belt CHEVROLET EXPRESS CARGO VAN 2007 1.G Workshop Manual

Airbag System
Your vehicle has an airbag for the driver in the
middle of the steering wheel. If it says AIR BAG
on the instrument panel in front of the right
front passenger’s seat, your vehicle has an
airbag for the right front passenger.
If there is not a right front passenger’s seat,
your vehicle has an airbag for the driver only.
Airbags are designed to supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Even though today’s
airbags are also designed to help reduce the risk
of injury from the force of an inflating bag, all
airbags must inflate very quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things to know
about the airbag system:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a
crash if you are not wearing your safety
belt — even if you have airbags. Wearing
your safety belt during a crash helps
CAUTION: (Continued)
CAUTION: (Continued)
reduce your chance of hitting things inside
the vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags
are “supplemental restraints” to the safety
belts. All airbags are designed to work
with safety belts, but do not replace them.
{CAUTION:
Airbags are designed to deploy in
moderate to severe frontal and near frontal
crashes. They are not designed to inate
in rollover, rear crashes, or in many side
crashes. And, for some unrestrained
occupants, airbags may provide less
protection in frontal crashes than more
forceful airbags have provided in the past.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a
safety belt properly — whether or not there
is an airbag for that person.
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{CAUTION:
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 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.If your vehicle has an airbag for the right front
passenger, read the following:{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 41andInfants and
Young Children on page 44.
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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. The sensing system triggers a release
of gas from the inflator, which inflates the airbag.
The inflator, 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.
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.
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 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 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.
What Will You See After an
Airbag Inates?
After an airbag inflates, it quickly deflates, so
quickly that some people may not even realize the
airbag inflated. Some components of the airbag
module — the steering wheel hub for the driver’s
airbag or the instrument panel for the right
front passenger’s bag — may be hot for a short
time. 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 deflated airbags. Airbag inflation
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.
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Child age 1 to 12.A child age 1 to 12 must
ride in the front seat because:
•
My vehicle has no rear seat;
•Although children ages 1 to 12 ride in the
rear seat(s) whenever possible, children
ages 1 to 12 sometimes must ride in the
front because no space is available in
the rear seat(s) of my vehicle; or
•The child has a medical condition which,
according to the child’s physician, makes
it necessary for the child to ride in the
front seat so that the driver can constantly
monitor the child’s condition.
Medical Condition.A passenger has a
medical condition which, according to his
or her physician:
•
Causes the passenger airbag to pose a
special risk for the passenger; and
•Makes the potential harm from the passenger
airbag in a crash greater than the potential
harm from turning off the airbag and allowing
the passenger, even if belted, to hit the
dashboard or windshield in a crash.
{CAUTION:
If the right front passenger’s airbag is
turned off for a person who is not in
a risk group identied by the national
government, that person will not have the
extra protection of an airbag. In a crash,
the airbag will not be able to inate and
help protect the person sitting there. Do
not turn off the passenger’s airbag unless
the person sitting there is in a risk group.
SeeAirbag Off Switch on page 86.
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The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and
off, will be visible on the instrument panel 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 172.
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. The sensors are designed to detect the
presence of a properly seated occupant and
determine if the passenger’s frontal airbag
should be enabled (may inflate) or not.Accident statistics show that children are safer if
they are restrained in the rear rather than the front
seat. We recommend that children be secured
in a rear seat, including: an infant or a child riding
in a rear-facing child restraint; a child riding in
a forward-facing child seat; an older child riding
in a booster seat; and children, who are large
enough, using safety belts.
A label on your sun visor that 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.
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If this happens, slightly recline the vehicle’s
seatback and adjust the seat cushion if possible.
Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped
under the vehicle head restraint. If this happens,
adjust the head restraint.
Remove any additional material from the seat
cushion before reinstalling or securing the
child restraint.
If the on indicator is still lit, secure the child in
the child restraint in a rear seat position in
the vehicle, and check with your dealer/retailer.
If no rear seat is available, do not install a
child restraint in this vehicle,
The passenger sensing system is designed to
enable (may inflate) the right front passenger’s
frontal airbag anytime the system sensesthat a person of adult size is sitting properly in the
right front passenger’s seat. When the passenger
sensing system has allowed the airbag to be
enabled, the on indicator will light and stay lit to
remind you that the airbag is active.
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, 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.
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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 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.
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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Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Q:Is there anything I might add to the
exterior 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 424.
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, steering wheel,
the instrument panel, 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 424.
Your dealer/retailer and the service manual
have information about the location of the airbag
sensors, sensing and diagnostic module and
airbag wiring.
97

Restraint System Check
Checking the Restraint Systems
Now and then, make sure the safety belt reminder
light and all your belts, buckles, latch plates,
retractors and anchorages are working properly.
Look for any other loose or damaged safety belt
system parts. If you see anything that might keep
a safety belt system from doing its job, have it
repaired. SeeCare of Safety Belts on page 385
for more information.
Torn or frayed safety belts may not protect you in
a crash. They can rip apart under impact forces.
If a belt is torn or frayed, get a new one right away.
Also look for any opened or broken airbag covers,
and have them repaired or replaced. The airbag
system does not need regular maintenance.
Notice:If you damage the covering for the
driver’s or the right front passenger’s airbag,
the airbag 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 right front
passenger’s airbag. Do not open or break
the airbag coverings.
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash
{CAUTION:
A crash can damage the restraint systems
in your vehicle. A damaged restraint
system may not properly protect the
person using it, resulting in serious
injury or even death in a crash. To help
make sure your restraint systems are
working properly after a crash, have
them inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as possible.
If you have had a crash, do you need new
safety belts or LATCH system parts?
After a very minor collision, nothing may be
necessary. But if the belts were stretched,
as they would be if worn during a more severe
crash, then you need new parts.
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If the LATCH system was being used during a
more severe crash, you may need new LATCH
system parts.
If belts are cut or damaged, replace them.
Collision damage also may mean you will need to
have LATCH system, safety belt or seat parts
repaired or replaced. New parts and repairs may
be necessary even if the belt or LATCH system
was not being used at the time of the collision.
If an airbag inflates, if your vehicle has these,
you will need to replace airbag system parts.
See the part on the airbag system earlier in this
section.
If the frontal airbags inflate, you will also need to
replace the driver’s and right front passenger’s
safety belt buckle assembly. Be sure to do
so. Then the new buckle assembly will be there
to help protect you in a collision.After a crash you may need to replace the
driver and front passenger’s safety belt buckle
assemblies, even if the frontal airbags have
not deployed. On some models, the driver and
front passenger’s safety belt buckle assemblies
contain safety belt pretensioners. If your vehicle
has safety belt pretensioners, have them checked
if your vehicle has been in a collision, or if your
airbag readiness light stays on after you start your
vehicle or while you are driving. SeeAirbag
Readiness Light on page 169.
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