Owner`s manual

How does an air bag restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or
near-frontal collisions, even belted
occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. The air bag
supplements the protection provided by
safety belts. Air bags distribute the force
of the impact more evenly over the
occupant’s upper body, stopping the
occupant more gradually. But air bags
would not provide protection in many
types
of collisions, including rollovers
and rear and side impacts, primarily
because an occupant’s motion is not
toward the air bag. Air bags should never
be regarded as anything more than a
supplement to safety belt protection in
moderate to severe frontal and
near-frontal collisions.
What will you see after an air bag
inflation?
After the air bag has inflated, it will then
quickly deflate. This occurs
so quickly
that some people may
not even realize
that the air bag inflated. Some
components of the air bag module
in the
steering wheel hub for the driver’s air bag
or the instrument panel for the
passenger’s bag may be hot for a short
time, but the portion of the bag that comes
into contact .with you will not be hot to
the touch. There will be small amounts of
smoke coming from vents in the deflated
air bags. The air bag will
rn impede the
driver’s vision or ability to steer the
vehicle, nor will
it hinder the occupants
from exiting the vehicle.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate
an air bag, windshields are broken by
vehicle deformation. Additional
windshield breakage may occur
in
vehicles with passenger air bags because
the windshield acts as a reaction surface
for the inflating air bag.
0 The air bags are designed to inflate only
once. After they inflate 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 has information about the
need to replace other pans.
Your vehicle is equipped with a
diagnostic module. which records
information about the air bag system if
the air bag deploys
in a crash. The
module records information about the
readiness of the system, which sensors
activated the deployment, and whether
thr
driver’s safety belt was in use.
Let only qualified technicians work on
your air bag system. Improper service car
mean that your air bag system won’t work
properly. See your dealer for service.
If you damage the cover for the driv-
er’s
or the right-front passenger’s air
bag, they may not work properly.
You may have
tu replace the air bag
on the steering wheel or both the air
bag and the instrument panel for the
passenger’s air bag.
Do not open or
break the air bag covers.
29 ...