warning GMC SIERRA 2010 Service Manual

Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{WARNING:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash if
you are not wearing your safety belt—even if you
have airbags. Airbags are designed to work with
safety belts, but do not replace them. Also,
airbags are not designed to deploy in every crash.
In some crashes safety belts are your only
restraint. See When Should an Airbag Inflate?
on
page 2‑78
.
Wearing your safety belt during a crash helps
reduce your chance of hitting things inside the
vehicle or being ejected from it. Airbags are
“supplemental restraints” to the safety belts.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety belt
properly —whether or not there is an airbag for
that person.
{WARNING:
Airbags inflate with great force, faster than the
blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against, or very
close to, any airbag when it inflates can be
seriously injured or killed. Do not sit unnecessarily
close to the airbag, as you would be if you were
sitting on the edge of your seat or leaning forward.
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.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep against the
door or side windows in seating positions with
seat-mounted side impact airbags and/or roof-rail
airbags.
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{WARNING:
Children who are up against, or very close to, any
airbag when it inflates can be seriously injured or
killed. 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. 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 2‑39
or Infants and Young Childrenon
page 2‑42
.
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol. The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. See
Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑33for
more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver airbag is in the middle of the steering wheel.
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Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
If the vehicle has roof-rail airbags for the driver, right
front passenger, and second row outboard passengers,
they are in the ceiling above the side windows.
{WARNING:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not inflate properly or it
might force the object into that person causing
severe injury or even death. The path of an
inflating airbag must be kept clear. Do not put
anything between an occupant and an airbag,
and do not attach or put anything on the steering
wheel hub or on or near any other airbag
covering.
Do not use seat accessories that block the
inflation path of a seat-mounted side impact
airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof of a vehicle
with roof-rail airbags by routing a rope or tie down
through any door or window opening. If you do,
the path of an inflating roof-rail airbag will be
blocked.
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Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help
contain the head and chest of occupants in the
outboard seating positions in the first and second rows.
The rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to
help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant's motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate?
on
page 2‑78for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
What Will You See After an Airbag
Inflates?
After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impact
airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly that
some people may not even realize an airbag inflated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least partially inflated
for some time after they deploy. Some components of
the airbag module may be hot for several minutes.
For location of the airbag modules, see What Makes
an Airbag Inflate? on page 2‑79. 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.
{WARNING:
When an airbag inflates, there may be 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 cannot get out
of the vehicle after an airbag inflates, then get
fresh air by opening a window or a door. If you
experience breathing problems following an airbag
deployment, you should seek medical attention.
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The vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock
the doors, turn on the interior lamps and hazard warning
flashers, and shut off the fuel system after the airbags
inflate. You can lock the doors, turn off the interior
lamps and hazard warning flashers by using the
controls for those features.
{WARNING:
A crash severe enough to inflate the airbags may
have also damaged important functions in the
vehicle, such as the fuel system, brake and
steering systems, etc. Even if the vehicle appears
to be drivable after a moderate crash, there may
be concealed damage that could make it difficult
to safely operate the vehicle.
Use caution if you should attempt to restart the
engine after a crash has occurred.In many crashes severe enough to inflate the airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur from
the right front passenger airbag.
.Airbags are designed to inflate only once. After an
airbag inflates, you will need some new parts for
the airbag system. If you do not get them, the
airbag system will not be there to help protect you
in another crash. A new system will include airbag
modules and possibly other parts. The service
manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
.The vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic
module which records information after a crash.
See
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
on
page 8‑18and Event Data Recorderson
page 8‑18.
.Let only qualified technicians work on the airbag
systems. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
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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.
{WARNING:
If the right front passenger's airbag is turned off
for a person who is not in a risk group identified
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 inflate 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.
United StatesCanada
To turn off the right front passenger airbag, insert the
ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the
switch to the off position.
The word OFF or the off symbol will come on in the
passenger airbag status indicator located in the
overhead console to let you know that the right front
passenger airbag is off, after the system check is
completed. The airbag off light will come on and stay on
to let you know that the right front passenger's airbag is
off. See Airbag Off Light on page 4‑34.
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{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 4‑33for more
information, including important safety information.
United StatesCanada
To turn the right front passenger airbag on again, insert
the ignition key into the switch, push in, and move the
switch to the on position.
The right front passenger frontal airbag is now enabled
(may inflate). See Airbag Off Light
on page 4‑34for
more information.
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According to accident statistics, children are safer when
properly secured in a rear seat in the correct child
restraint for their weight and size.
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 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 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 the airbag 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.
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.
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The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off
the right front passenger frontal airbag if:
.The right front passenger seat is unoccupied.
.The system determines an infant is present in a
child restraint.
.A right front passenger takes his/her weight off of
the seat for a period of time.
.Or, if there is a critical problem with the airbag
system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the
right front passenger frontal airbag, the off indicator will
light and stay lit to remind you that the airbag is off.
See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator on page 4‑36.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn on
(may inflate) the right front passenger frontal airbag
anytime the system senses that a person of adult size is
sitting properly in the right front passenger 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, including children in child restraints,
and for very small adults, the passenger sensing
system may or may not turn off the right front passenger
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.
{WARNING:
If the airbag readiness light ever comes on and
stays on, it means that something may be wrong
with the airbag system. To help avoid injury to
yourself or others, have the vehicle serviced right
away. See Airbag Readiness Light
on page 4‑33
for more information, including important safety
information.
2-87

Additional Factors Affecting System
Operation
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.
If the shoulder portion of the belt is pulled out all the
way, the child restraint locking feature will be engaged.
This may unintentionally cause the passenger sensing
system to turn the airbag off for some adult size
occupants. If this happens, let the belt go back all the
way and start again.
A thick layer of additional material, such as a blanket
or cushion, or aftermarket equipment such as seat
covers, seat heaters, and seat massagers can affect
how well the passenger sensing system operates. We recommend that you not use seat covers or other
aftermarket equipment except when approved by GM
for your specific vehicle. See
Adding Equipment to Your
Airbag-Equipped Vehicleon page 2‑91for more
information about modifications that can affect how the
system operates.
The on indicator may be lit if an object, such as a
briefcase, handbag, grocery bag, laptop or other
electronic device, is put on an unoccupied seat.
If this is not desired, remove the object from the seat.
{WARNING:
Stowing of articles under the passenger seat or
between the passenger seat cushion and
seatback may interfere with the proper operation
of the passenger sensing system.
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