CHEVROLET SSR 2004 1.G Workshop Manual

Where Are the Air Bags?
The driver’s frontal air bag is in the middle of the
steering wheel.The passenger’s frontal air bag is in the instrument
panel on the passenger’s side.
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The driver’s side impact air bag is in the side of the
driver’s seatback closest to the door.The passenger’s side impact air bag is in the side of the
passenger’s seatback closest to the door.
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{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
air bag, 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 air bag must be kept clear. Do not put
anything between an occupant and an air bag,
and do not attach or put anything on the
steering wheel hub or on or near any other air
bag covering. Do not let seat covers block the
ination path of a side impact air bag.
When Should an Air Bag Inate?
The driver’s and passenger’s frontal air bags are
designed to inate in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal crashes. But they are designed to inate
only if the impact speed is above the system’s designed
“threshold level.”
In addition, your vehicle has “dual stage” frontal air bags,
which adjust the amount of restraint according to crash
severity. For moderate frontal impacts, these air bags
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 12 to 16 mph (19 to 26 km/h), and
the threshold level for a full deployment is about 20 to
25 mph (32 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.
If your vehicle strikes something that will move or
deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be
higher. The driver’s and passenger’s frontal air bags
are not designed to inate in rollovers, rear impacts, or
in many side impacts because ination would not
help the occupant.
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Side impact air bags are designed to inate in moderate
to severe side crashes. A side impact air bag will
inate if the crash severity is above the system’s
designed “threshold level.” The threshold level can vary
with specic vehicle design. Side impact air bags are
not designed to inate in frontal or near-frontal impacts,
rollovers or rear impacts, because ination would not
help the occupant. A side impact air bag will only deploy
on the side of the vehicle that is struck.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an air
bag should have inated simply because of the damage
to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were.
For frontal air bags, ination is determined by the angle
of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down
in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact
air bags, ination is determined by the location
and severity of the impact.
What Makes an Air Bag Inate?
In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For
both frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing
system triggers a release of gas from the inator, which
inates the air bag. The inator, the air bag and
related hardware are all part of the air bag modules
inside the steering wheel, the instrument panel, and the
side of the front seatbacks closest to the door.
How Does an Air Bag 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 air bag supplements the protection
provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of
the impact more evenly over the occupant’s upper
body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the
frontal air bags 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 air bag. Side impact air bags 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 air bags. Air bags 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
air bags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions
for vehicles with a driver’s and passenger’s side
impact air bag.
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What Will You See After an Air Bag
Inates?
After the air bag inates, it quickly deates, so quickly
that some people may not even realize the air bag
inated. Some components of the air bag module will be
hot for a short time. These components include the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s frontal air bag and the
instrument panel for the passenger’s frontal air bag
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 air bags. Air bag ination
doesn’t prevent the driver from seeing or being able to
steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving
the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an air bag 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
can not get out of the vehicle after an air bag
inates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an air bag deployment, you
should seek medical attention.
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Your vehicle has a feature that will automatically unlock
the doors and turn the interior lamps on when the air
bags 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.
In many crashes severe enough to inate an air bag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the
passenger air bag.
Air bags are designed to inate only once. After an
air bag inates, you’ll need some new parts for
your air bag system. If you don’t get them, the air
bag system won’t be there to help protect you
in another crash. A new system will include air bag
modules and possibly other parts. The service
manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
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. Your vehicle is also equipped
with a crash sensing and diagnostic module,
which records information about the frontal air bag
system. The module records information about
the readiness of the system, when the system
commands air bag ination and driver’s safety belt
usage at deployment. The module also records
speed, engine RPM, brake and throttle data. See
Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data Recorders
on page 7-10for more information.
Let only qualied technicians work on your air bag
systems. Improper service can mean that an air
bag system won’t work properly. See your dealer for
service.
Notice:If you damage the covering for the driver’s
or the passenger’s air bag, the bag may not work
properly. You may have to replace the air bag
module in the steering wheel or both the air bag
module and the instrument panel for the
passenger’s air bag. Do not open or break the air
bag coverings.
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Air Bag Off Switch
Your vehicle has a switch inside the glovebox that you
can use to turn off the passenger’s frontal air bag.This switch should only be turned to AIR BAG OFF if
the person in the passenger’s position is a member of a
passenger risk group identied by the national
government as follows:
Infant. An infant (less than 1 year old)
must ride in the front seat because:

my vehicle has no rear seat;
my vehicle has a rear seat too small to
accommodate a rear-facing infant seat; or
the infant has a medical condition which, according
to the infant’s physician, makes it necessary for the
infant to ride in the front seat so that the driver
can constantly monitor the child’s condition.
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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 air bag to pose a special risk
for the passenger; and
makes the potential harm from the passenger air
bag in a crash greater than the potential harm
from turning off the air bag and allowing the
passenger, even if belted, to hit the dashboard or
windshield in a crash.
{CAUTION:
If the passenger’s frontal air bag 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 a
frontal air bag. In a crash, the frontal air bag
would not be able to inate and help protect
the person sitting there. Do not turn off the
passenger’s frontal air bag unless the person
sitting there is in a risk group.
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To turn off the passenger’s
frontal air bag, insert your
ignition key into the switch,
push in, and move the
switch to AIR BAG OFF.
The air bag off light, located on the roof panel above
the rearview mirror, will come on and stay on to let you
know that the passenger’s frontal air bag is off. See
Air Bag Off Light on page 3-28.
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The passenger’s frontal air bag will remain off until you
turn it back on again.
{CAUTION:
If the air bag readiness light ever comes on
when you have turned off the passenger’s
frontal air bag, it means that something may
be wrong with the air bag system. The
passenger’s frontal air bag could inate even
though the switch is off. If this ever happens,
do not let anyone whom the national
government has identied as a member of a
passenger air bag risk group sit in the
passenger’s position (for example, do not
secure a rear-facing child restraint in your
vehicle) until you have your vehicle serviced.To turn the passenger’s
frontal air bag on again,
insert your ignition key into
the switch, push in, and
move the switch to the on
position.
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