Chevrolet Equinox Owners Manual: Passenger Sensing System

The vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the front outboard passenger position. The passenger airbag status indicator will light on the overhead console when the vehicle is started.

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The words ON and OFF, or the symbols for on and off, will be visible during the system check.

When the system check is complete, either the word ON or OFF, or the symbol for on or off, will be visible. See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator.

The passenger sensing system turns off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag under certain conditions. No other airbag is affected by the passenger sensing system.

The passenger sensing system works with sensors that are part of the front outboard passenger seat and seat belt. The sensors are designed to detect the presence of a properly seated occupant and determine if the front outboard passenger frontal airbag should be allowed to inflate or not.

According to accident statistics, children are safer when properly secured in a rear seat in the correct child restraint for their weight and size.

Whenever possible, children aged 12 and under should be secured in a rear seating position.

Never put a rear-facing child seat in the front. This is because the risk to the rear-facing child is so great, if the airbag inflates.

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag if:

•  The front outboard passenger seat is unoccupied.
•  The system determines an infant is present in a child restraint.
•  A front outboard passenger takes his/her weight off of the seat for a period of time.
•  There is a critical problem with the airbag system or the passenger sensing system.

When the passenger sensing system has turned off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag, the off indicator will light and stay lit as a reminder that the airbag is off.

See Passenger Airbag Status Indicator.

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn on the front outboard passenger frontal airbag anytime the system senses that a person of adult size is sitting properly in the front outboard passenger seat.

When the passenger sensing system has allowed the airbag to be enabled, the on indicator will light and stay lit as a reminder that the airbag is active.

For some children, including children in child restraints, and for very small adults, the passenger sensing system may or may not turn off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag, depending upon the person's seating posture and body build. Everyone in the vehicle who has outgrown child restraints should wear a seat belt properly-whether or not there is an airbag for that person.

If the On Indicator Is Lit for a Child Restraint

The passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the front outboard passenger frontal airbag if the system determines that an infant is present in a child restraint. If a child restraint has been installed and the on indicator is lit:

1.  Turn the vehicle off.
2.  Remove the child restraint from the vehicle.
3.  Remove any additional items from the seat such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters, or seat massagers.
4.  Reinstall the child restraint following the directions provided by the child restraint manufacturer and refer to Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Rear Seat) or Securing Child Restraints (With the Seat Belt in the Front Seat).

   Make sure the seat belt retractor is locked by pulling the shoulder belt all the way out of the retractor when installing the child restraint, even if the child restraint is equipped with a seat belt lock off. When the retractor lock is set, the belt can be tightened but not pulled out of the retractor.

5. If, after reinstalling the child restraint and restarting the vehicle, the on indicator is still lit, turn the vehicle off. Then slightly recline the vehicle seatback and adjust the seat cushion, if adjustable, to make sure that the vehicle seatback is not pushing the child restraint into the seat cushion.

   Also make sure the child restraint is not trapped under the vehicle head restraint.

   If this happens, adjust the head restraint. See Head Restraints.

6.  Restart the vehicle.

The passenger sensing system may or may not turn off the airbag for a child in a child restraint depending upon the child's size. It is better to secure the child restraint in a rear seat. Never put a rear-facing child restraint in the front seat, even if the on indicator is not lit.

If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an Adult-Sized Occupant

If a person of adult size is sitting in the front outboard passenger seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be because that person is not sitting properly in the seat or that the child restraint locking feature is engaged.

Use the following steps to allow the system to detect that person and enable the front outboard passenger frontal airbag:

1.  Turn the vehicle off.
2.  Remove any additional material from the seat, such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters, or seat massagers.
3.  Place the seatback in the fully upright position.
4.  Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with legs comfortably extended.
5.  If the shoulder portion of the belt is pulled out all the way, the child restraint locking feature will be engaged. This may unintentionally cause the passenger sensing system to turn the airbag off for some adult-sized occupants. If this happens, unbuckle the belt, let the belt go back all the way, and then buckle the belt again without pulling the belt out all the way.
6.  Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for two to three minutes after the on indicator is lit.

Additional Factors Affecting System Operation

Seat belts help keep the passenger in position on the seat during vehicle maneuvers and braking, which helps the passenger sensing system maintain the passenger airbag status. See "Seat Belts" and "Child Restraints" in the Index for additional information about the importance of proper restraint use.

A thick layer of additional material, such as a blanket or cushion, or aftermarket equipment such as seat covers, seat heaters, and seat massagers can affect how well the passenger sensing system operates. We recommend that you not use seat covers or other aftermarket equipment except when approved by GM for your specific vehicle. See Adding Equipment to the Airbag-Equipped Vehicle for more information about modifications that can affect how the system operates.

The on indicator may be lit if an object, such as a briefcase, handbag, grocery bag, laptop, or other electronic device, is put on an unoccupied seat. If this is not desired, remove the object from the seat.