2001 SUBARU IMPREZA Owners Manual

2-32
Components
HG0287
Front sub sensor (Left hand side)
SRS airbag module
(Driver’
s side)
Front sub sensor (Right hand side)
SRS airbag module
(Passenger’s side)
SRS airbag control module (including impact sensors)
SRS airbag operation
CAUTION
Do not touch the SRS airbag system components around the steering wheel and dashboard with bare hands right after deploy-ment. Doing so can cause burns because the components can bevery hot as a result of deployment.

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OM-H0384
Passenger’
s side
SRS airbags deploy as soon as a collision occurs. After deployment, SRS airbags start to deflate immedi- ately so that the
driver’ s vision is not
obstructed.
Driver’ s side
The SRS airb ag c an func tion only when the ig nition switc h is in the
“ ON ” p osition.
If the front sub sensors insid e the b oth front fend ers and the imp ac t
sensors in the airb ag c ontrol mod ule d etec t a c erta in p red etermined
amount of forc e d uring a frontal c ollision, the c on trol mod ule send s
sig nals to the airb ag mod ules instruc ting them to i nflate the SRS air-
b ag s. Then b oth airb ag mod ules p rod uc e g as, whic h i nstantly inflates
d river ’s and p asseng er ’s SRS airb ag s. After the d ep loyment, the SRS
airb ag s immed iately start to d eflate so that the d r iver’s vision is not
ob struc ted . The time req uired from d etec ting imp ac t to the d eflating
SRS airb ag after d ep loyment is shorter than the b li nk of an eye.
The front p asseng er ’s SRS airb ag d ep loys tog ether with d river ’s SRS
airb ag even when no one oc c up ies the front p asseng e r’s seat.
Althoug h it is hig hly unlikely that the SRS airb ag would ac tivate in a
non-ac c id ent situation, should it oc c ur, the SRS ai rb ag will d eflate
q uic kly, not ob sc uring vision and will not interfer e with the d river’s
ab ility to maintain c ontrol of the vehic le.
When the SRS airb ag d ep loys, a sud d en, fairly loud inflation noise will
b e heard and some smoke will b e released . These oc c urrenc es are

2-34normal result of the d ep loyment. This smoke d oes no
t ind ic ate a fire in
the vehic le.
The SRS airb ag is d esig ned to d ep loy in the event o f an ac c id ent in-
volving a mod erate to severe frontal c ollision. It is b asic ally not d e-
sig ned to d ep loy in lesser frontal imp ac ts b ec ause the nec essary
p rotec tion c an b e ac hieved b y the seatb elt alone. A lso, it is b asic ally
not d esig ned to d ep loy in sid e or rear imp ac ts or i n roll-over ac c i-
d ents b ec ause d ep loyment of the SRS airb ag would no t help the oc -
c up ant in those situations.
The SRS airb ag is d esig ned to func tion on a one-tim e-only b asis.
SRS airb ag d ep loyment d ep end s on the level of forc e exp erienc ed in
the p asseng er c omp artment d uring a c ollision. That level d iffers from
one typ e of c ollision to another, and it may have n o b earing on the
visib le d amag e d one to the vehic le itself. n Examples of accident in which the SRS airbag will most likely
deploy.
A head -on c ollision ag ainst a thic k c onc rete wall a t a vehic le sp eed of
12 to 19 mp h (20 to 30 km/h) ac tivates the SRS airb ag . The SRS air-
b ag will also b e ac tivated when the vehic le is exp o sed to a frontal im-
p ac t similar in fashion and mag nitud e to the ab ove- mentioned c olli-
sion.
HG2000BA

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n
Examples of the types of accidents in which it is possible that
the SRS airbag will deploy.
The SRS airb ag may b e ac tivated when the vehic le su stains a hard
imp ac t in the und erc arriag e area from the road surf ac e (suc h as when
the vehic le p lung es into a d eep d itc h, is severely b ump ed or knoc ked
hard ag ainst an ob stac le on the road suc h as a c urb ).
HG2002BA
HG2001BA
n Examples of the types of accidents in which the SRS airbag is
unlikely to deploy.
There are many typ es of c ollisions whic h mig ht not nec essarily req uire
SRS airb ag d ep loyment. If the vehic le strikes an ob jec t, suc h as a
telep hone p ole or sig n p ole, or if it slid es und er a truc k’s load b ed , or
if it sustains an ob liq ue offset frontal imp ac t, th e SRS airb ag may not
d ep loy d ep end ing on the level of ac c id ent forc es in volved .
HG0290HG0289
HG0288
The vehicle strikes a tele- phone pole or similar ob- ject.
The vehicle slides under a truck’
s load bed. The vehicle sustains anoblique offset frontal im- pact.

