2017 CADILLAC CTS warning

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
2017 - crc - 6/22/16
70 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
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.
Safety System Check
Check that the safety belt reminder,
safety belts, buckles, latch plates, and
retractors, are all working properly.Look for any other loose or damaged
safety belt system parts that might
keep a safety belt system from
performing properly. See your dealer
to have it repaired. Torn or frayed
safety belts may not protect you in a
crash. They can rip apart under
impact forces. If a belt is torn or
frayed, have it replaced immediately.
Make sure the safety belt reminder
light is working. See
Safety Belt
Reminders 0121.
Keep safety belts clean and dry. See
Safety Belt Care 070.
Safety Belt Care
Keep belts clean and dry.
{Warning
Do not bleach or dye safety belt
webbing. It may severely weaken
the webbing. In a crash, they might
not be able to provide adequate
protection. Clean and rinse safety
belt webbing only with mild soap
and lukewarm water. Allow the
webbing to dry. Safety belts should be properly cared
for and maintained.
Safety belt hardware should be kept
dry and free of dust or debris. As
necessary exterior hard surfaces and
safety belt webbing may be lightly
cleaned with mild soap and water.
Ensure there is not excessive dust or
debris in the mechanism. If dust or
debris exists in the system please see
the dealer. Parts may need to be
replaced to ensure proper
functionality of the system.
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
(Continued)

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
2017 - crc - 6/22/16
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 71
Warning (Continued)
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 0122.
Airbag System
The vehicle has the following airbags:
.
A frontal airbag for the driver.
. A frontal airbag for the front
outboard passenger.
. A knee airbag for the driver.
. A knee airbag for the front
outboard passenger.
. A seat-mounted side impact airbag
for the driver.
. A seat-mounted side impact airbag
for 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.
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:

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
2017 - crc - 6/22/16
72 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
{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 in every crash. In some
crashes safety belts are the only
restraint. SeeWhen Should an
Airbag Inflate? 074.
Wearing your safety belt during a
crash helps reduce your 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 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, see Older Children 083 or
Infants and Young Children 084.
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 0122 for more
information.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
2017 - crc - 6/22/16
74 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
Rear Seat Driver Side Shown,Passenger Side Similar
The second row seat-mounted side
impact airbags are in the sides of the
rear seatback closest to the door.
{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 (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 071. 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.
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.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
2017 - crc - 6/22/16
76 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
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? 074.
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, knee, 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? 073.
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, turn off the
interior lamps, and turn off the 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 front outboard
passenger airbag.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
2017 - crc - 6/22/16
78 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
{Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or
killed if the 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 passenger frontal airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is in
a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front
outboard passenger airbag(s), no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the
airbag(s) are off.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if
the airbag is off. If securing a
forward-facing child restraint in the
front outboard passenger seat,(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
always move the seat as far back as
it will go. It is better to secure child
restraints in the rear seat. Consider
using another vehicle to transport
the child when a rear seat is not
available.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and
knee airbag if:
. The front outboard passenger seat
is unoccupied.
. The system determines that an
infant is present in a child
restraint.
. A front outboard passenger takes
his/her weight off of the seat for a
period of time.
. There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the passenger
sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system
has turned off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag, the off indicator will light and
stay lit to remind you that the airbags
are off. See
Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator 0122.
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and
knee 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 airbags to be enabled,
the on indicator will light and stay lit
as a reminder that the airbags are
active.
For some children, including children
in child restraints, and for very small
adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and
knee 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.

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
2017 - crc - 6/22/16
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 79
{Warning
If the airbag readiness light ever
comes on and stays on, 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. See
Airbag Readiness Light0122 for
more information, including
important safety information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a
Child Restraint
The passenger sensing system is
designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and
knee airbag if the system determines
that an infant is present in a child
restraint. If a child restraint has been
installed and the on indicator is 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 (With the
Safety Belt in the Rear Seat) 095
or Securing Child Restraints (With
the Safety Belt in the Front
Seat) 097.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still
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 053. 6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the
airbags for a child in a child
restraint depending upon the
child’s size. It is better to secure
the child restraint in a rear seat.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if
the on indicator is not lit.
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

Cadillac CTS/CTS-V Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-MidEast-10293089) -
2017 - crc - 6/22/16
80 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
properly in the seat. Use the following
steps to allow the system to detect
that person and enable the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and
knee airbag:1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove any additional material from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers. Also,
remove laptops, or other
electronic devices.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably
extended.
5. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position
for two to three minutes after
the on indicator is lit.{Warning
If the front outboard passenger
airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag will
not be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of
serious injury or even death. An
adult-sized occupant should not
ride in the front outboard passenger
seat, if the passenger airbag off
indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting
System Operation
Safety belts help keep the passenger
in position on the seat during vehicle
maneuvers and braking, which helps
the passenger sensing system
maintain the passenger airbag status.
See “Safety Belts” and“Child
Restraints ”in the Index for additional
information about the importance of
proper restraint use.
A thick layer of additional material,
such as a blanket or cushion,
or aftermarket equipment such as seat covers, seat heaters, and seat
massagers can affect how well the
passenger sensing system operates.
We recommend that you not use seat
covers or other aftermarket equipment
except when approved by GM for your
specific vehicle. See
Adding Equipment
to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 081 for
more information about modifications
that can affect how the system
operates.
A wet seat can affect the performance
of the passenger sensing system. Here
is how:
. The passenger sensing system may
turn off the passenger frontal
airbag and passenger knee airbag
when liquid is soaked into the
seat. If this happens, the off
indicator will be lit, and the airbag
readiness light on the instrument
panel will also be lit.
. Liquid pooled on the seat that has
not soaked in may make it more
likely that the passenger sensing
system will turn on the passenger
frontal airbag and passenger knee
airbag while a child restraint or
child occupant is on the seat.