2021 GMC CANYON airbag

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 37
Warning (Continued)
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 with airbags. See
Airbag System034. 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.
In addition, the vehicle has advanced
technology frontal airbags. Advanced
technology frontal airbags adjust the
restraint according to crash severity.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags are
designed to inflate in moderate to severe
side crashes depending on the location ofthe 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.
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. Roof-rail airbags are not designed to
inflate in rear impacts. Both roof-rail airbags
will inflate when either side of the vehicle is
struck, if the sensing system predicts that
the vehicle is about to roll over on its side,
or in a severe frontal impact.
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

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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38 Seats and Restraints
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? 036.
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 seat 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. See
When Should an Airbag Inflate?
0 37.
Airbags should never be regarded as
anything more than a supplement to seat
belts.
What Will You See after an
Airbag Inflates?
After frontal and seat-mounted side impact
airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so
quickly that some people may not even
realize the airbags 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? 036.
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. After turning the ignition off and
then on again, the fuel system will return to
normal operation; the doors can be locked,
the interior lamps can be turned off, and
the hazard warning flashers can be turned

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 39
off using the controls for those features.
If any of these systems are damaged in the
crash they may not operate as normal.
{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 0336 and
Event Data Recorders 0337.
.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
The vehicle has a passenger sensing system
for the front outboard passenger position.
The passenger airbag status indicator will
light on the overhead console when the
vehicle is started.
United States
Canada
The words ON and OFF, or the symbols for
on and off, will be visible during the system
check. When the system check is complete,
either the word ON or OFF, or the symbol
for on and off, will be visible. See Passenger
Airbag Status Indicator 086.
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 and seat belt. 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.
According to accident statistics, children are
safer when properly secured in a rear seat
in the correct child restraint for their weight
and size.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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40 Seats and Restraints
Whenever possible, children aged 12 and
under should be secured in a rear seating
position.
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
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 passenger frontal airbag,
no system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though the airbag is turned off.(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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,
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.
If the vehicle does not have a rear seat that
will accommodate a rear-facing child
restraint, a rear-facing child restraint should
not be installed in the vehicle, even if the
airbag is off.
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 infant seat.
.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.
When the passenger sensing system has
turned off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag, the OFF indicator will light
and stay lit as a reminder that the airbag is
off. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
0 86.
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 ON indicator will
light and stay lit as a reminder that the
airbag is active.
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

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Seats and Restraints 41
the vehicle who has outgrown child
restraints should 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, 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 086
for more information, including important
safety information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for 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 Seat Belt in the Rear
Seat) 064 or
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat
Belt in the Front Seat) 069.
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 021.
6. Restart the vehicle.
If the ON indicator is still lit, secure the child
in the child restraint in a rear seat position
in the vehicle, and check with your dealer.
If no rear seat is available, 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 or
that the child restraint locking feature is
engaged. 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.
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.

GMC Canyon/Canyon Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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42 Seats and Restraints
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat,centered on the seat cushion, with legs
comfortably extended.
5. If the shoulder portion of the belt is pulled out all the way, the child restraint
locking feature will be engaged. This
may unintentionally cause the passenger
sensing system to turn the airbag off for
some adult-sized occupants. If this
happens, unbuckle the belt, let the belt
go back all the way, and then buckle the
belt again without pulling the belt out
all the way.
6. 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
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 043 for more
information about modifications that can
affect how the system operates.
The ON indicator may be lit if an object,
such as a briefcase, handbag, grocery bag,
laptop, or other electronic device, is put on
an unoccupied seat. If this is not desired
remove the object from the seat.
{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.
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 Publication Ordering
Information 0334.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds 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
(Continued)

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Warning (Continued)
system. Be sure to follow proper service
procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualified to
do so.
Adding Equipment to the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
{Warning
If a snow plow or similar equipment is
installed on the vehicle, the airbag
system may not function properly. An
airbag could inflate when it is not
supposed to inflate. People riding in the
vehicle could be injured, and the vehicle
and/or snow plow could be damaged. Do
not install a snow plow or similar
equipment on the 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, overhead
console, 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 not operate
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 039. If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail airbags,
see
Different Size Tires and Wheels 0279 for
additional important information.
If the vehicle must be modified 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 0329.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 086.
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? 036. See your dealer
for service.

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44 Seats and Restraints
Replacing Airbag System Parts
after a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the airbag systems
in the vehicle. A damaged airbag system
may not properly protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting in
serious injury or even death. To help
make sure the airbag systems are
working properly after a crash, have
them inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as possible.
If an airbag inflates, you will need to
replace airbag system parts. See your dealer
for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays on after
the vehicle is started or comes on when you
are driving, the airbag system may not work
properly. Have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness Light 086.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown booster
seats should wear the vehicle’s seat belts.
The manufacturer instructions that come
with the booster seat state the weight and
height limitations for that booster. Use a
booster seat with a lap-shoulder belt until
the child passes the fit test below:
.Sit all the way back on the seat. Do the
knees bend at the seat edge? If yes,
continue. If no, return to the booster seat.
.Buckle the lap-shoulder belt. Does the
shoulder belt rest on the shoulder? If yes,
continue. If no, try using the rear seat belt comfort guide, if available. See
“Rear
Seat Belt Comfort Guides” under
Lap-Shoulder Belt 030. If a comfort guide
is not available, or if the shoulder belt
still does not rest on the shoulder, then
return to the booster seat.
.Does the lap belt fit low and snug on the
hips, touching the thighs? If yes, continue.
If no, return to the booster seat.
.Can proper seat belt fit be maintained for
the length of the trip? If yes, continue.
If no, return to the booster seat.
Q: What is the proper way to wear seat belts?
A: An older child should wear a lap-shoulder
belt and get the additional restraint a
shoulder belt can provide. The shoulder
belt should not cross the face or neck.
The lap belt should fit snugly below the
hips, just touching the top of the thighs.
This applies belt force to the child's
pelvic bones in a crash. It should never
be worn over the abdomen, which could
cause severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.
Also see “Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides”
under Lap-Shoulder Belt 030.