GMC SIERRA 2018 Owners Manual

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
90 Seats and Restraints
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. SeeAdding Equipment to
the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 090
for 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 articles under the
passenger seat or between the
passenger seat cushion and
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger
sensing system.
Servicing the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Airbags affect how the vehicle
should be serviced. There are parts
of the airbag system in several
places around the vehicle. Your
dealer and the service manual have
information about servicing the
vehicle and the airbag system. To
purchase a service manual, see
Service Publications Ordering
Information0474.
{Warning
For up to 10 seconds after the
vehicle is turned off and the
battery is disconnected, an airbag
can still inflate during improper
service. You can be injured if you
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
are close to an airbag when it
inflates. Avoid yellow connectors.
They are probably part of the
airbag 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 the
Airbag-Equipped Vehicle
Adding accessories that change the
vehicle's frame, bumper system,
height, front end, or side sheet
metal, may keep the airbag system
from working properly.
The operation of the airbag system
can also be affected by changing
any parts of the front seats, seat
belts, airbag sensing and diagnostic
module, steering wheel, instrument
panel, inner door seals including the
speakers, any of the airbag
modules, ceiling or pillar garnish

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Seats and Restraints 91
trim, overhead console, front
sensors, side impact sensors,
or airbag wiring.
Your dealer and the service manual
have information about the location
of the airbag sensors, sensing and
diagnostic module, and airbag
wiring.
In addition, the vehicle may have a
passenger sensing system for the
front outboard passenger position,
which includes sensors that are part
of the passenger’s seat. The
passenger sensing system may not
operate properly if the original seat
trim is replaced with non-GM
covers, upholstery, or trim; or with
GM covers, upholstery, or trim
designed for a different vehicle. Any
object, such as an aftermarket seat
heater or a comfort-enhancing pad
or device, installed under or on top
of the seat fabric, could also
interfere with the operation of the
passenger sensing system. This
could either prevent proper
deployment of the passenger
airbag(s) or prevent the passenger
sensing system from properly turning off the passenger airbag(s).
See
Passenger Sensing System
0 86.
If the vehicle has rollover roof-rail
airbags, see Different Size Tires
and Wheels 0409 for additional
important information.
If a snow plow is added to the
vehicle, the airbags should still work
properly. The airbag systems were
designed to work properly under a
wide range of conditions, including
snow plowing with vehicles that
have the optional snow plow prep
package (RPO VYU). Do not
change or defeat the snow plow's
“tripping mechanism.” If you do, it
can damage the snow plow and the
vehicle, and may cause an airbag
deployment.
If you have to modify your vehicle
because you have a disability and
you have questions about whether
the modifications will affect the
vehicle's airbag system, or if you
have questions about whether the
airbag system will be affected if the
vehicle is modified for any other reason, call Customer Assistance.
See
Customer Assistance Offices
0 467.
Airbag System Check
The airbag system does not need
regularly scheduled maintenance or
replacement. Make sure the airbag
readiness light is working. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0147.
Caution
If an airbag covering is damaged,
opened, or broken, the airbag
may not work properly. Do not
open or break the airbag
coverings. If there are any
opened or broken airbag
coverings, have the airbag
covering and/or airbag module
replaced. For the location of the
airbags, see Where Are the
Airbags? 078. See your dealer
for service.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
92 Seats and Restraints
Replacing Airbag System
Parts after a Crash
{Warning
A crash can damage the airbag
systems in the vehicle.
A damaged airbag system may
not properly protect you and your
passenger(s) in a crash, resulting
in serious injury or even death. To
help make sure the airbag
systems are working properly
after a crash, have them
inspected and any necessary
replacements made as soon as
possible.
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. See
Airbag Readiness Light 0147.
Child Restraints
Older Children
Older children who have outgrown
booster seats should wear the
vehicle’s seat belts.
The manufacturer 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 seat belt
comfort guide, if available. See
“Rear Seat Belt Comfort Guides”
under Lap-Shoulder Belt 071.
If a comfort guide is not
available, or if the shoulder belt
still does not rest on the
shoulder, then return to the
booster seat.
. Does the lap belt fit low and
snug on the hips, touching the
thighs? If yes, continue. If no,
return to the booster seat.
. Can proper seat belt fit be
maintained for the length of the
trip? If yes, continue. If no,
return to the booster seat.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Seats and Restraints 93
If you have the choice, a child
should sit in a position with a
lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder
belt can provide.
Q: What is the proper way to wear seat belts?
A: An older child should wear a
lap-shoulder belt and get the
additional restraint a shoulder
belt can provide. The shoulder
belt should not cross the face or
neck. The lap belt should fit
snugly below the hips, just
touching the top of the thighs.
This applies belt force to the
child's pelvic bones in a crash.
It should never be worn over the
abdomen, which could cause
severe or even fatal internal
injuries in a crash.
Also see “Rear Seat Belt Comfort
Guides” underLap-Shoulder Belt
0 71. According to accident statistics,
children are safer when properly
restrained in a rear seating position.
In a crash, children who are not
buckled up can strike other people
who are buckled up, or can be
thrown out of the vehicle. Older
children need to use seat belts
properly.
{Warning
Never allow more than one child
to wear the same seat belt. The
seat belt cannot properly spread
the impact forces. In a crash, they
can be crushed together and
seriously injured. A seat belt must
be used by only one person at
a time.{Warning
Never allow a child to wear the
seat 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.
(Continued)

