2006 DODGE DAKOTA sensor

Air Bag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
•Occupant Restraint Controller
•Side Remote Acceleration Sensors (If Equipped)
•Airbag Warning Light
•Driver Airbag
•Passenger Airbag
•Window Bags above Side Windows (If Equipped)
•Steering Wheel and Column
•Instrument Panel
•Interconnecting Wiring
•Knee Impact Bolsters
•Front Acceleration Sensors
•Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioners
•Occupant Classification System (OCS) for the Front
Passenger Seat
Occupant Classification Module
Passenger Airbag Disable (PAD) Indicator Light
Weight Sensors
How the Airbag System Works
•
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
if a frontal collision is severe enough to require the
airbags to inflate. The front airbag inflators are de-
signed to provide different rates of airbag inflation
from direction provided by the ORC. The ORC may
also modify the rate of inflation based on the occupant
size provided by the Occupant Classification Module.
The ORC will not detect roll over.
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For almost all properly installed rear facing child re-
straints, the PAD indicator light will be illuminated
indicating that the front passenger airbag is turned off
and will not inflate. If the PAD indicator light is not
illuminated, DO NOT assume the air bag is turned off
and move the child restraint to the second row of seats (if
equipped). A deploying passenger air bag can cause
death or serious injury to a child in a rear facing infant
seat. For vehicles with a manual on/off switch, the
passenger frontal airbag can be manually turned off. See
section on how to use the switch later in this section.
NOTE: Even though this vehicle is equipped with an
occupant classification system, children 12 years and
under should always ride buckled up in a rear seat (if
equipped) in an appropriate child restraint (see section
on child restraints).
Front Passenger Seat Occupant Passenger
Airbag Disable
(PAD) Indicator Light Airbag Status
Adult OFF ON
Grocery Bags,
Heavy Briefcases and Other Rela-
tively Light Ob- jects ON OFF
Empty or Very Light Objects OFF* OFF
* Since the system senses weight, some small objects will turn the PAD Indicator Light on.
The OCS classifies an occupant using weight sensors
mounted in the base of the front passenger seat. Objects
hanging on the seat or other passengers pushing down
on the seat will also be sensed. The weight of an adult
will cause the system to turn the airbag on. In this case,
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the OCS has classified the occupant of the seat as an
adult. An adult occupant needs to sit in a normal position
(with their feet on or near the floor) in order to be
properly classified. Reclining the seat back too far may
change how an occupant is classified by the OCS.
Drivers and adult passengers should verify that the PAD
Indicator Light is not illuminated when an adult is riding
in the front passenger seat. If an adult occupant’s weight
is transferred to another part of the vehicle (like the door
or instrument panel), the weight sensors in the seat may
not properly classify the occupant. Objects lodged under
the seat or between the seat and the center console can
prevent the occupant’s weight from being measured
properly and may result in the occupant being improp-
erly classified. Ensure that the front passenger seat back
does not touch anything placed behind the front passen-
ger seat because this can also affect occupant classifica-
tion. If the front passenger seat is damaged in any way, it
should only be serviced by an authorized dealer. If the
seat is removed (or even if the seat attachment bolts are
loosened or tightened in any way), take the vehicle to an
authorized dealer.
If there is a fault present in the OCS, the Airbag Warning
Light (a red light located in the center of the instrument
cluster directly in front of the driver) will be turned on.
This indicates that you should take the vehicle to an
authorized dealer. The Airbag Warning Light is turned on
whenever there is fault that can affect the operation of the
airbag system. If there is a fault present in the OCS, both
the PAD Indicator Light and the Airbag Warning Light
are illuminated to show that the passenger airbag is
turned off until the fault is cleared. If an object is lodged
under the seat and interferes with operation of the weight
sensors, a fault will occur which turns on both the PAD
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Indicator Light and the Airbag Warning Light. Once the
lodged object is removed, the fault will be automatically
cleared after a short period of time.
•The Driver and Passenger Airbag/Inflator Units are
located in the center of the steering wheel and the right
side of the instrument panel. When the ORC detects a
collision requiring the airbags, it signals the inflator
units. A large quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to
inflate the front airbags. Different airbag inflation rates
may be possible based on collision severity and occu-
pant size. The steering wheel hub trim cover and the
upper right side of the instrument panel separate and
fold out of the way as the bags inflate to their full size.
The bags fully inflate in about 50 - 70 milliseconds.
This is about half of the time it takes to blink your eyes.
