2017 CHEVROLET SILVERADO airbag

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
74 Seats and Restraints
Airbag System
The vehicle has the followingairbags:
.Afrontalairbagforthedriver.
.Afrontalairbagforthefrontoutboard passenger.
The vehicle may have the followingairbags:
.Aseat-mountedsideimpactairbag for the driver.
.Aseat-mountedsideimpactairbag for the front outboardpassenger.
.Aroof-railairbagforthedriverand the passenger seateddirectly behind the driver.
.Aroof-railairbagforthefrontoutboard passenger and theperson seated directly behindthe front outboard passenger.
All of the airbags in the vehicle willhave the word AIRBAG on the trimor on a label near the deploymentopening.
For frontal airbags, the wordAIRBAG is on the center of thesteering wheel for the driver and onthe instrument panel for the frontoutboard passenger.
For seat-mounted side impactairbags, the word AIRBAG is on theseatback closest to the door.
For roof-rail airbags, the wordAIRBAG is on the ceiling or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplementthe protection provided by safetybelts. Even though today's airbagsare also designed to help reducethe risk of injury from the force of aninflating bag, all airbags must inflatevery quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important thingsto know about the airbag system:
{Warning
Yo u c a n b e s e v e r e l y i n j u r e d o r
killed in a crash if you are not
wearing your safety belt, even
with airbags. Airbags are
designed to work with safety
(Continued)
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?076.
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
(Continued)

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
Seats and Restraints 75
Warning (Continued)
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
acrash.Alwayswearasafety
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 Children088or
Infants and Young Children090.
There is an airbag readiness lighton the instrument cluster, whichshows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbagelectrical system for malfunctions.The light tells you if there is anelectrical problem. SeeAirbagReadiness Light0135for moreinformation.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in thecenter of the steering wheel.

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
76 Seats and Restraints
The front outboard passengerfrontal airbag is in the passengerside instrument panel.
Driver Side Shown, Passenger
Side Similar
If the vehicle has seat-mounted sideimpact airbags for the driver andfront outboard passenger, they arein the side of the seatbacks closestto the door.
Driver Side Crew Cab Shown,
Passenger Side Double and
Regular Cabs Similar
If the vehicle has roof-rail airbagsfor the driver, front outboardpassenger, and second rowoutboard passengers, they are inthe 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
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 withairbags. SeeAirbag System074.Airbags are designed to inflate if theimpact exceeds the specific airbag

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
Seats and Restraints 77
system's deployment threshold.Deployment thresholds are used topredict how severe a crash is likelyto be in time for the airbags toinflate and help restrain theoccupants. The vehicle haselectronic sensors which help theairbag system determine theseverity of the impact. Deploymentthresholds can vary with specificvehicle design.
Frontal airbags are designed toinflate in moderate to severe frontalor near frontal crashes to helpreduce the potential for severeinjuries, mainly to the driver's orfront outboard passenger's headand chest.
Whether the frontal airbags will orshould inflate is not based primarilyon how fast the vehicle is traveling.It depends on what is hit, thedirection of the impact, and howquickly the vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate atdifferent crash speeds depending onwhether the vehicle hits an objectstraight on or at an angle, and
whether the object is fixed ormoving, rigid or deformable, narrowor wide.
Frontal airbags are not intended toinflate during vehicle rollovers, inrear impacts, or in many sideimpacts.
In addition, if the GVWR (GrossVehicle Weight Rating) is at orbelow 3 855 kg (8,500 lb), thevehicle has advanced technologyfrontal airbags. You can find theGVWR on the Certification/Tire labelon the center pillar of the vehicle.SeeVehicle Load Limits0259formore information.
Advanced technology frontal airbagsadjust the restraint according tocrash severity. Vehicles withadvanced technology frontal airbagshave a seat position sensor thatenables the sensing system tomonitor the position of the driverseat. The seat position sensorprovides information that is used toadjust the deployment of the driverfrontal airbag.
If the GVWR is at or below 4 536 kg(10,000 lb), the vehicle hasseat-mounted side impact airbags.Vehicles with a GVWR above4536kg (10,000lb) may or may nothave seat-mounted side impactairbags. Seat-mounted side impactairbags, if equipped, are designedto inflate in moderate to severe sidecrashes depending on the locationof the impact. Seat-mounted sideimpact airbags are not designed toinflate in frontal impacts, near frontalimpacts, rollovers, or rear impacts.Aseat-mountedsideimpactairbagis designed to inflate on the side ofthe vehicle that is struck.
Vehicles with a GVWR at or below3855kg (8,500lb) have roof-railairbags. These roof-rail airbags aredesigned to inflate in moderate tosevere side crashes depending onthe location of the impact. Inaddition, these roof-rail airbags aredesigned to inflate during a rolloveror in a severe frontal impact. Theroof-rail airbags are not designed toinflate in rear impacts. Both roof-railairbags will inflate when either sideof the vehicle is struck or if the

