airbag GMC SIERRA 1500 2011 Owner's Guide

Black plate (49,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-49
If an airbag inflates, you will need
to replace airbag system parts.
See your dealer for service.
If the airbag readiness light stays on
after the vehicle is started or comes
on when you are driving, the airbag
system may not work properly.
Have the vehicle serviced right
away. SeeAirbag Readiness Light
on page 5‑20 for more information.Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the
vehicle safety belts. The manufacturer's instructions that
come with the booster seat state the
weight and height limitations for that
booster. Use a booster seat with
a lap-shoulder belt until the child
passes the fit test below:
.Sit all the way back on the seat.
Do the knees bend at the seat
edge? If yes, continue. If no,
return to the booster seat.
.Buckle the lap-shoulder belt.
Does the shoulder belt rest on
the shoulder? If yes, continue.
If no, try using the rear safety
belt comfort guide. See
“Rear
Safety Belt Comfort Guides”
under Lap-Shoulder Belt on
page 3‑21 for more information.
If the shoulder belt still does not
rest on the shoulder, then return
to the booster seat.

Black plate (51,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-51
{WARNING
Never do this.
Never allow a child to wear the
safety belt with the shoulder belt
behind their back. A child can be
seriously injured by not wearing
the lap-shoulder belt properly.
In a crash, the child would not be
restrained by the shoulder belt.
The child could move too far
forward increasing the chance of
head and neck injury. The child
might also slide under the lap
belt. The belt force would then
be applied right on the abdomen.
That could cause serious or fatal
injuries. The shoulder belt should
go over the shoulder and across
the chest.
Infants and Young
Children
Everyone in a vehicle needs
protection! This includes infants
and all other children. Neither the
distance traveled nor the age and
size of the traveler changes the
need, for everyone, to use safety
restraints. In fact, the law in every
state in the United States and in
every Canadian province says
children up to some age must be
restrained while in a vehicle.
{WARNING
Children can be seriously injured
or strangled if a shoulder belt
is wrapped around their neck
and the safety belt continues to
tighten. Never leave children
unattended in a vehicle and never
allow children to play with the
safety belts.
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. Every
time infants and young children ride
in vehicles, they should have the
protection provided by appropriate
child restraints.

Black plate (52,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
3-52 Seats and Restraints
Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{WARNING
Never do this.
Never hold an infant or a
child while riding in a vehicle.
Due to crash forces, an infant
or a child will become so heavy
it is not possible to hold it during
a crash. For example, in a crash
at only 40 km/h (25 mph), a
5.5 kg (12 lb) infant will suddenly
become a 110 kg (240 lb) force on
a person's arms. An infant should
be secured in an appropriate
restraint.
{WARNING
Never do this.
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured
or killed. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the right front
seat. Secure a rear-facing child
restraint in a rear seat. It is also(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
better to secure a forward-facing
child restraint in a rear seat. If you
must secure a forward-facing
child restraint in the right front
seat, always move the front
passenger seat as far back
as it will go.

Black plate (56,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
3-56 Seats and Restraints
Where to Put the
Restraint
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer
when properly restrained in a child
restraint system or infant restraint
system secured in a rear seating
position.
We recommend that children and
child restraints 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.
If a child restraint is secured in the
right front passenger seat, and the
vehicle has a switch in the glove
box to manually turn off the right
front passenger airbag, seeAirbag
On-Off Switch on page 3‑37 and
Securing Child Restraints (Rear
Seat Position) on page 3‑66 or
Securing Child Restraints (Right
Front Seat Position) on page 3‑69
or Securing Child Restraints (Center Front Seat Position) on page 3‑78
for more information, including
important safety information.
A label on the 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.
{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.
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system or airbag switch
has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will
not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
Secure rear-facing child
restraints in a rear seat, even if
the airbag is 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.

Black plate (57,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-57
{WARNING
A child in a child restraint in the
center front seat can be badly
injured or killed by the frontal
airbags if they inflate. Never
secure a child restraint in the
center front seat. It is always
better to secure a child restraint
in a rear seat.
Do not use child restraints in the
center front seat position.
When securing a child restraint in
a rear seating position, study the
instructions that came with your
child restraint to make sure it is
compatible with this vehicle.
Child restraints and booster seats
vary considerably in size, and some
may fit in certain seating positions
better than others. Always make
sure the child restraint is properly
secured. Depending on where you place
the child restraint and the size of
the child restraint, you may not
be able to access adjacent safety
belt assemblies or LATCH anchors
for additional passengers or
child restraints. Adjacent seating
positions should not be used if the
child restraint prevents access to
or interferes with the routing of the
safety belt.
If the vehicle does not have
a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint, a
rear-facing child restraint should
not be installed in the vehicle,
even if the airbag is off.
Wherever a child restraint is
installed, be sure to secure the
child restraint properly.
Keep in mind that an unsecured
child restraint can move around in a
collision or sudden stop and injure
people in the vehicle. Be sure to
properly secure any child restraint
in your vehicle
—even when no
child is in it.
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH System)
The LATCH system holds a child
restraint during driving or in a crash.
This system is designed to make
installation of a child restraint easier.
The LATCH system uses anchors in
the vehicle and attachments on the
child restraint that are made for use
with the LATCH system.
Make sure that a LATCH-compatible
child restraint is properly installed
using the anchors, or use the
vehicle's safety belts to secure the
restraint, following the instructions
that came with that restraint, and
also the instructions in this manual.

