sensor CHEVROLET AVALANCHE 2007 2.G Owners Manual

{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant
and an airbag, the bag might not inate
properly or it might force the object into
that person causing severe injury or even
death. The path of an inating 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. And, if your vehicle
has roof-mounted side impact airbags,
never secure anything to the roof of your
vehicle by routing the rope or tie down
through any door or window opening.
If you do, the path of an inating side
impact airbag will be blocked. The path
of an inating airbag must be kept clear.
When Should an Airbag Inate?
The driver’s and right front passenger’s frontal
airbags are designed to inate in moderate
to severe frontal or near-frontal crashes. But they
are designed to inate only if the impact exceeds a
predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds take into account a variety of desired
deployment and non-deployment events and
are used to predict how severe a crash is likely
to be in time for the airbags to inate and
help restrain the occupants. Whether your frontal
airbags will or should deploy is not based on
how fast your vehicle is traveling. It depends
largely on what you hit, the direction of the impact,
and how quickly your vehicle slows down.
In addition, your vehicle has “dual stage” frontal
airbags, which adjust the restraint according
to crash severity. Your vehicle has electronic
frontal sensors, which help the sensing system
distinguish between a moderate frontal impact
and a more severe frontal impact. For moderate
frontal impacts, these airbags inate at a level
less than full deployment. For more severe frontal
impacts, full deployment occurs.
77

If the front of your vehicle goes straight into a
wall that does not move or deform, the threshold
level for the reduced deployment is about
9 to 16 mph (14 to 26 km/h), and the threshold
level for a full deployment is about 18 to 25 mph
(29 to 40 km/h). The threshold level can vary,
however, with specic vehicle design, so that it
can be somewhat above or below this range.
Frontal airbags may inate at different crash
speeds. For example:
If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the
airbags could inate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that deforms,
the airbags could inate at a different
crash speed than if the vehicle hits an
object that does not deform.
If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole),
the airbags could inate at a different crash
speed than if the vehicle hits a wide object
(like a wall).
If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle,
the airbags could inate at a different crash
speed than if the vehicle goes straight into
the object.Frontal airbags (driver and right front passenger)
are not intended to inate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
Your vehicle has a seat position sensor which
enables the sensing system to monitor the
fore and aft position of the driver’s seat. Seat
position sensors provide information that is used
to determine if the airbags should deploy at a
reduced level or at full deployment.
Your vehicle may or may not have roof-mounted
rollover airbags and a rollover sensor. See
Airbag System on page 72. These “rollover
capable” airbags are intended to inate in
moderate to severe side crashes, during a rollover,
or in a severe frontal impact. A roof-mounted
rollover airbag will inate if the crash severity is
above the system’s designed “threshold level.”
The threshold level can vary with specic vehicle
design. Roof-mounted airbags are not intended
to inate in rear impacts. Both roof-mounted
rollover airbags will deploy when either side of
the vehicle is struck, during a rollover, or in
a severe frontal impact.
78

The passenger sensing system will turn off the
right front passenger’s frontal 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 right front 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 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 child restraints be
secured in a rear seat, including an infant riding
in a rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in a
forward-facing child seat, and an older child riding
in a booster seat.
Your vehicle has a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint. A label on your sun
visor 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.
{CAUTION:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint
can be seriously injured or killed if the
right front passenger’s airbag inates.
This is because the back of the
rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inating airbag.
Even though the passenger sensing
system is designed to turn off the
passenger’s frontal airbag 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 rear-facing child restraints be secured
in the rear seat, even if the airbag is off.
If you need to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front seat,
always move the front passenger seat
as far back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a rear seat.
82

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 582.
Q:Because I have a disability, I have to get
my vehicle modied. How can I nd out
whether this will affect my airbag system?
A:Changing or moving any parts of the
front seats, safety belts, the airbag sensing
and diagnostic module, rollover sensor
module, steering wheel, instrument panel,
overhead console, ceiling headliner, ceiling
and pillar garnish trim, roof-mounted rollover
airbag modules, 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 582.
87

