39
—Front seat belt pretensioners
SY13021a
The driver and front passenger ’s seat
belt pretensioners are designed to be
activated in response to a severe fron-
tal impact.
When the airbag sensor detects the shock
of a severe frontal impact, the front seat
belts are quickly drawn back in by the
retractors so that the belts snugly restrain
the front seat occupants.
The front seat belt pretensioners are acti-
vated even with no passenger in the front
seat.
Collisions occurring at certain speeds and
angles may cause the seat belt preten-
sioners and SRS airbags not to operate
all together.
SP13504
This indicator comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the “ON” position. It goes
off after about 6 seconds. This means the
front seat belt pretensioners are operating
properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side airbag sensors, door side air-
bag sensors, front seat belt pretensioner
assemblies, inflators, warning light, inter-
connecting wiring and power sources. (For
details, see “Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers” on page 86 in Sec-
tion 1 5.)
SU13113a
The front seat belt pretensioner system
mainly consists of the following compo-
nents and their locations are shown in the
illustration.
1. Front airbag sensors
2. SRS warning light
3. Airbag sensor assembly
4. Front seat belt pretensioner assemblies
The front seat belt pretensioners are con-
trolled by the airbag sensor assembly. The
airbag sensor assembly consists of a saf-
ing sensor and airbag sensor.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)
42
SP13504
This indicator comes on when the igni-
tion key is turned to the “ON” position.
It goes off after about 6 seconds. This
means the SRS front airbags are oper-
ating properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side airbag sensors, door side air-
bag sensors, front seat belt pretensioner
assemblies, inflators, warning light, inter-
connecting wiring and power sources. (For
details, see “Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers” on page 86 in Sec-
tion 1 5.)The SRS front airbags are designed to
deploy in severe (usually frontal) colli-
sions where the magnitude and duration
of the forward deceleration of the ve-
hicle exceeds the designed threshold
level.
The SRS front airbags will deploy if the
severity of the impact is above the de-
signed threshold level, comparable to an
approximate 25 km/h (15 mph) collision in
the U.S.A. and 30 km/h (18 mph) collision
in Canada when the vehicle has the im-
pact straight into a fixed barrier that does
not move or deform.
However, this threshold velocity will be
considerably higher if the vehicle strikes
an object, such as a parked vehicle or
sign pole, which can move or deform on
impact, or if the vehicle is involved in an
underride collision (e.g. a collision in
which the front of the vehicle “underrides”,
or goes under, the bed of a truck, etc.).
It is possible that in some collisions
where the forward deceleration of the ve-
hicle is very close to the designed thresh-
old level, the SRS front airbags and the
seat belt pretensioners may not activate
together.
For the safety of all occupants, always
wear your seat belts properly.
SU13114
Collision from the side
Vehicle rollover
Collision from the rear
The SRS front airbags are generally not
designed to inflate if the vehicle is in-
volved in a side or rear collision, if it
rolls over, or if it is involved in a low
speed frontal collision. But, when
ever a
collision of any type causes sufficient
forward deceleration of the vehicle, de-
ployment of the SRS front airbags may
occur.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)
43
SU13029
Hitting a curb,
edge of pavement
or hard materialFalling into or
jumping over a
deep hole
Landing hard or vehicle falling
The front SRS airbags may also deploy
if a serious impact occurs to the under-
side of your vehicle. Some examples
are shown in the illustration.
SU13123
The SRS airbag system mainly consists of
the following components, and their loca-
tions are shown in the illustration. 1. Front airbag sensors
2. SRS warning light
3. Airbag module for driver (airbag and inflator)
4. Airbag module for front passenger (air- bag and inflator)
5. Airbag sensor assembly
The airbag sensor assembly consists of a
safing sensor and airbag sensor. The airbag sensors constantly monitor the
forward deceleration of the vehicle. If an
impact results in a forward deceleration
beyond the designed threshold level, the
system triggers the airbag inflators. At this
time a chemical reaction in the inflators
very quickly fills the air
bags with non tox-
ic gas to help restrain the forward motion
of the occupants. The airbags then quickly
deflate, so that there is no obstruction of
the driver ’s vision should it be necessary
to continue driving.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
loud noise and release some smoke and
residue along with non toxic gas. This
does not indicate a fire. This smoke may
remain inside the vehicle for some time,
and may cause some minor irritation to
the eyes, skin or breathing. Be sure to
wash off any residue as soon as possible
to prevent any potential skin irritation with
soap and water. If you can physically and
safely exit the vehicle after a collision,
you should do so at the first opportunity.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)
49
CAUTION
SRS side airbags inflate with consid-
erable force. To avoid potential death
or serious injury when they inflate,
the driver and front passenger must:
Wear their seat belts properly.
