Chevrolet 2000 Prizm, Owner'S Manual

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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.
Servicing Your Air Bag-Equipped Vehicle
Air bags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are parts of the air bag systems in several places
around your vehicle. Your dealer and the service manual
have information about servicing your vehicle and the
air bag systems. To purchase a service manual, see
“Service and Owner Publications” in the Index.
CAUTION:
For up to two minutes after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected, an air
bag can still inflate during improper service. You
can be injured if you are close to an air bag when
it inflates. Avoid wires wrapped with yellow tape
or yellow connectors. They are probably part of
the air bag systems. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is qualified to do so.
The air bag systems do not need regular maintenance.
Safety Belt Pretensioners
Your vehicle has safety belt pretensioners. You’ll find
them on the retractor part of the safety belts for the driver
and right front passenger. They help the safety belts reduce
a person’s forward movement in a moderate to severe
crash in which the front of the vehicle hits something.
Pretensioners work only once. If they activate in a crash,
you’ll need to get new ones, and probably other new
parts for your safety belt system. See “Replacing
Restraint System Parts After a Crash” in the Index.