GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

Your vehicle has the passenger sensing system. Your vehicle has a passenger airbag status indicator in the clock, located in the center of the instrument panel.


Object Number: 1555089  Size: A1

When you start the vehicle, the passenger airbag status indicator will light for several seconds as a system check.

Then, after several more seconds, if the off symbol is lit on the passenger airbag status indicator, it means that the passenger sensing system has turned off the right front passenger's frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped). See Passenger Sensing System for more on this, including important safety information.

Caution: If the on indicator comes on when you have a rear-facing child restraint installed in the right front passenger's seat, it means that the passenger sensing system has not turned off the passenger's frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped). A child in a rear-facing child restraint can be seriously injured or killed if the right front passenger's airbag inflates. This is because the back of the rear-facing child restraint would be very close to the inflating airbag. Do not use a rear-facing child restraint in the right front passenger's seat if the airbag is turned on.

Caution: Even though the passenger sensing system is designed to turn off the right front passenger's frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped) if the system detects a rear-facing child restraint, no system is fail-safe, and no one can guarantee that an airbag will not deploy under some unusual circumstance, even though it is turned off. We recommend that rear-facing child restraints be secured in a rear seat, even if the airbag is or airbags are off.

If the off symbol is not lit on the passenger airbag status indicator, it means that the right front passenger's frontal airbag and seat-mounted side impact airbag (if equipped) are enabled (may inflate).

Caution: If the airbag readiness light in the instrument panel cluster ever comes on and stays on, it means that something may be wrong with the airbag system. If this ever happens, have the vehicle serviced promptly, because an adult-size person sitting in the right front passenger's seat may not have the protection of the airbag(s). See Airbag Readiness Light for more on this, including important safety information.