Supplementary Restraints System
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WARNING: Several airbag system components get hot after inflation. To avoid risk of injury, do not touch them after inflation.
WARNING: If the airbag has deployed, the airbag will not function again and must be replaced immediately. If the airbag is not replaced, the unrepaired area will increase the risk of injury in a crash.The airbags are a supplemental restraint system and are designed to work with the safety belts to help protect the driver and right front passenger from certain upper body injuries. Airbags do not inflate slowly; there is a risk of injury from a deploying airbag.
Note: You will hear a loud bang and see a cloud of harmless powdery residue if an airbag deploys. This is normal.
The airbags inflate and deflate rapidly upon activation. After airbag deployment, it is normal to notice a smoke-like, powdery residue or smell the burnt propellant. This may consist of cornstarch, talcum powder (to lubricate the bag) or sodium compounds (for example, baking soda) that result from the combustion process that inflates the airbag. Small amounts of sodium hydroxide may be present which may irritate the skin and eyes, but none of the residue is toxic.
While the system is designed to help reduce serious injuries, contact with a deploying airbag may also cause abrasions or swelling. Temporary hearing loss is also a possibility as a result of the noise associated with a deploying airbag.
Because airbags must inflate rapidly and with considerable force, there is the risk of death or serious injuries such as fractures, facial and eye injuries or internal injuries, particularly to occupants who are not
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properly restrained or are otherwise out of position at the time of airbag deployment. Thus, it is extremely important that occupants be properly restrained as far away from the airbag module as possible while maintaining vehicle control.
Routine maintenance of the airbags is not required.
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forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the vehicle seat upon which the child seat is installed all the way back. |
WARNING: Never place your arm or any objects over an airbag module. Placing your arm over a deploying airbag can result in serious arm fractures or other injuries. Objects placed on or over the airbag inflation area may cause those objects to be propelled by the airbag into your face and torso causing serious injury.
WARNING: Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat. Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag. If you must use aThe driver and front passenger airbags will deploy during significant frontal and near frontal crashes.
The driver and passenger front airbag system consists of:
Indicator (page 56).
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WARNING: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends a minimum distance of at least 10 inches (25 centimeters) between an occupant’s chest and the driver airbag module.To properly position yourself away from the airbag:
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on safety belts, it is very important that they continue to sit properly. Properly seated occupants sit upright, lean against the seat back, and center themselves on the seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor. Sitting improperly can increase the chance of injury in a crash event. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash is greatly increased.
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forward-facing child seat in the front seat, move the seat all the way back. |
WARNING: Airbags can kill or injure a child in a child seat. Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an active airbag. If you must use aChildren must always be properly restrained. Accident statistics suggest that children are safer when properly restrained in the rear seating positions than in the front seating position. Failure to follow these instructions may increase the risk of injury in a crash.
If two adults and a child occupy a Regular Cab, properly restrain the child in the center front unless doing so would interfere with driving your vehicle. This provides lap and shoulder belt protection for all occupants, and airbag protection for the adults. A child or infant properly restrained in the center front seat should not incur risk of serious injury from the airbags.
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WARNING: Even with advanced restraints systems, properly restrain children 12 and under in a rear seating position. Failure to follow this could seriously increase the risk of injury or death.
WARNING: Sitting improperly, out of position or with the seatback reclined too far can take weight off the seat cushion and affect the decision of the passenger sensing system, resulting in serious injury or death in the event of a crash. Always sit upright against your seat back, with your feet on the floor.
WARNING: Any alteration or modification to the front passenger seat may affect the performance of the front passenger sensing system. This could seriously increase the risk of injury or death.
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The front passenger sensing system uses a passenger airbag status indicator which illuminates indicating that the front passenger frontal airbag is either on (enabled) or off (disabled). The indicator lamp is in the center stack of the instrument panel.
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Note: When you first switch the ignition on, the passenger airbag status indicator off and on lamps illuminate for a short period to confirm they are functional.
The front passenger sensing system is designed to disable (will not inflate) the front passenger frontal airbag under certain conditions:
Even with this technology, parents are strongly encouraged to always properly restrain children in the rear seat.
The front passenger sensing system works with sensors that are part of the front passenger seat and seatbelt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a properly seated occupant and determine if the front passenger frontal airbag should be enabled.
