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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 0275
and Event Data Recorders
0 275.
. 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.
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,
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
seat belt, and child restraints is
necessary for most effective
protection. Failure to follow all
instructions in this manual
concerning the use of seats, seat
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 about
seven 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. See
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
090.
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.
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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 remain lit, and
the front outboard passenger frontal
airbag will be turned off.
{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.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.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 passenger
airbag may deploy in a
collision. Also, the
passenger airbag status
indicator may not light. For
more information, see
Securing Child Restraints
075 for information about
installing and using child
restraints.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.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.
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{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.
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.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 frontal 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
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wear a seat 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.
See Airbag Readiness Light 089
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 075.
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
0 37.
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.
Consider using another vehicle to
transport the child when a rear seat
is not available. Never put a
rear-facing child restraint in the front
seat, even if the off indicator is 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
properly in the seat. Use the
following steps to allow the system
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to detect that person and enable the
front outboard passenger frontal
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.
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 off
indicator is not lit.
{Warning
If the front outboard passenger
airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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
Seat 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“Seat 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 063
for more information about
modifications that can affect how
the system operates.
{Warning
Stowing articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
{Warning
. Do not place any objects on
the steering wheel pad or on
the instrument panel. Also,
do not place any objects
(Continued)
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Warning (Continued)
between any occupant and
the steering wheel or
instrument panel. Such
objects may become
dangerous projectiles and
cause injury if the front
airbags inflate.
. Do not place objects with
sharp edges on the seat.
Also, do not place heavy
objects on the seat that will
leave permanent
impressions in the seat.
Such objects can damage
the seat or passenger
sensing system sensors
(weight sensors). This can
affect the operation of the
airbag system and result in
serious personal injury.
. Do not use water or acidic
cleaners (hot steam
cleaners) on the seat. This
can damage the seat or
passenger sensing system
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
sensors. This can also
affect the operation of the
airbag system and result in
serious personal injury.
. Immediately after inflation,
several front airbag system
components will be hot. Do
not touch them; you may
severely burn yourself.
. No unauthorized changes
should be made to any
components or wiring of the
supplemental airbag
system. This is to prevent
accidental inflation of the
supplemental airbag or
damage to the supplemental
airbag system.
. Do not make unauthorized
changes to your vehicle’s
electrical system,
suspension system, or front
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
end structure. This could
affect proper operation of
the front airbag system.
. Tampering with the front
airbag system may result in
serious personal injury.
Tampering includes
changes to the steering
wheel and the instrument
panel assembly by placing
material over the steering
wheel pad and above the
instrument panel, or by
installing additional trim
material around the airbag
system.
. Removing or modifying the
front passenger seat may
affect the function of the
airbag and result in serious
personal injury.
. Modifying or tampering with
the front passenger seat
may result personal injury.
(Continued)
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Warning (Continued)
For example, do not change
the front seats by placing
material on the seat cushion
or by installing additional
trim material, such as seat
covers, on the seat that are
not specifically designed to
assure proper airbag
operation. Additionally, do
not stow any objects under
the front passenger seat or
the seat cushion and
seatback. Such objects may
interfere with the proper
operation of the passenger
sensing system sensor
(weight sensor).
. No unauthorized changes
should be made to any
components or wiring of the
seat belt system. This may
affect the front airbag
system. Tampering with the
seat belt system may result
in serious personal injury.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
.Work on and around the
front airbag system should
be done by your dealer.
Installation of electrical
equipment should also be
done by your dealer. The
supplemental airbag system
wiring harnesses should not
be modified or
disconnected; airbag wiring
harness connectors are
yellow and orange for easy
identification. Unauthorized
electrical test equipment
and probing devices should
not be used on the airbag
system.
. A cracked windshield should
be replaced immediately by
a qualified repair facility.
A cracked windshield could
affect the function of the
supplemental airbag
system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information 0272.
{Warning
For up to three minutes after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow
proper service procedures, and
make sure the person performing
work for you is qualified to do so.
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Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal may keep the airbag system
from working properly.
The operation of the airbag system
can also be affected by changing
any parts of the front seats, seat
belts, airbag sensing and diagnostic
module, steering wheel, instrument
panel, inner door seals including the
speakers, any of the airbag
modules, ceiling or pillar garnish
trim, front sensors, side impact
sensors, or airbag wiring.
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, and airbag
wiring.
In addition, the vehicle has a
passenger sensing system for the
front outboard passenger position,
which includes sensors that are part
of the passenger seat. The
passenger sensing system may notoperate properly if the original seat
trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery, or trim; or with
GM covers, upholstery, or trim
designed for a different vehicle. Any
object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort-enhancing pad
or device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of the
passenger sensing system. This
could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly
turning off the passenger airbag(s).
See
Passenger Sensing System
0 56.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail
airbags, see Different Size Tires
and Wheels 0216 for additional
important information.
If you have to modify your vehicle
because you have a disability and
have questions about whether the
modifications will affect the vehicle's
airbag system, or if you have
questions about whether the airbag
system will be affected if the vehicle is modified for any other reason, call
Customer Assistance. See
Customer Assistance Offices
0265.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. See
Airbag Readiness Light 089.
Caution
If an airbag covering is damaged,
opened, or broken, the airbag
may not work properly. Do not
open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag
coverings, have the airbag
covering and/or airbag module
replaced. For the location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? 051. See your dealer
for service.