Table of contents: The operating principle of airbags ↓ SRS warning light ↓ Seat belts with automatic emergency… ↓
Warning: Do not place hard or sharp objects between your body and the airbags, do not carry hard or sharp objects on your lap, and do not smoke a pipe while driving, as this may result in serious injury in an accident. To prevent the risk of unauthorized deployment of the airbags, try not to press your hands against the airbag locations (marked with the words "AIRBAG") and their modules.
The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) devices and components include:
- two front airbags, side curtains and (with appropriate equipment) side airbags (see illustrations 12.1ad);
- directional overload sensors that are triggered by severe frontal or side impacts;
- an electronic self-diagnostic system which, when the ignition is on, continuously tests the overload sensors, the electronic control unit, the airbag gas generators, the seat belt tensioner pyropatrons and the connecting electrical wiring of the corresponding circuits;
- automatic emergency seat belt tensioners built into the front and rear outboard seat belt retractors;
- sRS warning light in instrument cluster;
- if equipped accordingly - front passenger airbag switch and front passenger airbag deactivation key (see Section 9).
12.1a. Driver's front airbag.
12.1b. Front passenger front airbag
12.1s. Side airbag in the driver's seat.
12.1d. Inflatable curtain.
The operating principle of airbags
Note: In minor frontal and side collisions, as well as in the event of a rollover, the airbags should not deploy. The airbags can only deploy when the ignition is on.
Directional overload sensors react to the excess of a certain limit value, which may occur during a strong frontal or side collision. At the signal from the sensors, the control unit turns on the airbag gas generators, causing their immediate filling.
During a collision, the seat belt keeps the lower part of the occupant's body from moving. Front airbags help prevent injury to the driver and front passenger when their heads and chests hit the steering wheel/dashboard. Side airbags prevent injuries to the side of the chest, and inflatable curtains prevent injuries when the head hits the pillars or door windows.
Both front airbags are triggered simultaneously. However, it is possible that only one of them will be triggered - this becomes possible when the magnitude of the directional overloads that arose during the collision was on the edge of the sensitivity range of the sensors. In this case, the seat belts provide sufficiently reliable protection for the driver and front passenger, while the effect of the airbag triggering will be minimal. The side airbag and inflatable curtain trigger only on the side of the impact.
Immediately after the airbags are triggered and perform their functions, the gas is released from them, which allows the driver to maintain visibility and freely manipulate all vehicle controls.
Caution: Do not touch SRS components immediately after they have deployed, as this may result in burns.
The entire duration of the process from the moment the overload sensors send a signal to the release of gas from the cushions takes no more than a tenth of a second. The modules are triggered so quickly that the human ear is simply unable to perceive the pop of the gas generators when filling the cushions, but people with clear hearing may be slightly deafened - this passes after a while.
After the airbags have deployed, the interior of the car may appear slightly smoky due to the fine powder suspension that is usually sprinkled on the folded airbag shells. People with respiratory diseases may experience some discomfort from the gaseous products in the air emitted by the airbag gas generators.
SRS warning light
The SRS warning lamp (K/L) is mounted in the vehicle's instrument cluster (see Section 15). When the ignition is turned on, this K/L lights up for a few seconds and then goes out, confirming the proper functioning of all SRS system components.
If the lamp does not turn on, does not go out, flashes, or randomly triggers at any other time, this indicates a malfunction in the SRS system. The car owner should fix the problem at the first opportunity, because with the above signs, the SRS system may fail during an accident.
Seat belts with automatic emergency tensioners
The front and rear side seat belt return devices are equipped with emergency automatic tensioners. The tensioners are activated in the event of severe frontal overloads (simultaneously with the front airbags), arising during a frontal collision, and provide instantaneous selection of slack in the belts, as a result of which the latter's straps tightly encircle the body of the occupant, significantly increasing the level of protection for the driver and passengers.
The activation of the modules is accompanied by a loud bang and a small emission of smoke.
Note: The smoke released when the tensioners are activated is safe for human health, but if inhaled directly it can cause irritation of the mucous membranes.
The procedure for using such seat belts is similar to the procedure for using conventional belts equipped with inertial return devices. The tensioner mechanism does not require any additional skills or knowledge from the user.
As with airbags, the emergency tensioner modules are designed for a single deployment and after that must be replaced along with the belts.