15
Seats and Restraints 63
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the
center of the steering wheel.
The front outboard passenger
frontal airbag is in the passenger
side instrument panel.
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.
Driver Side Shown, Passenger Side Similar
The roof-rail airbags for the driver,
front outboard 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 (Continued)
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GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234761) - 2016 - crc - 7/24/15
64 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
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. SeeAirbag System 061.
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 which 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.
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, if the GVWR (Gross
Vehicle Weight Rating) is at or
below 3 855 kg (8,500 lb), the
vehicle has advanced technology
frontal airbags. You can find the
GVWR on the Certification/Tire label
on the center pillar of the vehicle.
See
Vehicle Load Limits 0176 for
more information.
Advanced technology frontal airbags
adjust the restraint according to
crash severity. Vehicles with
advanced technology frontal airbags
have a seat position sensor that
enables the sensing system to
monitor the position of the driver
seat. The seat position sensor
provides information that is used to
adjust the deployment of the driver
frontal airbag.
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GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234761) - 2016 - crc - 7/24/15
Seats and Restraints 65
If the GVWR is at or below 4 536 kg
(10,000 lb), the vehicle has
seat-mounted side impact airbags.
Vehicles with a GVWR above
4 536 kg (10,000 lb) may or may not
have seat-mounted side impact
airbags. Seat-mounted side impact
airbags, if equipped, 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.
Vehicles with a GVWR up to and
including 4 536 kg (10,000 lb) have
roof-rail airbags. These roof-rail
airbags are designed to inflate in
moderate to severe side crashes
depending on the location of the
impact. In addition, these roof-rail
airbags are designed to inflate
during a rollover or in a severe
frontal impact. The roof-rail airbags
are not designed to inflate in rear
impacts. Both roof-rail airbags will
inflate when either side of thevehicle is struck or if the sensing
system predicts that the vehicle is
about to roll over on its side, or in a
severe frontal impact.
Vehicles with a GVWR above
4 536 kg (10,000 lb) may or may not
be equipped with roof-rail airbags.
These roof-rail airbags, if equipped,
are designed to inflate in moderate
to severe side crashes depending
on the location of the impact. Both
roof-rail airbags will inflate when
either side of the vehicle is struck.
In addition, these roof-rail airbags
are designed to inflate in a severe
frontal impact. If the vehicle has
single rear wheels, the roof-rail
airbags are rollover capable. If the
vehicle has dual rear wheels and
has roof-rail airbags, the roof-rail
airbags are not rollover capable.
If the airbags are rollover capable,
both roof-rail airbags will also inflate
if the sensing system predicts that
the vehicle is about to roll over on
its side. The roof-rail airbags are not
designed to inflate in rear impacts.
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? 063.
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.
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GMC Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9234761) - 2016 - crc - 7/24/15
66 Seats and Restraints
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
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. SeeWhen
Should an Airbag Inflate? 064.
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? 063.
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
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 has 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.
The feature may also activate,
without airbag inflation, after an
event that exceeds a predetermined
threshold. You can lock the doors,
and turn off the interior lamps, and
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