2-36n
Examples of the types of accidents in which the SRS airbag
will basically not deploy.
The SRS airb ag is b asic ally not d esig ned to d ep loy if the vehic le is
struc k from sid e or from b ehind , or if it rolls ont o its sid e or roof, or if it
is involved in a low-sp eed frontal c ollision.
HG0293HG0292
HG0291
The vehicle is struck from behind.
The vehicle is struck fromthe side. The vehicle rolls onto itsside or roof.
In an ac c id ent where the vehic le is imp ac ted more t
han onc e, the
SRS airb ag d ep loys only onc e on the first imp ac t.
Examp le: In the c ase of a d oub le c ollision, first w ith another vehic le,
then ag ainst a c onc rete wall in immed iate suc c essio n, the SRS airb ag
is ac tivated on the first imp ac t b ut not on the sec ond .
HB1070BB

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SRS airbag system monitors
HG0341
SRS airbag system warning light
A d iag nostic system c ontinually monitors the read in
ess of the SRS air-
b ag system while the vehic le is b eing d riven. The S RS airb ag system
warning lig ht “AIRBAG ” will show normal system op eration b y lig hting for
ab out 6 sec ond s when the ig nition key is turned to the “ON ” p osition.
The following c omp onents are monitored b y the ind ic ator:
Front sub sensor (Rig ht hand sid e)
Front sub sensor (Left hand sid e)
Airb ag c ontrol mod ule (inc lud ing imp ac t sensors)
Airb ag mod ule (Driver ’s sid e)
Airb ag mod ule (Passeng er ’s sid e)
All related wiring
In the event of a malfunc tion ind ic ated b y any of f ollowing , the vehic le
should b e taken p romp tly to your nearest SUBARU d ea ler to have the
system c hec ked . Unless c hec ked and rep aired , the SR S airb ag s will not
func tion reliab ly: Flashing or flic kering of the ind ic ator lig ht.
No illumination of the warning lig ht when the ig nit ion switc h is first
turned to the “ON ” p osition.
Continuous illumination of the warning lig ht.
Illumination of the warning lig ht while d riving .

2-38
SRS airbag system servicing
WARNING
When discarding an airbag module or scrapping the entire car
damaged by a collision, consult your SUBARU dealer. The SRS airbag has no user-serviceable parts. Do not use
electrical test equipment on any circuit related to the SRS airbag
system. For required servicing of the SRS airbag, see your near-
est SUBARU dealer. Tampering with or disconnecting the sys-
tem’ s wiring could result in accidental inflation of the SRS airbag
or could make the system inoperative, which may result in seri-
ous injury. The wiring harnesses of the SRS airbag system arecovered with yellow insulation and the system connectors areyellow for easy identification.
CAUTION
If you need service or repair in areas listed below, we recommend
that you have an authorized SUBARU dealer perform the work. The
SRS airbag control module, impact sensors and airbag modules
are stored in these areas.
Under the center console
Inside each front fender
Steering wheel and column and nearby areas
Top of the dashboard on front passenger ’s side and nearby
areas
In the event that the SRS airbag is deployed, replacement of the sys-
tem should be performed only by an authorized SUBARU dealer.When the components of the SRS airbag system are replaced, useonly genuine SUBARU parts.
To ensure their long -term reliab ility, the SRS airb ag s must b e insp ec ted
b y a SUBARU d ealer ten years after the d ate of manu fac ture, whic h is
shown on the c ertific ation lab el attac hed to the d r iver’s d oor.

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NOTE In the following cases, contact your SUBARU dealer as soon as pos- sible.
The front part of the vehicle was involved in an accident in
which the SRS airbags did not deploy. The pad section of the steering wheel or front passenger ’s air-
bag cover is scratched, cracked, or otherwise damaged.
Precautions against vehicle modification
WARNING
To avoid accidental activation of the system or rendering the
system inoperative, which may result in serious injury, no modifi-cations should be made to any components or wiring of the SRSairbag system.This includes following modifications: Installation of custom steering wheel
Attachment of additional trim materials to the dashboard
Installation of additional electrical/electronic equipment such
as a mobile two-way radio on or near the SRS airbag system
components and/or wiring is not advisable. This could interferewith proper operation of the SRS airbag system.
CAUTION
Do not perform any of the following modifications. Such modifica-
tions can interfere with proper operation of the SRS airbag system.
Attachment of any equipment (brush bar, winches, snow
plow, skid plate, etc.) other than SUBARU genuine accessoryparts to the front end Modification of the suspension system or front end structure
Installation of a tire of different size and construction from
the tires specified on the tire placard attached to the door jamb
Always c onsult your SUBARU d ealer if you want to in stall any ac c essory
p arts to your vehic le.