CADILLAC DTS 2010 1.G Owners Manual

Here are the most important things to know about theairbag system:
{WARNING:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you are not wearing your safety belt — even if you
have airbags. Airbags are designed to work with
safety belts, but do not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to deploy in every crash.
In some crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 2-63.
Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps
reduce your chance of hitting things inside the
vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the safety belts.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly — whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
{WARNING:
Airbags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would be if you were
sitting on the edge of your seat or leaning forward.
Safety belts help keep you in position before and
during a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even
with 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 or side windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags and/or
roof-rail airbags.
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{WARNING:
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
airbag when it inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer
protection for adults and older children, 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 2-33or
Infants and Young Children on page 2-37.
There is an airbagreadiness light on theinstrument panel, whichshows the airbag symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system formalfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electricalproblem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 4-50for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the middle of thesteering wheel.
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The right front passenger frontal airbag is in theinstrument panel on the passenger’s side.The seat-mounted side impact airbags for the driver andright front passenger are in the side of the seatbacksclosest to the door.
Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
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If the vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver, rightfront passenger, and second row outboard passengers,they are in the ceiling above the side windows.
{WARNING:
If something is between an occupant and an airbag,
the airbag might not inflate properly or it might force
the object into that person causing severe injury or
even 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.
Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
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When Should an Airbag Inflate?
Frontal airbags are designed to inflate in moderate tosevere frontal or near-frontal crashes to help reduce thepotential for severe injuries mainly to the driver’s orright front passenger’s head and chest. However, theyare only designed to inflate if the impact exceeds apredetermined deployment threshold. Deploymentthresholds are used to predict how severe a crash islikely to be in time for the airbags to inflate andhelp restrain the occupants.
Whether your frontal airbags will or should deploy is notbased on how fast your vehicle is traveling. It dependslargely on what you hit, the direction of the impact,and how quickly your vehicle slows down.
Frontal airbags may inflate at different crash speeds.For example:
•If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags
could inflate at a different crash speed than if thevehicle hits a moving object.
•If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speed thanif the vehicle hits an object that does not deform.
•If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole), the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speedthan if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall).
•If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle, the
airbags could inflate at a different crash speedthan if the vehicle goes straight into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with specific vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to inflate during vehiclerollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
Your vehicle has a seat position sensor which enablesthe sensing system to monitor the position of the rightfront passenger’s seat. The passenger seat positionsensor and passenger safety belt buckle switch provideinformation that is used to determine if the airbags shoulddeploy at a reduced level or at full deployment.
In addition, your vehicle has a dual-stage driver airbag.Dual-stage airbags adjust the restraint according tocrash severity. Your vehicle has electronic frontalsensors, which help the sensing system distinguishbetween a moderate frontal impact and a more severefrontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, dual-stageairbags inflate at a level less than full deployment.For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
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Your vehicle also has a dual-depth passenger airbagthat adjusts the restraint according to crash severity,seat location, and safety belt status using electronicfrontal sensor(s) and other special sensors which enablethe sensing system to monitor the position of the frontpassenger seat. The passenger airbag inflates to areduced depth when the passenger seat is in a forwardposition. For more rearward front seating positions,the passenger airbag may inflate to an increased depth(a full deployment), based on safety belt status andthe crash severity measured early in the event. (Alwayswear your safety belt, even with frontal airbags.)
Your vehicle has seat-mounted side impact airbags.Your vehicle may have roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbagSystem on page 2-58. Seat-mounted side impact androof-rail airbags are intended to inflate in moderateto severe side crashes. Seat-mounted side impact androof-rail airbags will inflate if the crash severity isabove the system’s designed threshold level. Thethreshold level can vary with specific vehicle design.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags arenot intended to inflate in frontal impacts, near-frontalimpacts, rollovers, or rear impacts. A seat-mounted sideimpact airbag is intended to deploy on the side of thevehicle that is struck. Both roof-rail airbags willdeploy when either side of the vehicle is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether anairbag should have inflated simply because of thedamage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costswere. For frontal airbags, inflation is determined bywhat the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and howquickly the vehicle slows down. For seat-mountedside impact and roof-rail airbags, deployment isdetermined by the location and severity of theside impact.