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
78 Seats and Restraints
sensing system predicts that thevehicle is about to roll over on itsside, or in a severe frontal impact.
Vehicles with a GVWR above3855 kg (8,500lb) up to andincluding 4 536 kg (10,000 lb) alsohave roof-rail airbags. Theseroof-rail airbags are designed toinflate in moderate to severe sidecrashes depending on the locationof the impact. Both roof-rail airbagswill inflate when either side of thevehicle is struck. In addition, theseroof-rail airbags are designed toinflate in a severe frontal impact.The roof-rail airbags are alsorollover capable except on modelssold as an incomplete vehicle withthe pickup box removed. If theroof-rail airbags are rollovercapable, both roof-rail airbags willalso inflate if the sensing systempredicts that the vehicle is about toroll over on its side. The roof-railairbags are not designed to inflate inrear impacts.
Vehicles with a GVWR above4536kg(10,000lb)mayormaynotbe equipped with roof-rail airbags.These roof-rail airbags, if equipped,
are designed to inflate in moderateto severe side crashes dependingon the location of the impact. Bothroof-rail airbags will inflate wheneither side of the vehicle is struck.In addition, these roof-rail airbagsare designed to inflate in a severefrontal impact. If the vehicle hassingle rear wheels and has afactory-installed pickup box androof-rail airbags, the roof-rail airbagsare rollover capable. If the vehiclehas dual rear wheels, or is sold asan incomplete vehicle, as a chassiscab, or with the pickup boxremoved, and has roof-rail airbags,the roof-rail airbags are not rollovercapable. If the airbags are rollovercapable, both roof-rail airbags willalso inflate if the sensing systempredicts that the vehicle is about toroll over on its side. The roof-railairbags are not designed to inflate inrear impacts.
In any particular crash, no one cansay whether an airbag should haveinflated simply because of thevehicle damage or repair costs.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensingsystem sends an electrical signaltriggering a release of gas from theinflator. Gas from the inflator fills theairbag causing the bag to break outof the cover. The inflator, the airbag,and related hardware are all part ofthe airbag module.
For airbag locations, seeWhere Arethe Airbags?075.
How Does an Airbag
Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal ornear frontal collisions, even beltedoccupants can contact the steeringwheel or the instrument panel. Inmoderate to severe side collisions,even belted occupants can contactthe inside of the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protectionprovided by safety belts bydistributing the force of the impactmore evenly over theoccupant's body.

