airbag off GMC SIERRA 2009 Owner's Manual

Head Restraints...............................................1-3
Front Seats......................................................1-4
Manual Seats................................................1-4
Power Seats..................................................1-5
Manual Lumbar..............................................1-6
Power Lumbar ...............................................1-7
Heated Seats.................................................1-8
Memory Seat, Mirrors, and Pedals....................1-8
Reclining Seatbacks......................................1-10
Seatback Latches.........................................1-13
Center Seat.................................................1-14
Rear Seats.....................................................1-14
Rear Seat Operation (Extended Cab)...............1-14
Rear Seat Operation (All Except
Extended Cab)..........................................1-15
Safety Belts...................................................1-16
Safety Belts: They Are for Everyone................1-16
How to Wear Safety Belts Properly.................1-21
Lap-Shoulder Belt.........................................1-30
Safety Belt Use During Pregnancy..................1-36
Lap Belt (Crew and Extended Cab).................1-36
Safety Belt Extender.....................................1-37Child Restraints.............................................1-38
Older Children..............................................1-38
Infants and Young Children............................1-41
Child Restraint Systems.................................1-45
Where to Put the Restraint.............................1-48
Lower Anchors and Tethers for
Children (LATCH)......................................1-49
Securing a Child Restraint in a
Rear Seat Position....................................1-58
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Center Front Seat Position..........................1-61
Securing a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position (With Airbag
Off Switch)...............................................1-62
Securing a Child Restraint in
the Right Front Seat Position
(With Passenger Sensing System)...............1-66
Securing a Child Restraint in the
Right Front Seat Position (Heavy Duty
Crew Cab Only).......................................
.1-70
Section 1 Seats and Restraint System
1-1

Airbag System...............................................1-73
Where Are the Airbags?................................1-75
When Should an Airbag Inate?.....................1-77
What Makes an Airbag Inate?.......................1-79
How Does an Airbag Restrain?.......................1-79
What Will You See After an
Airbag Inates?.........................................1-79
Airbag Off Switch..........................................1-81
Passenger Sensing System............................1-84
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle...........1-88
Adding Equipment to Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle....................................................1-89Restraint System Check..................................1-90
Checking the Restraint Systems......................1-90
Replacing Restraint System Parts
After a Crash............................................1-91
Section 1 Seats and Restraint System
1-2

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.{CAUTION:
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.
Children who are not restrained properly can strike other
people, or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
1-41

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.
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.{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 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.
1-48

{CAUTION:
A child in a child restraint in the center front seat
can be badly injured or killed by the frontal airbags
if they inate. 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.
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)
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. When installing a child
restraint with a top tether, you must also use either the
lower anchors or the safety belts to properly secure the
child restraint. A child restraint must never be installed
using only the top tether and anchor.
In order to use the LATCH system in your vehicle, you
need a child restraint that has LATCH attachments.
The child restraint manufacturer will provide you with
instructions on how to use the child restraint and its
attachments. The following explains how to attach a
child restraint with these attachments in your vehicle.
Not all vehicle seating positions or child restraints have
lower anchors and attachments or top tether anchors
and attachments.
1-49

2. SeeSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right Front
Seat Position (With Airbag Off Switch) on page 1-62
orSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right Front Seat
Position (With Passenger Sensing System) on
page 1-66orSecuring a Child Restraint in the Right
Front Seat Position (Heavy Duty Crew Cab Only) on
page 1-70for instructions on installing the child
restraint using the safety belts.
3. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
Crew and Extended Cab Models
1. Attach and tighten the lower attachments to the
lower anchors. If the child restraint does not have
lower attachments or the desired seating position
does not have lower anchors, secure the child
restraint with the top tether and the safety belts.
Refer to your child restraint manufacturer
instructions and the instructions in this manual.
1.1. Find the lower anchors for the desired
seating position.
1.2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1.3. Attach and tighten the lower attachments on
the child restraint to the lower anchors.2. If the child restraint manufacturer recommends that
the top tether be attached, attach and tighten the top
tether to the top tether anchor (loop), if your vehicle
has one. Refer to the child restraint instructions and
the following steps:
Example — Rear Driver’s Side Position
1-56

Securing a Child Restraint in
the Right Front Seat Position
(With Airbag Off Switch)
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 1-48.
There may be a switch in the glove box that you can
use to turn off the right front passenger frontal airbag.
SeeAirbag Off Switch on page 1-81for more 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.
{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 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.
1-62

{CAUTION:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on when
you have turned off the airbag, it means that
something may be wrong with the airbag system.
The right front passenger’s airbag 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 airbag
risk group sit in the right front passenger’s position
(for example, do not secure a rear-facing child
restraint in the right front passenger’s seat) until
you have your vehicle serviced. SeeAirbag Off
Switch on page 1-81andAirbag Readiness Light
on page 3-37for more on this, 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 your child restraint has the LATCH system, seeLower
Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-49
for how and where to install your child restraint usingLATCH. If you secure a child restraint using a safety belt
and it uses a top tether, seeLower Anchors and Tethers
for Children (LATCH) on page 1-49for 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.
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.
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. SeeAirbag Off Light on page 3-38.
2. Put the child restraint on the seat.
1-63

6. To tighten the belt, push down on the child restraint,
pull the shoulder portion of the belt to tighten the lap
portion of the belt and feed the shoulder belt back
into the retractor. When installing a forward-facing
child restraint, it may be helpful to use your knee
to push down on the child restraint as you tighten
the belt.7. If your vehicle does not have a rear seat and your
child restraint has a top tether, follow the child
restraint manufacturer’s instructions regarding the
use of the top tether. SeeLower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH) on page 1-49.
8. Push and pull the child restraint in different
directions to be sure it is secure.
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.
If you turned the airbag off with the switch, turn on
the right front passenger airbag when you remove
the child restraint from the vehicle unless the person
who will be sitting there is a member of a passenger
airbag risk group. SeeAirbag Off Switch on page 1-81.
1-65

Securing a Child Restraint in
the 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 1-48.
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.
SeePassenger Sensing System on page 1-84and
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 3-40
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.
{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.
CAUTION: (Continued)
1-66