< Previous | Contents | Next >
. Let only qualified technicians work on the airbag systems.
Improper service can mean that an airbag system will not work properly. See your dealer for
service.
Passenger Sensing System
The vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the front outboard
passenger position. The passenger airbag status indicator will light on
the overhead console when the vehicle is started.
United States
Canada
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and off, will be visible during
the system check. When the system
check is complete, either the word ON or OFF, or the symbol for on or off,
will be visible. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator 0 140.
The passenger sensing system turns off the front outboard passenger
frontal airbag and knee airbag under certain conditions. No other airbag is affected by the passenger sensing
system.
The passenger sensing system works with sensors that are part of the front
outboard passenger seat and seat belt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a properly seated
occupant and determine if the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag should be allowed to
inflate or not.
According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly
secured in a rear seat in the correct child restraint for their weight
and size.
Whenever possible, children aged
12 and under should be secured in a rear seating position.
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 inflates.
{ Warning
A child in a rear-facing child
restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the passenger frontal 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 passenger frontal airbag inflates and the passenger seat is in a forward position.
(Continued)
92 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
Warning (Continued)
Even if the passenger sensing
system has turned off the front outboard passenger airbag(s), no system is fail-safe. No one can
guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual
circumstance, even though the airbag(s) are off.
Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if the airbag is off. If securing a
forward-facing child restraint in the front outboard passenger seat,
always move the seat as far back as it will go. It is better to secure child restraints in the rear seat. Consider using another vehicle to transport
the child when a rear seat is not available.
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag if:
. The front outboard passenger seat is unoccupied.
. The system determines that an infant is present in a child
restraint.
. A front outboard passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of time.
. There is a critical problem with
the airbag system or the passenger sensing system.
When the passenger sensing system has turned off the front outboard
passenger frontal airbag and knee
airbag, the off indicator will light and stay lit as a reminder that the airbags are off. See Passenger Airbag Status
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn on the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag anytime the system
senses that a person of adult size is
sitting properly in the front outboard passenger seat. When the passenger
sensing system has allowed the airbag(s) to be enabled, the on
indicator will light and stay lit as a
reminder that the airbag(s) are 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 front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag, depending upon the
person’s seating posture and body
build. Everyone in the vehicle who has outgrown child restraints should wear a seat 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 0 139 for more information, including
important safety information.
If the On Indicator Is Lit for a Child Restraint
The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the front
outboard passenger frontal airbag and
SEATS AND RESTRAINTS 93
knee airbag if the system determines that an infant is present in a child
restraint. If a child restraint has been installed and the on indicator is lit:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
2. Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3. Remove any additional items
from the seat such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
4. Reinstall the child restraint
following the directions provided by the child restraint
manufacturer and refer to
Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) 0 109
or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat)
0 111.
Make sure the seat belt retractor is locked by pulling the shoulder belt all the way out of the
retractor when installing the
child restraint, even if the child restraint is equipped with a seat belt lock-off. When the retractor
lock is set, the belt can be
tightened but not pulled out of the retractor.
5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the
vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, turn the vehicle off. Then
slightly recline the vehicle
seatback and adjust the seat
cushion, if adjustable, to make
sure that the vehicle seatback is not pushing the child restraint
into the seat cushion.
Also make sure the child
restraint is not trapped under the vehicle head restraint. If this
happens, adjust the head
restraint. See Head Restraints
0 65.
6. Restart the vehicle.
The passenger sensing system may or may not turn off the airbags for a
child in a child restraint depending upon the child’s size. It is better to
secure the child restraint in a rear seat. Never put a rear-facing child
restraint in the front seat, even if the on indicator is not lit.
If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an Adult-Sized Occupant
If a person of adult size is sitting in
the front outboard passenger seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be
because that person is not sitting
properly in the seat or that the child restraint locking feature is engaged. Use the following steps to allow the system to detect that person and
enable the front outboard passenger frontal airbag and knee airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.
94 SEATS AND RESTRAINTS
2. Remove any additional material from the seat, such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat
heaters, or seat massagers.
3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat
cushion, with legs comfortably extended.
5. 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-sized occupants. If this
happens, unbuckle the belt, let
the belt go back all the way, and then buckle the belt again
without pulling the belt out all the way.
6. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position
for two to three minutes after the on indicator is lit.
{ Warning
If the front outboard passenger airbag is turned off for an
adult-sized occupant, the airbag will not be able to inflate and help
protect that person in a crash,
resulting in an increased risk of serious injury or even death. An adult-sized occupant should not
ride in the front outboard passenger seat, if the passenger airbag off
indicator is lit.
Additional Factors Affecting System Operation
Seat 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 “Seat Belts” and “Child Restraints”
in the Index for additional
information about the importance of proper restraint use.
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 the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle 0 95 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
seatback may interfere with the
proper operation of the passenger sensing system.