You control the windshield wipers by turning the
band with the wiper symbol on it.
8(Mist):For a single wiping cycle, turn the
band to mist. Hold it there until the wipers start.
Then let go. The wipers will stop after
one wipe. If you want more wipe cycles, hold
the band on mist longer.
6(Delay):You can set the wiper speed for a long
or short delay between wiping cycles. This can
be very useful in light rain or snow. Turn the band
to choose the delay time. The closer to the top
of the lever, the shorter the delay.
6(Low Speed):For steady wiping at low
speed, turn the band away from you to the
rst solid band past the delay settings.
1(High Speed):For high-speed wiping,
turn the band further, to the second solid band
past the delay settings.
9(Off):To stop the wipers, move the band to off.
Rainsense™ II Wipers
If your vehicle has Rainsense™ II windshield
wipers, the moisture sensor is located next to
the inside rearview mirror and is mounted on the
windshield. When active, these sensors are
able to detect moisture on the windshield and
automatically turn on the wipers.
To turn on the Rainsense™ feature, the wipers
must be set to one of the ve delay settings on
the multifunction lever. Each of the ve settings
adjusts the sensitivity of the rainsensor.
Since different drivers have different setting
preferences, it is recommended that the mid-range
setting (position 3) be used initially. For more
wipes, select the higher settings; for fewer wipes,
select the lower settings located closer to the
off position on the multifunction lever.
The rainsensor will automatically control the
frequency of the wipes from the off setting to
the high speed setting according to the weather
conditions. The wipers can be left in a rainsense
mode even when it is not raining.
Notice:Going through an automatic car
wash with the wipers on can damage them.
Turn the wipers off when going through
an automatic car wash.
210

The DRL system will come on when the following
conditions are met:
The ignition is on.
The exterior lamps control is in AUTO.
The transmission is not in PARK (P).
The light sensor determines it is daytime.
When the DRL are on, only your DRL lamps will
be on. The taillamps, sidemarker, and other lamps
will not be on. The instrument panel will not be
lit up either.
When it begins to get dark, the automatic
headlamp system will switch from DRL to the
headlamps.
To turn off the DRL lamps, turn the exterior lamps
control to the OFF position and then release.
For vehicles rst sold in Canada, the transaxle
must be in the PARK (P) position, before the
DRL lamps can be turned off.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the
regular headlamp system when you need it.
Automatic Headlamp System
When it is dark enough outside and the headlamp
switch is in AUTO, your automatic headlamp
system will turn on your headlamps at the normal
brightness along with other lamps such as the
taillamps, sidemarker, parking lamps, roof marker
lamps, and the instrument panel lights. The
radio lights will also be dim.
To turn off the automatic headlamp system,
turn the exterior lamps switch to the off position
and then release. For vehicles rst sold in Canada,
the transaxle must be in the PARK (P) position,
before the automatic headlamp system can
be turned off.
Your vehicle has a light sensor located on the
top of the instrument panel. Be sure it is not
covered, or the system will be on whenever the
ignition is on.
The system may also turn on your headlamps
when driving through a parking garage, heavy
overcast weather, or a tunnel. This is normal.
217

There is a delay in the transition between
the daytime and nighttime operation of the
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) and the
automatic headlamp systems so that driving
under bridges or bright overhead street lights
does not affect the system. The DRL and
automatic headlamp system will only be affected
when the light sensor sees a change in lighting
lasting longer than the delay.
If you start your vehicle in a dark garage,
the automatic headlamp system will come
on immediately. Once you leave the garage,
it will take approximately one minute for the
automatic headlamp system to change to DRL
if it is light outside. During that delay, your
instrument panel cluster may not be as bright
as usual. Make sure your instrument panel
brightness control is in the full bright position.
SeeInstrument Panel Brightness on page 219.Fog Lamps
If your vehicle has fog lamps you can use them
for better vision in foggy or misty conditions.
Your parking lamps and/or low-beam headlamps
must be on for your fog lamps to work.
The fog lamp button is located on the left side of
your instrument panel.
-(Fog Lamps):Press the button to turn the
fog lamps on. An indicator light will glow near
the button when the fog lamps are on. Press the
button again to turn them off.
Remember, fog lamps alone will not give off as
much light as your headlamps. Never use your
fog lamps in the dark without turning on the
headlamps.
218

Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA)
If your vehicle has the Ultrasonic Rear Parking
Assist (URPA) system it is designed to help
you park while in REVERSE (R). It operates
only at speeds less than 5 mph (8 km/h).
URPA helps make parking easier and helps
you avoid colliding with objects such as parked
vehicles. The URPA system detects objects
that are close to the rear of the vehicle which are
at least 10 inches (25.4 cm) off the ground and
below hood or tailgate level. The system detects
objects up to 8 feet (2.5 m) behind your vehicle.
The URPA sensors determine how close
these objects are from your bumper within
this area.
{CAUTION:
The Ultrasonic Rear Park Assist (URPA)
system does not replace driver vision.
URPA does not:
Operate above speeds of
5 mph (8 km/h).
Detect objects more than
8 feet (2.5 meters) behind the
vehicle. This distance may be less
during warmer or humid weather.
Detect objects that are below the
bumper, underneath the vehicle,
or that are very close to the vehicle.
Detect children, pedestrians,
bicyclists, or pets.
CAUTION: (Continued)
222

The ultrasonic sensors are not kept clean.
So, be sure to keep your vehicle’s rear
bumper free of mud, dirt, snow, ice, and
slush. For cleaning instructions, seeWashing
Your Vehicle on page 541. If the DIC still
displays the PARKING ASSIST OFF
message after cleaning the bumper and
driving forward at a speed of at least
15 mph (25 km/h), see your dealer.
Other conditions that may affect system
performance include vibrations from a
jackhammer or the compression of air brakes
on a very large truck or other mechanical
devices that interfere with URPA performance.
When URPA is disabled without driver
action and the driver attempts to turn
URPA back on by pressing the rear park
aid button, the indicator light will ash
for 3 seconds and then stay lit to indicate
that URPA is off.As always, drivers should use care when
backing up a vehicle. Always look behind you,
being sure to check for other vehicles,
obstructions and blind spots.
For Driver Information Center messages
related to URPA, seeDIC Warnings and
Messages on page 267.
If the vehicle bumper is damaged, the URPA
system may not work properly. Take the
vehicle to your dealer to repair the system.
225

Automatic Operation
AUTO (Automatic):When automatic operation
is active the system will control the inside
temperature, the air delivery, and the fan speed.
Use the steps below to place the entire system
in automatic mode:
1. Press the AUTO button.
When AUTO is selected, the display will
change to show the current temperature(s)
and AUTO will be lit on the display. The
current delivery mode and fan speed will also
be displayed for approximately 5 seconds.
When AUTO is selected, the air conditioning
operation and air inlet will be automatically
controlled. The air conditioning compressor
will run when the outside temperature is over
about 40°F (4°C). The air inlet will normally
be set to outside air. If it is hot outside, the
air inlet may automatically switch to recirculate
inside air to help quickly cool down your
vehicle. The light on the button will illuminate
in recirculation.2. Set the driver’s and passenger’s temperature.
To nd your comfort setting, start with a
74°F (23°C) temperature setting and allow
about 20 minutes for the system to regulate.
Use the driver’s or passenger’s temperature
buttons to adjust the temperature setting
as necessary. If you choose the temperature
setting of 60°F (15°C), the system will
remain at the maximum cooling setting.
If you choose the temperature setting of
90°F (32°C), the system will remain at the
maximum heat setting. Choosing either
maximum setting will not cause the vehicle
to heat or cool any faster.
Be careful not to cover the solar sensor located
on the top of the instrument panel near the
windshield. This sensor regulates air temperature
based on sun load and also turns on your
headlamps. For more information on the solar
sensor, see “Sensors” later in this section.
232