If a person of adult size is sitting in the front passenger seat, but the passenger airbag status indicator off lamp is lit, it is possible that the person is not sitting properly in the seat. If this happens:
After all occupants have adjusted their seats and put on seatbelts, it is very important that they continue to sit properly. A properly seated occupant sits upright, leaning against the seat backrest, and centered on the seat cushion, with their feet comfortably extended on the floor. Sitting improperly can increase the chance of injury in a crash event. For example, if an occupant slouches, lies down, turns sideways, sits forward, leans forward or sideways, or puts one or both feet up, the chance of injury during a crash greatly increases.
If you think that the state of the passenger airbag status indicator lamp is incorrect, check for the following:
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The conditions listed above may cause the weight of a properly seated occupant to be incorrectly interpreted by the front passenger sensing system. The person in the front passenger seat may appear heavier or lighter due to the conditions described in the previous list.
Make sure the front passenger sensing system is operating properly. See Crash Sensors
and Airbag Indicator (page 56).
If the airbag readiness light is lit, do the following:
The driver and adult passengers should check for objects lodged underneath the front passenger seat or cargo interfering with the seat.
If objects are lodged or cargo is interfering with the seat, take the following steps to remove the obstruction:
Do not attempt to repair or service the system. Take your vehicle immediately to an authorized dealer.
If it is necessary to modify an advanced front airbag system to accommodate a person with disabilities, contact your Customer Relationship Center.
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The side airbags are located on the outboard side of the seatbacks of the front seats. In certain sideways crashes, the airbag on the side affected by the crash will be inflated. The airbag was designed to inflate between the door panel and occupant to further enhance the protection provided occupants in side impact crashes.
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The system consists of the following:
Note: The passenger sensing system will deactivate the passenger seat-mounted side airbag if it detects an empty passenger seat.
The design and development of the side airbag system included recommended testing procedures that were developed by a group of automotive safety experts known as the Side Airbag Technical Working Group. These recommended testing procedures help reduce the risk of injuries related to the deployment of side airbags.
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The Safety Canopy deploys during significant side crashes or when a certain likelihood of a rollover event is detected by the rollover sensor. The Safety Canopy is mounted to the roof side rail sheet metal, behind the headliner, above each row of seats. In certain sideways crashes or rollover events, the Safety Canopy will be activated, regardless of which seats are occupied. The Safety Canopy is designed to inflate between the side window area and occupants to further enhance protection provided in side impact crashes and rollover events.
The system consists of the following:
and Airbag Indicator (page 56).
Properly restrain children 12 years old and under in the rear seats. The Safety Canopy will not interfere with children restrained using a properly installed child or booster seat because it is designed to inflate downward from the headliner above the doors along the side window opening.
The design and development of the Safety Canopy included recommended testing procedures that were developed by a group of automotive safety experts known as the Side Airbag Technical Working Group. These recommended testing procedures help reduce the risk of injuries related to the deployment of side airbags (including the Safety Canopy).
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WARNING: Modifying or adding equipment to the front end of your vehicle (including hood, bumper system, frame, front end body structure, tow hooks and hood pins) may affect the performance of the airbag system, increasing the risk of injury. Do not modify or add equipment to the front end of your vehicle.Your vehicle has a collection of crash and occupant sensors that provide information to the restraints control module which deploys (activates) the front seatbelt pretensioners, optional rear inflatable seatbelts, driver airbag, passenger airbag, seat mounted side airbags, and the Safety Canopy®. Based on the type of crash, the restraints control module will deploy the appropriate safety devices.
The restraints control module also monitors the readiness of the above safety devices plus the crash and occupant sensors. The readiness of the safety system is indicated by a warning indicator light in the instrument cluster or by a backup tone if the warning light is not working. See Instrument Cluster (page 107). Routine maintenance of the airbag is not required.
A difficulty with the system is indicated by one or more of the following:
The readiness light will not illuminate immediately after you switch the ignition on.
If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the supplemental restraint system serviced at an authorized dealer immediately. Unless serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a crash.
The fact that the seatbelt pretensioners or front airbags did not activate for both front seat occupants in a crash does not mean that something is wrong with the system. Rather, it means the restraints control module determined the accident conditions (crash severity, belt usage) were not appropriate to activate these safety devices.
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Contact your authorized dealer as soon as possible. Airbags must be disposed of by qualified personnel.
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