Black plate (69,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-69
Securing Child Restraints
(Right Front Seat
Position)
With Passenger Sensing
System
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure
a forward-facing child restraint.
SeeWhere to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑56.
In addition, the vehicle may have a
passenger sensing system which is
designed to turn off the right front
passenger frontal airbag under
certain conditions. See Passenger
Sensing System on page 3‑40 and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator
on page 5‑23 for more information
on this, including important safety
information.
A label on the 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.
{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.
The vehicle may have a
passenger sensing system which
is designed to turn off the right
front passenger frontal airbag
under certain conditions.
Even if the passenger sensing
system, if equipped, has turned
off the right front passenger
frontal airbag, no system is
(Continued)
WARNING (Continued)
fail-safe. No one can guarantee
that an airbag will not deploy
under some unusual
circumstance, even though
it is turned off.
Secure rear-facing child
restraints in a rear seat, even if
the airbag is 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.
SeePassenger Sensing System
on page 3‑40 for additional
information.
If the vehicle does not have
a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint, a
rear-facing child restraint should not
be installed in the vehicle, even if
the airbag is off.

Black plate (70,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
3-70 Seats and Restraints
If the child restraint has the
LATCH system, seeLower Anchors
and Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑57 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If you secure a child
restraint using a safety belt and
it uses a top tether, see Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) on page 3‑57
for top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child seat in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached. You will be using the lap-shoulder
belt to secure the child restraint in
this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back as
it will go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
When the passenger sensing
system, if equipped, has turned
off the right front passenger
frontal airbag, the off indicator
in the passenger airbag status
indicator should light and stay
lit when you start the vehicle.
See Passenger Airbag Status
Indicator on page 5‑23.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
3. Pick up the latch plate, and run the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle's safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. Push the latch plate into the
buckle until it clicks.
Position the release button so
that the safety belt could be
quickly unbuckled if necessary.

Black plate (72,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
3-72 Seats and Restraints
If the vehicle is equipped with
a passenger sensing system,
and when the passenger sensing
system has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator in the passenger airbag
status indicator should light and
stay lit when you start the vehicle.
If a child restraint has been installed
and the on indicator is lit, see
“If the On Indicator is Lit for a Child
Restraint”underPassenger Sensing
System on page 3‑40 for more
information.
To remove the child restraint,
unbuckle the vehicle safety belt and
let it return to the stowed position.
If the top tether is attached to a
top tether anchor, disconnect it.With Airbag Off Switch
This vehicle has airbags. A rear
seat is a safer place to secure
a forward-facing child restraint.
See Where to Put the Restraint on
page 3‑56.
There may be a switch in the glove
box that you can use to turn off the
right front passenger frontal airbag.
See Airbag On-Off Switch on
page 3‑37 for more information,
including important safety
information.
A label on the sun visor says,
“Never put a rear-facing child seat
in the front unless airbag is off.” This
is because the risk to the 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.
(Continued)

Black plate (73,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
Seats and Restraints 3-73
WARNING (Continued)
Even if the airbag switch
has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, no
system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not
deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though it is
turned off.
Secure rear-facing child
restraints in a rear seat, even if
the airbag is 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.
{WARNING
If the airbag readiness light
ever comes on and stays on, it
means that something may be
wrong with the airbag system.
For example, the right front
passenger airbag could inflate
even though the airbag on-off
switch is turned off.
To help avoid injury to yourself or
others, have the vehicle serviced
right away. SeeAirbag Readiness
Light on page 5‑20 for more
information, including important
safety information.
If the vehicle does not have
a rear seat that will accommodate
a rear-facing child restraint, a
rear-facing child restraint should not
be installed in the vehicle, even if
the airbag is off. If the child restraint has the LATCH
system, see
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) on page 3‑57 for how and
where to install the child restraint
using LATCH. If a child restraint is
secured using a safety belt and
it uses a top tether, see Lower
Anchors and Tethers for Children
(LATCH System) on page 3‑57
for top tether anchor locations.
Do not secure a child restraint in a
position without a top tether anchor
if a national or local law requires
that the top tether be anchored, or if
the instructions that come with the
child restraint say that the top strap
must be anchored.
In Canada, the law requires that
forward-facing child restraints have
a top tether, and that the tether be
attached.

Black plate (74,1)GMC Sierra Owner Manual - 2011
3-74 Seats and Restraints
You will be using the lap-shoulder
belt to secure the child restraint in
this position. Follow the instructions
that came with the child restraint.
1. Move the seat as far back asit will go before securing the
forward-facing child restraint.
If you have no other choice
but to install a rear-facing child
restraint in this seat, make sure
the airbag is off once the child
restraint has been installed.
When the airbag off switch
has turned off the right front
passenger frontal airbag, the off
indicator in the airbag off light
should light and stay lit when
you start the vehicle. See Airbag
On-Off Light on page 5‑21.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat. 3. Pick up the latch plate, and run
the lap and shoulder portions of
the vehicle's safety belt through
or around the restraint. The child
restraint instructions will show
you how.
4. Push the latch plate into thebuckle until it clicks.
Position the release button so
that the safety belt could be
quickly unbuckled if necessary.
5. Pull the shoulder belt all the way
out of the retractor to set the
lock. When the retractor lock is
set, the belt can be tightened but
not pulled out of the retractor.