2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Pickup Owner's Manual - Page 79
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Pickup Manual
Page 79 highlights
Seat Position Sensors Vehicle's with dual stage air bags are also equipped with special sensors which enable the sensing system to monitor the position of both the driver and passenger front seats. The seat position sensor provides information which is used to determine if the air bags should deploy at a reduced level or at full deployment. What Makes an Air Bag Inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag, and related hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger. Single Stage Air Bags If your vehicle has frontal air bags with single stage deployment and your vehicle goes straight into a wall that does not move or deform, the threshold level is about 13 to 16 mph (20 to 25 km/h). The threshold level can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts because inflation would not help the occupant. How Does an Air Bag Restrain? In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. Air bags supplement the protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would not help you in many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts and many side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward those air bags. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions. 1-73