CHEVROLET 2012 Avalanche - Manual (Page 85)

Black plate (25,1) Chevrolet Avalanche Owner Manual - 2012 - crc 2nd edition - 11/7/11
Seats and Restraints 3-25
Frontal airbags are not intended to
inflate during vehicle rollovers, rear
impacts, or in many side impacts.
In addition, the vehicle has
dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the
restraint according to crash severity.
The vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing
system distinguish between a
moderate frontal impact and a more
severe frontal impact. For moderate
frontal impacts, dual-stage airbags
inflate at a level less than full
deployment. For more severe frontal
impacts, full deployment occurs.
The vehicle has a seat position
sensor. Vehicles with dual stage
airbags also have seat position
sensors which enable the sensing
system to monitor the position of the
driver seat and the right front
passenger seat.
The seat position sensor provides
information that is used to determine
if the airbags should deploy at a
reduced level or at full deployment.
The vehicle has seat‐mounted side
impact and roof-rail airbags. See
Airbag System on page 3‑20. Seat‐
mounted side impact and roof-rail
airbags are intended to inflate in
moderate to severe side crashes.
In addition, these roof-rail airbags
are intended to inflate during a
rollover or in a severe frontal
impact. Seat‐mounted side impact
and roof-rail airbags will inflate if the
crash severity is above the system's
designed threshold level. The
threshold level can vary with
specific vehicle design.
Roof-rail airbags are not
intended to inflate in rear impacts.
A seat‐mounted side impact airbag
is intended to deploy on the side of
the vehicle that is struck. Both
roof-rail airbags will deploy when
either side of the vehicle is struck or
if the sensing system predicts that
the vehicle is about to roll over, or in
a severe frontal impact.
In any particular crash, no one can
say whether an airbag should have
inflated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because
of what the repair costs were.
For frontal airbags, inflation is
determined by what the vehicle hits,
the angle of the impact, and how
quickly the vehicle slows down.
For seat‐mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags, deployment is
determined by the location and
severity of the side impact. In a
rollover event, roof-rail airbag
deployment is determined by the
direction of the roll.
What Makes an Airbag
Inflate?
In a deployment event, the sensing
system sends an electrical signal
triggering a release of gas from the
inflator. Gas from the inflator fills the
airbag causing the bag to break out
of the cover and deploy. The inflator,
the airbag, and related hardware are
all part of the airbag module.
Frontal airbag modules are located
inside the steering wheel and
instrument panel. For vehicles with