CHEVROLET CORVETTE 2008 6.G Workshop Manual

If your vehicle has seat-mounted side impact airbags for
the driver and right front passenger, they are in the
side of the seatbacks closest to the door.
{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 use seat accessories that block the
ination path of a seat-mounted side impact
airbag.
Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
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When Should an Airbag Inate?
Frontal airbags are designed to inate in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal crashes to help reduce the
potential for severe injuries mainly to the driver’s or
right front passenger’s head and chest. However, they
are only designed to inate if the impact exceeds a
predetermined deployment threshold. Deployment
thresholds 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.
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.
Thresholds can also vary with specic vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to inate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
In addition, your vehicle has dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags 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, dual-stage
airbags inate at a level less than full deployment.
For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
Your vehicle may have one or two seat position sensors,
depending on what model you have. The seat position
sensor(s) enable the sensing system to monitor the
position of the driver’s seat (all models except Z06) and
the right front passenger’s seat (all models). Seat position
sensor(s) provide information that is used to determine if
the airbags should deploy at a reduced level or at full
deployment.
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Your vehicle may or may not have seat-mounted side
impact airbags. SeeAirbag System on page 1-43.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags are intended to inate
in moderate to severe side crashes. Seat-mounted
side impact airbags will inate if the crash severity is
above the system’s designed threshold level. The
threshold level can vary with specic vehicle design.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags are not intended to
inate in frontal impacts, near-frontal impacts, rollovers,
or rear impacts. A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is intended to deploy on the side of the vehicle that
is struck.
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 seat-mounted side impact airbags,
deployment is determined by the location and
severity of the side impact.
What Makes an Airbag Inate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends
an electrical signal triggering a release of gas from
the inator. Gas from the inator lls the airbag
causing the bag to break out of the cover and deploy.
The inator, the airbag, and related hardware are all
part of the airbag module.Frontal airbag modules are located inside the steering
wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles with
seat-mounted side impact airbags, there are airbag
modules in 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.
Airbags supplement the protection provided by safety
belts. Frontal airbags distribute the force of the
impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper body,
stopping the occupant more gradually. Seat-mounted
side impact airbags distribute the force of the impact
more evenly over the occupant’s upper body.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant’s motion is not
toward those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag
Inflate? on page 1-48for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
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What Will You See After an Airbag
Inates?
After the frontal and seat-mounted side impact airbags
inate, they quickly deate, so quickly that some people
may not even realize the airbags inated. Some
components of the airbag module may be hot for several
minutes. For location of the airbag modules, seeWhat
Makes an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-49.
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 the 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
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 Recording and Privacy on
page 7-18andEvent Data Recorders on page 7-18.
Let only qualied technicians work on the airbag
system. Improper service can mean that the
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the
right front passenger’s position. The passenger airbag
status indicator will be visible in the rearview mirror when
you start your 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 3-38. United States
Canada
1-51

The passenger sensing system will turn off the right
front passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted side
impact airbag (if equipped) 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. The sensors
are designed to detect the presence of a properly-seated
occupant and determine if the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag and seat-mounted 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.
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 airbag inates. This is because the
back of the rear-facing child restraint would be
very close to the inating airbag. A child in a
forward-facing child restraint can be seriously
injured or killed if the right front passenger
airbag inates 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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The passenger sensing system is designed to turn
off the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped) if:
The right front passenger 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 child restraint.
The system determines that a small child is present
in a booster seat.
A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
The right front passenger 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 sensing system has turned off the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag and seat-mounted
side impact airbag (if equipped), the off indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that the airbags are off.
SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-38.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 to
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat
Position on page 1-39.
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.
Remove any additional material from the seat such as
blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters, or
seat massagers before reinstalling or securing the child
restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, do not install a child restraint
in this vehicle and check with your dealer/retailer.
The passenger sensing system is designed to enable
(may inate) the right front passenger’s frontal airbag and
seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped) anytime
the system senses that a person of adult size is sitting
properly in the right front 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.
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For some children who have outgrown child restraints
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system
may or may not turn off the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag
(if equipped), 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 right front
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, remove any
additional material from the seat, such as blankets,
cushions, seat covers, seat heaters or seat massagers
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 two to three minutes.
This will allow the system to detect that person and
then enable the right front passenger’s frontal airbag
and seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped).Safety belts help keep the passenger in position on the
seat during vehicle maneuvers and braking, which
helps the passenger sensing system maintain the
passenger airbag status. See “Safety Belts” and “Child
Restraints” in the Index for additional information
about the importance of proper restraint use.
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If you ever pull the shoulder portion of the belt out all
the way, you will engage the child restraint locking
feature. This may unintentionally cause the passenger
sensing system to turn the airbag(s) off for some
adult size occupants. If this happens, just let the belt go
back all the way and start again.
{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 the airbag(s). SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 3-37for more on this, including
important safety information.A thick layer of additional material, such as a blanket
or cushion, or aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat massagers can affect
how well the passenger sensing system operates.
We recommend that you not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment other than any that GM has
approved for your specic vehicle. SeeAdding
Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on
page 1-56for more information about modications
that can affect how the system operates.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger seat
or between the passenger 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. Your dealer/retailer 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 7-17.
{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.
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to or change
about 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. 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, front sensors, or airbag
wiring can affect the operation of the airbag system.
In addition, your vehicle has a passenger sensing
system for the right front passenger’s position, which
includes sensors that are part of the passenger’s
seat. The passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat trim is replaced
with non-GM covers, upholstery or trim, or with GM
covers, upholstery or trim designed for a different
vehicle. Any object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort enhancing pad or device,
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