The bags then quickly deflate while helping to restrain
the driver and front passenger. The driver’s front
airbag gas is vented through vent holes in the sides of
the airbag. The passenger’s front airbag gas is vented through vent holes in the sides of the airbag. In this
way the airbags do not interfere with your control of
the vehicle.•The
Occupant Classification Module (OCM) is lo-
cated beneath the front passenger seat. The OCM
classifies the occupant into categories based on the
measurements made by the seat weight sensors. The
OCM communicates with the Occupant Restraint Con-
troller (ORC). The ORC uses the occupant category to
determine whether the front passenger airbag should
be turned off. It also determines the rate of airbag
inflation during a collision.
•The Passenger Airbag Disabled (PAD) Indicator
Light indicates to the driver and passenger when the
airbag is turned OFF. In the presence of a properly
seated occupant, when the PAD indicator light is
illuminated, the airbag is OFF. Also, when the Occu-
pant Classification System detects either an empty seat
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or a weight less than the predetermined threshold, the
ORC will not illuminate the PAD indicator light even
though the airbag is turned OFF.
•Your vehicle has four Weight Sensorslocated within
the seat structure or between the seat tracks and
cushion frame. The weight sensors measure applied
weight and transfers that information to the OCM.
•The Side Impact SRS Window Bags are designed to
activate only in certain side collisions. When the ORC
(with side impact option) detects a collision requiring
the window bags to inflate, it signals the inflators on
the crash side of the vehicle. A quantity of nontoxic gas
is generated to inflate the window bag. The inflating
window bag pushes the outside edge of the headliner
out of the way and covers the window. The airbag
forcefully inflates in about one quarter of the time it
takes to blink your eye. Make sure you are seated and
belted properly and do not position items in the area where the window bag inflates. This especially applies
to children. The window bag is only about 3-1/2
inches (9 cm) thick when it is inflated.
•The
Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of
the driver and the front passenger, and position every-
one for the best interaction with the front airbag.
•The front passenger seat assembly contains critical
components that affect the front passenger airbag
deployment. Correctly functioning front passenger
seat components are critical for the Occupant Classifi-
cation System (OCS) to properly classify the front
passenger and calculate the proper airbag deploy-
ment. Do not make any modifications to the front
passenger seat components, assembly, or to the seat
cover. The following requirements must be strictly
adhered to:
•Do not modify the front passenger seat assembly or
components in any way.
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•Do not modify the front seat center console or center
position seat in any way.
•Do not use prior or future model year seat covers not
designated for the specific model being repaired. Al-
ways use the correct seat cover specified for the
vehicle.
•Do not replace the seat cover with an aftermarket seat
cover. Do not add a secondary seat cover other than
those approved by DaimlerChrysler/Mopar. 
•At no time should any supplemental restraint system
(SRS) component or SRS related component or fas-
tener be modified or replaced with any part except
those which are approved by DaimlerChrysler/
Mopar .
WARNING!
Unapproved modifications or service procedures to
the front passenger seat assembly, its related compo-
nents, or seat cover may inadvertently change the
airbag deployment in case of a frontal crash. This
could result in death or serious injury to the front
seat passenger if the vehicle is involved in an acci-
dent. A modified vehicle may not comply with
required Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
(FMVSS).
If A Deployment Occurs
The airbag system is designed to deploy the airbags
when the impact sensors detect a moderate-to-severe
frontal collision, to help restrain the driver and front
passenger, and then immediately deflate.
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To set the variance: Turn the ignition ON and set the
display to “Compass/Temperature.” Press and hold the
RESET button approximately five seconds. The last vari-
ance zone number will be displayed. Press the STEP
button to select the new variance zone and press the
RESET button to resume normal operation.
Outside Temperature
Because the ambient temperature sensor is located un-
derhood, engine temperature can influence the displayed
temperature, therefore, temperature readings are slowly
updated when the vehicle speed is below 20 mph (30
km/h) or during stop and go driving.
Compass Variance Map
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 131
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WARNING!
Snowplows, winches, and other aftermarket equip-
ment should not be added to the front end of your
vehicle. The airbag crash sensors may be affected by
the change in the front end structure. The airbags
could deploy unexpectedly or could fail to deploy
during a collision resulting in serious injury or
death.
CAUTION!
Using this vehicle for snowplow applications can
cause damage to the vehicle.
WARNING!
Attaching a snowplow to this vehicle could ad-
versely affect performance of the airbag system in an
accident. Do not expect that the airbag will perform
as described earlier in this manual
RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Recreational Towing 2WD Models
Recreational towing of 2WD models is not allowable.
Towing the vehicle with the transmission in Neutral can
cause severe transmission damage. Removal of the drive-
shaft for towing is not recommended, since this would
allow fluid to drain from the transmission.
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