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
Seats and Restraints 79
Rollover capable roof-rail airbagsare designed to help contain thehead and chest of occupants in theoutboard seating positions in thefirst and second rows. The rollovercapable roof-rail airbags aredesigned to help reduce the risk offull or partial ejection in rolloverevents, although no system canprevent all such ejections.
But airbags would not help in manytypes of collisions, primarilybecause the occupant's motion isnot toward those airbags. SeeWhenShould an Airbag Inflate?076.
Airbags should never be regardedas anything more than a supplementto safety belts.
What Will You See after
an Airbag Inflates?
For an eAssist vehicle, see theSilverado/Sierra eAssistsupplement.
After the frontal airbags andseat-mounted side impact airbagsinflate, they quickly deflate, soquickly that some people may not
even realize an airbag inflated.Roof-rail airbags may still be at leastpartially inflated for some time afterthey inflate. Some components ofthe airbag module may be hot forseveral minutes. For location of theairbags, seeWhere Are theAirbags?075.
The parts of the airbag that comeinto contact with you may be warm,but not too hot to touch. There maybe some smoke and dust comingfrom the vents in the deflatedairbags. Airbag inflation does notprevent the driver from seeing out ofthe windshield or being able to steerthe vehicle, nor does it preventpeople 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 a v o i d t h i s , e v e r y o n e i n t h e
vehicle should get out as soon as
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 mayautomatically unlock the doors, turnon the interior lamps and hazardwarning flashers, and shut off thefuel system after the airbags inflate.The feature may also activate,without airbag inflation, after anevent that exceeds a predeterminedthreshold. You can lock the doors,and turn off the interior lamps, andturn off the hazard warning flashersby using the controls for thosefeatures.

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
80 Seats and Restraints
{Warning
Acrashsevereenoughtoinflate
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 toinflate the airbag, windshields arebroken by vehicle deformation.Additional windshield breakage mayalso occur from the front outboardpassenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflateonly once. After an airbaginflates, you will need some newparts for the airbag system.If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be thereto help protect you in anothercrash. A new system will includeairbag modules and possiblyother parts. The service manualfor the vehicle covers the needto replace other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensingand diagnostic module whichrecords information after acrash. SeeVehicle DataRecording and Privacy0484andEvent DataRecorders0484.
.Let only qualified technicianswork on the airbag systems.Improper service can mean thatan airbag system will not workproperly. See your dealer forservice.
Airbag On-Off Switch
If the passenger side instrumentpanel endcap has the switchpictured in the following illustration,the vehicle has an airbag on-offswitch that you can use to manually
turn on or off the front outboardpassenger frontal airbag. SeeInstrument Panel06.
If the vehicle does not have anairbag on-off switch, it may have apassenger sensing system. SeePassenger Sensing System082.
This switch should only be turned tothe off position if the person in thefront outboard passenger position isamemberofapassengerriskgroupidentified by the nationalgovernment as follows:
Infant. An infant (less than 1 yearold) must ride in the front seatbecause:
.My vehicle has no rear seat;

Chevrolet Silverado Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-9956065) - 2017 - CRC - 4/29/16
Seats and Restraints 81
.My vehicle has a rear seat toosmall to accommodate arear-facing infant seat; or
.The infant has a medicalcondition which, according to theinfant's physician, makes itnecessary for the infant to ride inthe front seat so that the drivercan constantly monitor thechild's condition.
Child age 1 to 12. A childage 1 to 12 must ride in the frontseat because:
.My vehicle has no rear seat;
.Although children ages 1 to 12ride in the rear seat(s) wheneverpossible, children ages 1 to 12sometimes must ride in the frontbecause no space is available inthe rear seat(s) of my vehicle; or
.The child has a medicalcondition which, according to thechild's physician, makes itnecessary for the child to ride inthe front seat so that the drivercan constantly monitor thechild's condition.
Medical Condition. A passengerhas a medical condition which,according to his or her physician:
.Causes the passenger airbag topose a special risk for thepassenger; and
.Makes the potential harm fromthe passenger airbag in a crashgreater than the potential harmfrom turning off the airbag andallowing the passenger, even ifbelted, to hit the instrumentpanel or windshield in a crash.
{Warning
If the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag is turned off for a
person who is not in a risk group
identified by the national
government, that person will not
have the extra protection of an
airbag. In a crash, the airbag will
not be able to inflate and help
protect the person sitting there.
Do not turn off the front outboard
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
passenger frontal airbag unless
the person sitting there is in a risk
group.
To t u r n o f f t h e f r o n t o u t b o a r dpassenger frontal airbag, insert theignition key into the switch, push in,and move the switch to the offposition.
The word OFF or the off symbol willcome on in the passenger airbagstatus indicator located in theoverhead console to let you knowthat the front outboard passengerfrontal airbag is off, after the systemcheck is completed. The airbag offlight will come on and stay on to let