CADILLAC XLR 2007 1.G Workshop Manual

What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag
sensing system detects that the vehicle is
in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release
of gas from the inator, which inates the
airbag. The inator, the airbag and related
hardware are all part of the airbag modules.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside
the steering wheel and instrument panel. For
seating positions with side impact airbags, there
are also airbag modules in the side of the
seatbacks closest to the door.
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 safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But
the frontal airbags would not help you in many
types of collisions, including rollovers, rear
impacts, and many side impacts, primarily because
an occupant’s motion is not toward the airbag.
Side impact airbags would not help you in many
types of collisions, including many frontal or
near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear impacts.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything
more than a supplement to safety belts, and then
only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and right front
passenger’s frontal airbags, and only in moderate
to severe side collisions for vehicles with side
impact airbags.
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What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After an airbag inates, it quickly deates, so
quickly that some people may not even realize the
airbag inated. Some components of the airbag
module — the steering wheel hub for the driver’s
frontal airbag, the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag, and for
seating positions with side impact airbags, the side
of the seatback closest to the door — may be
hot for a short time. 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 deated
airbags. Airbag ination 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.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, 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 inates, 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.
Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically
unlock the doors, turn the interior lamps on,
and turn on the hazard warning ashers when the
airbags inate. You can lock the doors, turn the
interior lamps off, and turn the hazard warning
ashers off by using the controls for those
features.
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In many crashes severe enough to inate an
airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle
deformation. Additional windshield breakage may
also occur from the right front passenger
airbag.
Airbags are designed to inate only once.
After they inate, 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
your vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
Your vehicle has a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records information
after a crash. SeeVehicle Data Collection and
Event Data Recorders on page 491.
Let only qualied technicians work on your
airbag system. Improper service can mean
that an airbag system will not work properly.
See your dealer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system. The
passenger airbag status indicator in the rearview
mirror will be visible when you start the vehicle.
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and
off, will be visible during the system check.
When the system check is complete, either the
word ON or the word OFF, or the symbol for on or
the symbol for off, will be visible. SeePassenger
Airbag Status Indicator on page 189.
United States
Canada
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The passenger sensing system will turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag and side impact airbag
under certain conditions. The driver’s airbags
are not part of the passenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors
that are part of the passenger’s seat and safety
belt. The sensors are designed to detect the
presence of a properly seated occupant and
determine if the passenger’s frontal airbag and
side impact airbag should be enabled (may inate)
or not.
Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear rather than the front
seat. We recommend that rear-facing child
restraints not be transported in your vehicle, even
if the airbags are off.
Your vehicle has a label on the sun visor that
says, “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 deploys.
Never put a child in a rear-facing child restraint
in the passenger’s seat unless the passenger
airbag status indicator shows off and the airbags
are off.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can
be seriously injured or killed if the
passenger’s airbag inates. This is
because the back of the rear-facing child
restraint would be very close to the
inating airbag. Be sure the airbag is off
before using a rear-facing child restraint
in the passenger’s position.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag (if equipped) if the system
detects a rear-facing child restraint, no
system is fail-safe, and no one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual circumstance, even
though it is turned off. We recommend that
CAUTION: (Continued)
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CAUTION: (Continued)
rear-facing child restraints be transported
in vehicles with a rear seat that will
accommodate a rear-facing child restraint,
whenever possible.
If you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the passenger’s seat,
always move the passenger’s seat as far
back as it will go. It is better to secure the
child restraint in a rear seat.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn
off the passenger’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag if:
The passenger’s 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 forward-facing child restraint.
The system determines that a small child is
present in a booster seat.
A passenger takes his/her weight off of the
seat for a period of time.
The passenger’s seat is occupied by a smaller
person, such as a child who has outgrown
child restraints.
Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger’s frontal airbag and side
impact airbag have been turned off by the
passenger sensing system, the off indicator will light
and stay lit to remind you that the airbags are off.
