steering CHEVROLET SSR 2005 1.G Owners Manual

Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s frontal airbag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.The passenger’s frontal airbag is in the instrument panel
on the passenger’s side.
1-41

{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag 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. Do not let seat covers block
the ination path of a side impact airbag.
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 is equipped with 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.
1-43

What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For
both frontal and side impact airbags, 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 inside
the steering wheel, the instrument panel, and the side
of the front 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. The airbag supplements 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
frontal or near frontal collisions, rollovers, and rear
impacts, primarily because an occupant’s motion is
not toward those airbags. 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 passenger’s
frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe side
collisions for vehicles with a driver’s and passenger’s
side impact airbag.
1-45

What Will You See After an
Airbag Inates?
After the airbag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the airbag
inated. Some components of the airbag module will be
hot for a short time. These components include the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s frontal airbag and
the instrument panel for the passenger’s frontal airbag
and the side of the seatback closest to the driver’s
and/or passenger’s door. The parts of the bag that come
into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to
touch. There will be some smoke and dust coming
from the vents in the deated airbags. Airbag ination
does not prevent the driver from seeing or being able to
steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving
the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag inates, there is 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 will automatically unlock
the doors and turn the interior lamps on when the
airbags inate (if battery power is available). You can
lock the doors again and turn the interior lamps off
by using the door lock and interior lamp controls.
1-46

In many crashes severe enough to inate an airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from
the passenger airbag.
Airbags are designed to inate only once. After
an airbag inates, you will need some new parts for
your 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 is equipped with a crash sensing and
diagnostic module which records information after
a crash. SeeVehicle Data Collection and Event
Data Recorders on page 7-10.
Let only qualied technicians work on your airbag
systems. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer for service.
Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the passenger’s airbag, the bag may not work
properly. You may have to replace the airbag module
in the steering wheel or both the airbag module and
the instrument panel for the passenger’s airbag.
Do not open or break the airbag coverings.
Airbag Off Switch
Your vehicle has a switch inside the glovebox that you
can use to turn off the passenger’s frontal airbag.United States
Canada
1-47

Storage Areas
Glove Box
To open the glove box, pull on the lever. Use your
door key to lock or unlock it.
Cupholder(s)
Your vehicle has one cupholder located on your
instrument panel and one cupholder that is removable
and snaps to the passenger’s side of the center console
in the bracket provided.
To open the cupholder on the instrument panel, push
in the center of the cupholder door. The cupholder
will then release and move outward toward you for
use. To return the cupholder to its closed position,
push in the center of the cupholder door near the top.
If you press in the center middle of the cupholder
door, the cupholder will not close properly.
Instrument Panel Storage Area
There is a storage tray located to the right of the
steering wheel on the instrument panel. Press on the
tray to release it. The tray will slide out of the instrument
panel toward you. You can then put small items into
the tray. To close the tray, push forward on the center of
the tray until it latches back into the instrument panel.
Center Console Storage Area
Your center console has a storage area that can be
locked and unlocked with the center console storage
key. SeeKeys on page 2-3for more information.
Map Pocket
The map/storage pockets are located on both the driver
and passenger side doors.
2-35

Change Engine Oil Light................................3-37
Security Light...............................................3-37
Cruise Control Light......................................3-37
Reduced Engine Power Light.........................3-38
Highbeam On Light.......................................3-38
Check Gages Warning Light...........................3-38
Fuel Gage...................................................3-39
Auxiliary Gage Package.................................3-40
Driver Information Center (DIC).......................3-42
DIC Controls and Displays.............................3-42
DIC Warnings and Messages.........................3-45
DIC Vehicle Personalization............................3-52Audio System(s).............................................3-58
Setting the Time...........................................3-59
Radio with CD..............................................3-59
Radio with Six-Disc CD.................................3-71
Theft-Deterrent Feature..................................3-82
Audio Steering Wheel Controls.......................3-82
Radio Reception...........................................3-83
Care of Your CDs.........................................3-83
Care of Your CD Player................................3-83
Integrated Windshield Antenna........................3-83
Section 3 Instrument Panel
3-2

A. Climate Control Vents. SeeClimate Control System
on page 3-20.
B. Instrument Panel Cluster. See
Instrument Panel
Cluster on page 3-24.
C. Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever. See
Turn
Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-6.
D. Exterior and Interior Lamps Control. See
Exterior
Lamps on page 3-12andInterior Lamps on
page 3-16.
E. Driver Information Center (DIC) buttons. See
Driver
Information Center (DIC) on page 3-42.
F. Audio Steering Wheel Controls. See
Audio Steering
Wheel Controls on page 3-82.
G. Storage Tray. See
Instrument Panel Storage Area
on page 2-35.
H. Audio System. See
Audio System(s) on page 3-58.
I. Climate Control System. See
Climate Control
System on page 3-20.
J. Transmission Shift Lever. See
Automatic
Transmission Operation on page 2-19orManual
Transmission Operation on page 2-21.
K. Cupholder. See
Cupholder(s) on page 2-35.
L. Glovebox. See
Glove Box on page 2-35.
Hazard Warning Flashers
Your hazard warning ¯ashers let you warn others. They
also let police know you have a problem. Your front
and rear turn signal lamps will ¯ash on and off.
The hazard warning
¯asher button is located
on top of the steering
column.
Your hazard warning ¯ashers work no matter what
position your key is in, and even if the key is not in the
ignition.
Press the button to make the front and rear turn signal
lamps ¯ash on and off. Press the button again to
turn the ¯ashers off.
When the hazard warning ¯ashers are on, your turn
signals will not work.
Other Warning Devices
If you carry re¯ective triangles, you can set them up at
the side of the road about 300 feet (100 m) behind
your vehicle.
3-5

Horn
To sound the horn, press the horn symbol on the
steering wheel pad.
Tilt Wheel
A tilt wheel allows you to adjust the steering wheel before
you drive. You can raise it to the highest level to allow
more room for the driver to enter and exit the vehicle.The tilt lever is located on
the driver's side of the
steering column, under the
turn signal lever.
To tilt, hold the steering wheel and pull the tilt lever
toward you. Move the wheel to a comfortable level, then
release the tilt lever to lock the wheel in place.
Turn Signal/Multifunction Lever
The lever on the left side of the steering column
includes the following:
·GTurn and Lane Change Signals.Turn and
Lane-Change Signals on page 3-7
.
·3Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer.Headlamp
High/Low-Beam Changer on page 3-8
.
·Flash-to-Pass Feature. SeeFlash-to-Pass on
page 3-8
.
·NWindshield Wipers. SeeWindshield Wipers on
page 3-8
.
3-6

Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the hills.
When going up steep hills, you may want to step on the
accelerator pedal to maintain your speed. When going
downhill, you may have to brake or shift to a lower gear to
keep your speed down. Of course, applying your brakes
or the clutch, if equipped, takes you out of cruise control.
Many drivers ®nd this to be too much trouble and do not
use cruise control on steep hills.
Ending Cruise Control
There are three ways to turn off the cruise control:
·Step lightly on the brake pedal or clutch,
if equipped.
·Move the cruise switch to off, or
·Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N).
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition,
your cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
O(Exterior and Interior Lamps Controls):These
controls (B) are located to the left of the steering wheel
and are used to operate the exterior and interior
lamps.
D(Interior Lamps Control): The interior lamp
control (A) is used to adjust the brightness of the
instrument panel lights. For more information on interior
lamps, see
Interior Lamps on page 3-16.
3-12