Remain properly seated with their
back upright and against the seat at
all times.
SP13504
This indicator comes on when the ignition
key is turned to the “ON” position. It goes
off after about 6 seconds. This means the
SRS side airbags are operating properly.
This warning light system monitors the
airbag sensor assembly, front airbag sen-
sors, side airbag sensors, door side air-
bag sensors, front seat belt pretensioner
assemblies, inflators, warning light, inter-
connecting wiring and power sources. (For
details, see “Service reminder indicators
and warning buzzers” on page 86 in Sec-
tion 1 5.)
SU13125
The SRS side airbag system may not
activate if the vehicle is subjected to a
collision from the side at certain
angles, or a collision to the side of the
vehicle body other than the passenger
compartment as shown in the illustra-
tion.
The SRS side airbags are designed to
inflate when the passenger compartment
area suffers a severe impact from the
side.
For the safety of all occupants, always
wear your seat belts properly.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)
50
SU13126
Collision from the rear
Collision from the front Vehicle rollover
The SRS side airbags are not designed
to inflate if the vehicle is involved in a
front or rear collision, if it rolls over,
or if it is involved in a low speed side
collision.
SX13009
The SRS side airbag system consists
mainly of the following components, and
their locations are shown in the illustra-
tion.
1. SRS warning light
2. Side airbag modules (airbag and inflator)
3. Side airbag sensors
4. Airbag sensor assembly
5. Door side airbag sensor (only for 2 door models)
The SRS side airbag system is controlled
by the airbag sensor assembly. The side
airbag sensors consist of a safing sensor
and airbag sensor. In a severe side impact, the side airbag
sensor triggers the side airbag inflators.
At this time a chemical reaction in the
inflators quickly fills the air
bags with non
toxic gas to help restrain the lateral mo-
tion of the occupants.
When the airbags inflate, they produce a
fairly loud noise and release some smoke
and residue along with non toxic gas. This
does not indicate a fire. This gas is nor-
mally harmless; however, for those who
have delicate skin, it may cause a minor
skin irritation. Be sure to wash off any
residue as soon as possible to prevent
any potential skin irritation.
Deployment of the airbags happens in a
fraction of a second, so the airbags must
inflate with considerable force. While the
system is desi gned to reduce serious inju-
ries, it may also cause minor burns or
abrasions and swelling.
Front seats may be hot for several min-
utes, but the airbags themselves will not
be hot. The airbags are designed to inflate
only once.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)
64
On vehicles with side airbags, do
not allow the child to lean against
the front door or around the front
door even if the child is seated in
the child restraint system. It is dan-
gerous if the side airbag inflates,
and the impact could cause death
or serious injury to the child.
SU13053
1. Sit the child on a booster seat. Runthe lap and shoulder belt through or
around the booster seat and child fol-
lowing the instructions provided by its
manufacturer and insert the tab into
the buckle taking care not to twist the
belt.
Make sure the shoulder belt is correctly
across the child’s shoulder and that the
lap belt is positioned as low as possible
on child’s hips. See “Seat belts” for de-
tails.
CAUTION
Always make sure the shoulder belt
is positioned across the center of
child’s shoulder. The belt should be
kept away from child’s neck, but
not falling off child’s s houlder. Fail-
ure to do so could reduce the
amount of protection in an accident
and cause serious injuries in a col-
lision.
Both high positioned lap belts and
loose fitting belts could cause seri-
ous injuries due to sliding under
the lap belt during a collision or
other unintended result. Keep the
lap belt positioned as low on a
child’s hips as possible.
For child’s safety, do not place the
shoulder belt under child’s arm.
After inserting the tab, make sure
the tab and buckle are locked and
that the lap and shoulder portions
of the belt are not twisted.
Do not insert coins, clips, etc. in
the buckle as this may prevent your
child from properly latching the tab
and buckle.
2003 ECHO from Aug. ’02 Prod. (OM52481U)