If a child restraint has been installed and the on
indicator is lit, turn the vehicle off. Remove the child
restraint from the vehicle and reinstall the child
restraint following the child restraint manufacturer’s
directions and refer toSecuring a Child Restraint in
the Passenger Seat Position on page 40.
If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting
the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, check to
make sure that the vehicle’s seatback is not
pressing the child restraint into the seat cushion.
If this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s
seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible.
If the on indicator is still lit, do not secure the child
restraint in this vehicle and check with your dealer.
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The passenger sensing system is designed to
enable (may inate) the passenger’s frontal airbag
and side impact airbag anytime the system
senses that a person of adult size is sitting
properly in the passenger’s seat. When the
passenger sensing system has allowed the airbags
to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay
lit to remind you that the airbags are 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
passenger’s frontal airbag and side impact airbag,
depending upon the person’s seating posture
and body build. Everyone in your vehicle who has
outgrown child restraints should wear a safety
belt properly — whether or not there is an airbag
for that person.
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the passenger’s
seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be because
that person is not sitting properly in the seat. If this
happens, turn the vehicle off and ask the person to
place the seatback in the fully upright position, then
sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion,
with the person’s legs comfortably extended.Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in
this position for about two minutes. This will allow
the system to detect that person and then enable
the passenger’s frontal airbag and side impact
airbag.
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{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light in the
instrument panel cluster ever comes on
and stays on, it means that something
may be wrong with the airbag system. If
this ever happens, have the vehicle
serviced promptly, because an adult-size
person sitting in the right front
passenger’s seat may not have the
protection of an airbag. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 188for more on
this, including important safety
information.Aftermarket equipment, such as seat covers, can
affect how well the passenger sensing system
operates. You may want to consider not using seat
covers or other aftermarket equipment if your
vehicle has the passenger sensing system. See
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle on page 59for more information about
modications that can affect how the system
operates.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger’s
seat or between the passenger’s seat
cushion and seatback may interfere with
the proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
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Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Airbags affect how your vehicle should be
serviced. There are parts of the airbag system in
several places around your vehicle. You do
not want the system to inate while someone is
working on your vehicle. Your dealer and the
service manual have information about servicing
your vehicle and the airbag system. To purchase a
service manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 497.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds, after the ignition is
turned off and the battery is disconnected,
an airbag can still inate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are
close to an airbag when it inates. 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
qualied to do so.
The airbag system does not need regular
maintenance.
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Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to the front
or sides of the vehicle that could keep the
airbags from working properly?
A:Yes. If you add things that change your
vehicle’s frame, bumper system, height,
front end or side sheet metal, they may keep
the airbag system from working properly.
Also, the airbag system may not work properly
if you relocate any of the airbag sensors. If
you have any questions about this, you should
contact Customer Assistance before you
modify your vehicle. The phone numbers and
addresses for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure in this manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on page 482.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get
my vehicle modied. How can I nd out
whether this will affect my advanced airbag
system?
A:Changing or moving any parts of the front
seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing and
diagnostic module, steering wheel, instrument
panel, the inside review mirror, or airbag
wiring can affect the operation of the airbag
system. If you have questions, call Customer
Assistance. The phone numbers and
addresses for Customer Assistance are in
Step Two of the Customer Satisfaction
Procedure in this manual. SeeCustomer
Satisfaction Procedure on page 482.
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Restraint System Check
Checking the Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder
light and all your belts, buckles, latch plates,
retractors and anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other loose or damaged safety
belt system parts. If you see anything that might
keep a safety belt system from doing its job, have
it repaired. SeeCare of Safety Belts on page 445
for more information.
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, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken airbag
covers, and have them repaired or replaced. The
airbag system does not need regular maintenance.Notice:If you damage the covering for the
driver’s or the passenger’s airbag, or the
airbag covering on the driver’s and
passenger’s seatback, the airbag may not work
properly. You may have to replace the airbag
module in the steering wheel, both the
airbag module and the instrument panel for the
passenger’s airbag, or both the airbag
module and seatback for the driver’s and
passenger’s side impact airbag. Do not open
or break the airbag coverings.
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