Roof-mounted side impact airbags would not help you
in many types of collisions, including many frontal
or near frontal collisions, and rear impacts, primarily
because an occupant’s motion is not toward those
airbags. Airbags should never be regarded as anything
more than a supplement to safety belts, and then
only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal
collisions for the driver’s and right front passenger’s
frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe
side collisions or rollovers for the roof-mounted side
impact airbags.
What Will You See After an
Airbag In ates?
After a frontal airbag in ates, it quickly de ates, so
quickly that some people may not even realize the airbag
in ated. Roof-mounted side impact airbags de ate more
slowly and may still be at least partially in ated minutes
after the vehicle comes to rest. Some components of the
airbag module may be hot for a short time. These
components include the steering wheel hub for the
driver’s frontal airbag and the instrument panel for the
right front passenger’s frontal airbag. For vehicles with
side impact airbags, the ceiling of your vehicle near the
side windows may be hot. The parts of the bag that come
into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to
touch. There will be some smoke and dust coming from
the vents in the de ated airbags.Airbag in ation does not prevent the driver from seeing
out of the windshield or being able to steer the vehicle,
nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag in ates, there is dust in the
air. This dust could cause breathing problems
for people with a history of asthma or other
breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in
the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe
to do so. If you have breathing problems but
cannot get out of the vehicle after an airbag
in ates, then get fresh air by opening a
window or a door. If you experience breathing
problems following an airbag deployment,
you should seek medical attention.
Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically
unlock the doors and turn the interior lamps on when
the airbags in ate (if battery power is available).
You can lock the doors again and turn the interior lamps
off by using the door lock and interior lamp controls.
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Aftermarket equipment, such as seat covers, can affect
how well the passenger sensing system operates.
You may want to consider not using seat covers or
other aftermarket equipment if your vehicle has
the passenger sensing system. SeeAdding Equipment
to Your Airbag-Equipped Vehicle on page 1-61for
more information about modi cations that can affect
how the system operates.
{CAUTION:
Stowing of articles under the passenger’s
seat or between the passenger’s seat cushion
and seatback may interfere with the proper
operation of the passenger sensing system.
Servicing Your Airbag-Equipped
Vehicle
Airbags affect how your vehicle should be serviced.
There are airbag system parts in several places
around your vehicle. You do not want the system to
in ate while someone is working on your vehicle.
Your dealer and the service manual have information
about servicing your vehicle and the airbag system.
To purchase a service manual, seeService Publications
Ordering Information on page 7-14.
{CAUTION:
For up to 10 seconds after the ignition key is
turned off and the battery is disconnected,
an airbag can still in ate during improper
service. You can be injured if you are close
to an airbag when it in ates. Avoid yellow
connectors. They are probably part of the
airbag system. Be sure to follow proper
service procedures, and make sure the person
performing work for you is quali ed to do so.
The airbag system does not need regular maintenance.
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