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What Makes an Airbag Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends anelectrical signal triggering a release of gas fromthe inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the airbag causingthe bag to break out of the cover and deploy. Theinflator, the airbag, and related hardware are all part ofthe airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steeringwheel and instrument panel. For vehicles withseat-mounted side impact airbags, there are airbagmodules in the side of the front seatbacks closest to thedoor. For vehicles with roof-rail airbags, there areairbag modules in the ceiling of the vehicle, near theside windows that have occupant seating positions.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel orthe instrument panel. In moderate to severe sidecollisions, even belted occupants can contact the insideof the vehicle.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safetybelts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of theimpact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,stopping the occupant more gradually. Seat-mountedside impact and roof-rail airbags distribute the forceof the impact more evenly over the occupant’supper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,primarily because the occupant’s motion is nottoward those airbags. SeeWhen Should an AirbagInflate? on page 2-63for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything morethan a supplement to safety belts.
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What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impactairbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly thatsome people may not even realize an airbag inflated.Roof-rail airbags may still be at least partially inflated forsome time after they deploy. Some components ofthe airbag module may be hot for several minutes. Forlocation of the airbag modules, seeWhat Makes anAirbag Inflate? on page 2-65.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with youmay be warm, but not too hot to touch. There maybe some smoke and dust coming from the vents in thedeflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not preventthe driver from seeing out of the windshield or beingable to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people fromleaving 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 unlockthe doors, turn on the interior lamps and hazardwarning flashers, and shut off the fuel system after theairbags inflate. You can lock the doors, turn off theinterior lamps and hazard warning flashers by using thecontrols for those features.
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{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 theright front passenger airbag.
•Airbags are designed to inflate only once. After an
airbag inflates, you will need some new parts forthe airbag system. If you do not get them, the airbagsystem will not be there to help protect you inanother crash. A new system will include airbagmodules and possibly other parts. The servicemanual for your vehicle covers the need to replaceother parts.
•The vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic
module which records information after a crash.SeeVehicle Data Recording and Privacy onpage 8-18andEvent Data Recorders on page 8-19.
•Let only qualified technicians work on the airbag
systems. Improper service can mean that anairbag system will not work properly. See yourdealer/retailer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
The vehicle has a passenger sensing system for theright front passenger position. The passenger airbagstatus indicator will be visible on the overhead consolewhen the vehicle is started.
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and off,are visible during the system check. If you are usingremote start, if equipped, to start the vehicle froma distance, you may not see the system check.
United StatesCanada
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When the system check is complete, either the wordON or OFF, or the symbol for on or off, will be visible.SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 4-51.
The passenger sensing system turns off the rightfront passenger frontal airbag and seat-mounted sideimpact airbag under certain conditions. The driverairbags and the roof-rail airbags are not affected by thepassenger sensing system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors thatare part of the right front passenger seat. The sensorsare designed to detect the presence of a properly-seatedoccupant and determine if the right front passengerfrontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbagshould be enabled (may inflate) or not.
According to accident statistics, children are safer whenproperly secured in a rear seat in the correct childrestraint for their weight and size.
We recommend that children be secured in a rear seat,including: an infant or a child riding in a rear-facingchild restraint; a child riding in a forward-facing childseat; an older child riding in a booster seat; and children,who are large enough, using safety belts.
A label on the sun visor says, “Never put a rear-facingchild seat in the front.” This is because the risk tothe rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag deploys.
{WARNING:
A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be
seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger
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 right
front passenger airbag inflates and the passenger
seat is in a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing system has turned
off the right front passenger frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped), no
system is fail-safe. No one can guarantee that an
airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the airbag(s) are off.
Secure rear-facing child restraints in a rear seat,
even if the airbag(s) are off. If you 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.
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