2000 Chevrolet Prizm Owner's Manual - Page 41
2000 Chevrolet Prizm Manual
Page 41 highlights
If your vehicle ever gets into a lot of water -- such as water up to the carpeting or higher -- or if water enters your vehicle and soaks the carpet, the air bag controller can be soaked and ruined. If this ever happens, and then you start your vehicle, the damage could make the frontal and side impact air bags inflate and safety belt pretensioners activate, even if there's no crash. You would have to replace the air bags, all the sensors and related parts, parts of the safety belt system and parts of the driver and right front passenger's seatbacks. If your vehicle is ever in a flood, or if it's exposed to water that soaks the carpet, you can avoid needless repair costs by turning off the vehicle immediately and disconnecting the battery cables. Don't let anyone start the vehicle under any circumstances. See your dealer for service. CAUTION: For up to two minutes after the ignition key is turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air bag can still inflate during improper service. You can be injured if you are close to an air bag when it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape or yellow connectors. They are probably part of the air bag systems. Be sure to follow proper service procedures, and make sure the person performing work for you is qualified to do so. The air bag systems do not need regular maintenance. Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced. There are parts of the air bag systems in several places around your vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual have information about servicing your vehicle and the air bag systems. To purchase a service manual, see "Service and Owner Publications" in the Index. Safety Belt Pretensioners Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners. You'll find them on the retractor part of the safety belts for the driver and right front passenger. They help the safety belts reduce a person's forward movement in a moderate to severe crash in which the front of the vehicle hits something. Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a crash, you'll need to get new ones, and probably other new parts for your safety belt system. See "Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash" in the Index. 1-29