GMC YUKON XL 2007 Owners Manual

CAUTION: (Continued)
They are not designed to inate in
rollover, rear crashes, or in many side
crashes. And, for some unrestrained
occupants, frontal airbags may provide
less protection in frontal crashes than
more forceful airbags have provided in
the past.
Roof-mounted rollover airbags are
designed to inate in moderate to severe
crashes where something hits the side of
your vehicle, during a vehicle rollover, or
in a severe frontal impact. They are not
designed to inate in rear crashes. If your
vehicle has roof-mounted airbags, they
are designed to provide both side impact
protection and rollover protection.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a
safety belt properly — whether or not
there is an airbag for that person.
{CAUTION:
Both frontal and roof-mounted rollover
airbags inate with great force, faster than
the blink of an eye. If you are too close to
an inating airbag, as you would be if you
were leaning forward, it could seriously
injure you. Safety belts help keep you in
position for airbag ination before and
during a crash. Always wear your safety
belt even with frontal airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible while
still maintaining control of the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep
against the door in the rst or second row
seats, or the rear windows in the third row
seat, if your vehicle has roof- mounted
rollover airbags.
91

{CAUTION:
Anyone who is up against, or very close
to, any airbag when it inates can be
seriously injured or killed. Airbags plus
lap-shoulder belts offer the best
protection for adults, but not for young
children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s
safety belt system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young children and
infants need the protection that a child
restraint system can provide. Always
secure children properly in your vehicle.
To read how, seeOlder Children on
page 61orInfants and Young Children
on page 64.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep
against the door in the rst or second row
seats, or the rear windows in the third row
seat, if your vehicle has roof-mounted
rollover airbags.There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the
airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an
electrical problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on
page 227for more information.
92

Where Are the Airbags?
The driver’s airbag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.The right front passenger’s airbag is in the
instrument panel on the passenger’s side.
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If your vehicle has a roof-mounted rollover airbag
for the driver and the person seated directly
behind the driver, it is located in the ceiling above
the side windows.If your vehicle has a roof-mounted rollover airbag
for the right front passenger and the person
directly behind that passenger, it is located in the
ceiling above the side windows.
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If your vehicle has a roof-mounted rollover airbag
and a third row passenger seat, the airbag is
located in the ceiling above the rear windows for
the outside passenger positions in the third row.
{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 rollover airbags, never
secure anything to the roof of your
vehicle by routing the rope or tiedown
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.
95

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.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.
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The 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 a roof-mounted
rollover airbags and a rollover sensor. SeeAirbag
System on page 90. 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 or during a
rollover, or in a severe frontal impact.In any particular crash, no one can say whether
an airbag should have inated simply because
of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the
repair costs were. For frontal airbags, ination is
determined by what the vehicle hits, the angle
of the impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows
down. For roof-mounted rollover airbags,
ination is determined by the location and severity
of the impact or a rollover event.
The airbag system is designed to work properly
under a wide range of conditions, including off-road
usage. Observe safe driving speeds, especially
on rough terrain. As always, wear your safety belt.
SeeOff-Road Driving on page 356for tips on
off-road driving.
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What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag
sensing system detects that the vehicle is
in a crash. In the case of a roof-mounted rollover
airbag, the sensing system detects that the
vehicle is about to roll over or has been in a severe
frontal or side impact. The sensing system
triggers a release of gas from the inator, which
inates the airbag. The inator, airbag, and related
hardware are all part of the airbag modules
inside the steering wheel and in the instrument
panel in front of the right front passenger.
For vehicles with roof-mounted rollover airbags,
the airbag modules are located in the ceiling of the
vehicle, near the side windows.
If your vehicle has a third row seat with
roof-mounted rollover airbags, the airbag modules
are located inside the rear-most pillar trim and
above in the ceiling above the xed rear glass.
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.
Roof-mounted rollover airbags would not help you
in many types of collisions, including many
frontal or near frontal collisions, and rear impacts,
primarily because an occupant’s motion is not
toward the airbag. 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 impacts
and rollover events.
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What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After a frontal airbag inates, it quickly deates, so
quickly that some people may not even realize the
airbag inated. Roof-mounted rollover airbags
deate more slowly and may still be at least partially
inated minutes after the vehicle comes to rest.
Some components of the airbag module may 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 right front
passenger’s frontal airbag. For vehicles with
roof-mounted rollover airbags, the ceiling of your
vehicle near the side windows may be hot. 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 out of the windshield 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 may 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.
99

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
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 583.
Let only qualied technicians work on your
airbag system. Improper service can mean that
your 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 on the
overhead console will be visible when you turn
your ignition key to RUN or START. 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 228.
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.
United StatesCanada
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