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
94 Seats and Restraints
Warning (Continued)
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 theneed, 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. The
shoulder belt can tighten but
cannot be loosened if it is locked.
The shoulder belt locks when it is
pulled all the way out of the
retractor. It unlocks when the
shoulder belt is allowed to go all
the way back into the retractor,
but it cannot do this if it is
wrapped around a child’s neck.
If the shoulder belt is locked and
tightened around a child’s neck,
the only way to loosen the belt is
to cut it.
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
Never leave children unattended
in a vehicle and never allow
children to play with the seat
belts.
Every time infants and young
children ride in vehicles, they should
have the protection provided by
appropriate child restraints. Neither
the vehicle's seat belt system nor its
airbag system is designed for them.
Children who are not restrained
properly can strike other people,
or can be thrown out of the vehicle.
{Warning
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) (Continued)

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Seats and Restraints 95
Warning (Continued)
infant will suddenly become a
110 kg (240 lb) force on a person's
arms. An infant or child should be
secured in an appropriate
restraint.
{Warning
Children who are up against,
or very close to, any airbag when
it inflates can be seriously injured(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
or killed. Never put a rear-facing
child restraint in the front
outboard seat. Secure a
rear-facing child restraint in a rear
seat. It is also better to secure a
forward-facing child restraint in a
rear seat. If you must secure a
forward-facing child restraint in
the front outboard seat, always
move the front passenger seat as
far back as it will go.
Child restraints are devices used to
restrain, seat, or position children in
the vehicle and are sometimes
called child seats or car seats.
There are three basic types of
child restraints:
.Forward-facing child restraints
. Rearward-facing child restraints
. Belt-positioning booster seats
The proper child restraint for your
child depends on their size, weight,
and age, and also on whether the
child restraint is compatible with the
vehicle in which it will be used.
For each type of child restraint,
there are many different models
available. When purchasing a child
restraint, be sure it is designed to be
used in a motor vehicle. If it is, the
restraint will have a label saying that
it meets federal motor vehicle safety
standards. The restraint
manufacturer's instructions that
come with the restraint state the
weight and height limitations for a
particular child restraint. In addition,

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
96 Seats and Restraints
there are many kinds of restraints
available for children with special
needs.
{Warning
To reduce the risk of neck and
head injury in a crash, infants and
toddlers should be secured in a
rear-facing child restraint until age
two, or until they reach the
maximum height and weight limits
of their child restraint.
{Warning
A young child's hip bones are still
so small that the vehicle's regular
seat belt may not remain low on
the hip bones, as it should.
Instead, it may settle up around
the child's abdomen. In a crash,
the belt would apply force on a
body area that is unprotected by
any bony structure. This alone
could cause serious or fatal(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
injuries. To reduce the risk of
serious or fatal injuries during a
crash, young children should
always be secured in appropriate
child restraints.
Child Restraint Systems
Rear-Facing Infant Restraint
A rear-facing child restraint provides
restraint with the seating surface
against the back of the infant. The harness system holds the infant
in place and, in a crash, acts to
keep the infant positioned in the
restraint.
Forward-Facing Child Restraint
A forward-facing child restraint
provides restraint for the child's
body with the harness.

