2004 Pontiac Vibe Owner's Manual - Page 61

In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag, windshields are broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the right front passenger air bag. • Air bags are designed to inflate only once. After an air bag inflates, you'll need some new parts for your air bag system. If you don't get them, the air bag system won't be there to help protect you in another crash. A new system will include air bag modules and possibly other parts. The service manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace other parts. Notice: If you damage the covering for the driver's or the right front passenger's air bag, or the air bag covering on the driver's and right front passenger's seatback, the bag may not work properly. You may have to replace the air bag module in the steering wheel, both the air bag module and the instrument panel for the right front passenger's air bag, or both the air bag module and seatback for the driver's and right front passenger's side impact air bag. Do not open or break the air bag coverings. 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. • Your vehicle is equipped with two electronic frontal sensors, which help the sensing system distinguish between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe frontal impact. Additionally, your vehicle has two sensors which detect side impacts. These sensors signal the appropriate side air bag to inflate. Your vehicle is also equipped with a crash sensing and diagnostic module, which records information about the frontal air bag system. The module records information about the readiness of the system, system status and the driver's and passenger's safety belt usage at deployment. • Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag systems. Improper service can mean that an air bag system won't work properly. See your dealer for service. 1-55