GMC SIERRA 1995 Owner's Guide

Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is buckled in the wrong place.
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Q: What's wrong with this?
A: The belt is over an armrest.
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Q: What’s wrong with this?
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A: The shoulder belt is worn under the arm. It should be worn over the
shoulder
at all times.
A CAUTION:
You can be seriously injured if you wear the shoulder belt under
your am. In
a crash, your body would move too far forward,
which would increase the chance of head and neck injury. Also,
the belt would apply too much force to the
ribs, which aren’t as
strong as shoulder bones. You could also severely injure internal
organs like your liver or spleen.
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Q: What’s wrong with this?
A: The belt is twisted across the body.
To unlatch the belt,
just push the button on
the buckle. The belt should
go back out of
the way.
Before you close the door, be sure the belt
is out of the way. If you slam the
door on it, you can damage both the belt and your vehicle.
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Supplemental Inflatable Restraint System
(SW
This part explains the Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) system, or air
bag.
Your vehicle may have an air bag for the driver. If it does, it will say
Supplemental Inflatable Restraint
on the middle part of the steering wheel.
Here are the most important things
to know about the air bag system:
A CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if you aren’t
wearing your safety belt
- even if you have an air bag. Wearing
your safety belt during a crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or being ejected from it. The air
bag is only a “supplemental restraint.” That is,
it works with
safety belts but doesn’t replace them.
Air bags are designed to
work only in moderate to severe crashes where the front of your
vehicle hits something. They aren’t designed to inflate at all in
rollover, rear, side, or low-speed frontal crashes. Everyone in
your vehicle, including the driver, should wear a safety belt
properly
- whether or not there’s an air bag for that person.
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A CAUTION:
Air bags inflate with great force, faster than the blink of an eye.
If you’re too close to an inflating air bag, it could seriously
injure you. Safety belts help keep you in position for an air bag
inflation in a crash. Always wear your safety belt, even with
an
air bag, and sit as far back as you can while still maintaining
control of your vehicle.
There is an air bag readiness light on the instrument panel, which shows
AIR BAG. The system checks the air bag‘s electrical system for
malfunctions.
The light tells you if there is an electrical problem. See “Air
Bag Readiness Light” in the index for more information.
How the Air Bag System Works
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Where is the air bag?
The driver’s air bag is in the middle of the steering wheel.
Don’t put anything on, or attach anything to, the steering \
wheel.
Also, don’t put anything (such as pets or objects) between the
driver and the steering wheel.
If something is between an
occupant and an air bag, it could affect the performance
of the
air bag
- or worse, it could cause injury.
When should an air bag inflate?
The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal crashes. The air bag will inflate only
if the impact speed is
above the system’s designed “threshold level.” If your vehicle goes straight
into
a wall that doesn’t move or deform, the threshold level is about 12 to 16
mph (19 to 26 kdh). The threshold level can vary, however, with specific
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 air bag is not designed
to inflate in
rollovers, side impacts, or rear impacts, because inflation would not help the
occupant.
In any particular crash,
no one can say whether an air bag should have
inflated simply because of the damage to
a vehicle or because of what the
repair costs were. Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and
the
vehicle’s deceleration. Vehicle damage is only one indication of this.
The air bag system
is designed to work properly under a wide range of
conditions, including off-road usage. Observe safe driving speeds,
especially
on rough terrain. As always, wear your safety belt. See
“Off-Road Driving” in the Index for more tips
on off-road driving.
What makes an air bag inflate?
In a frontal or near-frontal impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing
system detects that the vehicle is suddenly stopping
as a result of a crash.
The sensing system triggers a chemical reaction of the sodium azide sealed
in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen gas, which inflates the air
bag. The inflator, air bag, and related hardware are all part of
the air bag
module packed inside the steering wheel.
How does an air bag restrain?
rn moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering wheel. The air bag supplements the
protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force
of the
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impact more evenly over the occ.upant’s upper body, stopping the occupant
more gradually. But air bags would not help you
in many types of collisions,
including rollovers and rear and side impacts, primarily because an
occupant’s motion
is not toward the air bag. 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.
What will you see after an air bag inflates?
After the air bag inflates, it quickly deflates. This occurs so quickly that
some people may not even realize the air bag inflated. Some components of
the air bag module
in the steering wheel hub will be hot for a short time, but
the part of the bag that comes into contact with you will not be hot to the
touch. There will be some smoke
and dust coming from vents in the deflated
air bag. Air bag inflation
will not prevent the driver from seeing or from
being able to steer the vehicle, nor
will it stop people from leaving the
vehicle.
A CAUTION:
When an air bag inflates, 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’t get out of the vehicle after an air bag\
inflates,
then get fresh air
by opening a window or door.
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The air bag is designed to inflate only once. After it inflates, 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 the air bag module and possibly other parts.
The service manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace other
parts.
Your vehicle is equipped with a diagnostic module, which records
information about the air bag system. The module records information
about the readiness of the system, when
the sensors are activated and
driver’s safety belt usage at deployment.
Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag system. Improper
service can mean that your air bag system won’t work properly. See
your dealer for service.
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NOTICE:
If you damage the cover for the driver’s air bag, it may not work\

properly. You may have to replace the air bag module.
Do not
open or break the air bag cover.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
The air bag affects how your vehicle should be serviced. There are parts of
the air bag system in several places around your vehicle. You don’t want the
system to inflate while someone is working on your vehicle. Your
GM
dealer and the 1995 GM Service Manual have information about servicing
your vehicle and the air bag system. To purchase
a service manual, see
”Service Publications”
in the Index. The air bag system does not need
regular maintenance.
A CAUTION:
For up to 2 minutes after the ignition key is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an air bag can still inflate during
improper service.
You can be injured if you are close to an air
bag when it inflates.
Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape, or
yellow connectors. They are probably part of the air bag system.
Be sure to follow proper service procedures, and make sure the
person performing work for you
is qualified to do so.
Adding Equipment to Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Q: If I add a push bumper or a bicycle rack to the front of my vehicle,
will it keep the air bag from working properly?
A: As long as the push bumper or bicycle rack is attached to your vehicle
so that the vehicle‘s basic structure isn’t changed. it‘s not likely to keep
the air bags from working properly
in a crash.
Q: What if I add a wow plow? Will it keep the air bag from working
properly?
A: We’ve designed our air bag systems to work properly under a wide
range
of conditions. including snow plowing with vehicles equipped
with the optional Snow Plow Prep Package
(RPO VYU). But don’t
change or defeat the snow plow’s “tripping mechanism.”
If you do, it
can damage your snow plow and your vehicle, and it may cause an air
bag inflation.
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Q: Is there anything I might add to the front of the vehicle that could
keep the air bag from working properly?
A: Yes. If you add things that change your vehicle's frame, bumper
system. front end sheet metal or height. they may keep the air
bag
system f'rom working properly. Also. the air bag system may not work
properly
if you relocate any of the air bag sensors. If you have any
question 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. See "Customer Satistiaction Procedure" in
the Index.)
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy
Safety belts work for everyone, including pregnant women. Like all
occupants. they are more likely to be seriously injured if they don't wear
safety belts.
A pregnant woman should wear a lap-shoulder belt. and the lap portion
should be worn
as low as possible throughout the pregnancy.
The best way
to protect the fetus is to protect the mother. When a safety belt
is worn properly, it's more likely that the fetus won't be hurt
in a crash. For
pregnant women, as for anyone, the key
to making safety belts effective is
wearing them properly.
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