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Seats and Restraints 97
Booster Seats
A belt-positioning booster seat is
used for children who have
outgrown their forward-facing child
restraint. Boosters are designed to
improve the fit of the vehicle's seat
belt system until the child is large
enough for the vehicle seat belts to
fit properly without a booster seat.
See the seat belt fit test in Older
Children 092.
Securing an Add-On Child
Restraint in the Vehicle
{Warning
A child can be seriously injured or
killed in a crash if the child
restraint is not properly secured in
the vehicle. Secure the child
restraint properly in the vehicle
using the vehicle’s seat belt or
LATCH system, following the
instructions that came with that
child restraint and the instructions
in this manual.
To help reduce the chance of injury,
the child restraint must be secured
in the vehicle. Child restraints must
be secured in vehicle seats by lap
belts or the lap belt portion of a
lap-shoulder belt, or by the LATCH
system. See Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children (LATCH
System) 099 for more information.
Children can be endangered in a
crash if the child restraint is not
properly secured in the vehicle. When securing an add-on child
restraint, refer to the instructions
that come with the restraint which
may be on the restraint itself or in a
booklet, or both, and to this manual.
The child restraint instructions are
important, so if they are not
available, obtain a replacement
copy from the manufacturer.
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
the vehicle
—even when no child is
in it.
In some areas of the United States
and Canada, Certified Child
Passenger Safety Technicians
(CPSTs) are available to inspect
and demonstrate how to correctly
use and install child restraints. In
the U.S., refer to the National
Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) website to
locate the nearest child safety seat
inspection station. For CPST

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
98 Seats and Restraints
availability in Canada, check with
Transport Canada or the Provincial
Ministry of Transportation office.
Securing the Child Within the
Child Restraint
{Warning
A child can be seriously injured or
killed in a crash if the child is not
properly secured in the child
restraint. Secure the child
properly following the instructions
that came with that child restraint.
Where to Put the
Restraint
According to accident statistics,
children and infants are safer when
properly restrained in an appropriate
child restraint secured in a rear
seating position.
Whenever possible, children aged
12 and under should be secured in
a rear seating position.If a child restraint is secured in the
front outboard passenger seat, and
the vehicle has a switch on the
passenger side instrument panel
endcap to manually turn off the front
outboard passenger airbag, see
Airbag On-Off Switch
084 and
Securing Child Restraints (With the
Seat Belt in the Center Front Seat)
0 114 orSecuring Child Restraints
(With the Seat Belt in the Front
Passenger Seat) 0115 orSecuring
Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt
in the Rear Seat) 0111 for more
information, including important
safety information.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint 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 front outboard
passenger frontal airbag inflates.
This is because the back of the
(Continued)
Warning (Continued)
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 front
outboard passenger frontal airbag
inflates and the passenger seat is
in a forward position.
Even if the passenger sensing
system or airbag switch has
turned off the front outboard
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 front outboard passenger
seat, always move the seat as far(Continued)

GMC Sierra/Sierra Denali Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/
Mexico-11349177) - 2018 - CRC - 10/17/17
Seats and Restraints 99
Warning (Continued)
back as it will go. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a
rear seat.
{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.
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. When securing a child restraint with
the seat belts in a rear seat position,
study the instructions that came with
the 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.
Depending on where you place the
child restraint and the size of the
child restraint, you may not be able
to access adjacent seat belts 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 seat belt.
Wherever a child restraint is
installed, be sure to follow the
instructions that came with the child
restraint system and secure the
child restraint system 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 toproperly secure any child restraint in
the vehicle
—even when no child is
in it.
Lower Anchors and
Tethers for Children
(LATCH System)
The LATCH system secures a child
restraint during driving or in a crash.
LATCH attachments on the child
restraint are used to attach the child
restraint to the anchors in the
vehicle. This system is designed to
make installation of a child restraint
easier.
In order to use the LATCH system in
your vehicle, you need a child
restraint that has LATCH
attachments. LATCH-compatible
rear-facing and forward-facing child
seats can be properly installed
using either the LATCH anchors or
the vehicle’ s seat belts. Do not use
both the seat belts and the LATCH
anchorage system to secure a
rear-facing or forward-facing
child seat.