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These airbags inflate in higher speed frontal impacts.
They work with the instrument panel inflatable knee
blockers and the seat belts to provide improved protec-
tion for the driver and passenger.
The vehicle is also equipped with side airbags, located in
the driver and passenger doors. Side airbags also work
with seat belts to improve occupant protection.
NOTE:The front driver airbag is certified to the Federal
regulations that allow less forceful deployment. The front
driver airbag has a multi stage inflator design. This may
allow the airbag to have different rates of inflation that
are based on collision severity and occupant size. Also,
the front passenger airbag is certified to the Federal
regulations that define Occupant Classification (Refer to
ªOccupant Classification Systemº in this section). Their
covers are also labeled SRS/AIRBAG.WARNING!
²Do not put anything on or around the front airbag
covers or attempt to manually open them. You may
damage the airbags and you could be injured
because the airbags are not there to protect you.
These protective covers are designed to open only
when the airbags are inflated.
²Do not place objects between you and the side
airbags; the performance could be adversely af-
fected and/or objects could be pushed into you,
causing serious injury.
²Do not attach cup holders or any other objects on
or around the door. The inflating side airbag could
drive objects into occupants, causing serious
injury.
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WARNING!
²Relying on the airbags alone could lead to more
severe injuries in a collision. The airbags work
with your seat belt to restrain you properly. In
some collisions the airbags won't deploy at all.
Always wear your seat belts even though you have
airbags.
²Being too close to the steering wheel or instrument
panel during airbag deployment could cause seri-
ous injury.
²Airbags need room to inflate. Sit back, comfort-
ably extending your arms to reach the steering
wheel or instrument panel.
²The side airbags also need room to inflate. Do not
lean against the door. Sit upright in the center of
the seat.
Airbag System Components
The airbag system consists of the following:
²Occupant Restraint Controller
²Airbag Warning Light
²Driver and passenger frontal airbag/inflator units
²Driver and passenger side airbag/inflator units
²Driver and Passenger Inflatable Knee Blocker
²Driver and Front Passenger Seat Belt Pretensioners
²Side impact sensors
²Front Passenger Seat Occupant Classification System
(OCS)
How the Front Airbag System Works
²
TheOccupant Restraint Controller (ORC)determines
if a frontal collision is severe enough to require the
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WARNING!
Do not put anything on or around the airbag covers
or attempt to manually open them. You may damage
the airbags and you could be injured because the
airbags are not there to protect you. These protective
covers are designed to open only when the airbags
are inflated.
²TheDriver and Passenger Airbag/Inflator Unitsare
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 theupper 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.
²The Knee Blocker Airbag helps protect the knees and
working with the seat belts, position you for the best
interaction with the airbags.
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OCM to ensure that the resultant bladder pressure in-
crease due to applied lap belt tension does not cause a
small occupant to be classified as a larger occupant
How the Bladder Mat and Pressure Sensor Works
The Bladder Mat and Pressure Sensor are located beneath
the seat cushion foam. The pressure sensor sends a signal
to the OCM. The passenger seat assembly contains criti-
cal components that affect the passenger airbag deploy-
ment. Correctly functioning passenger seat components
are critical for the Occupant Classification System (OCS)
to properly classify the passenger and calculate the
proper airbag deployment. Do not make any modifica-
tions to the passenger seat components, assembly, or to
the seat cover.
How the Driver/Passenger Inflatable Knee
Blockers Works
When the ORC and the impact sensors detect a collision
requiring the Driver/Passenger Inflatable Knee Blockers,it signals the inflator unit. A quantity of nontoxic gas is
generated to inflate the Driver/Passenger Inflatable Knee
Blockers. The Driver/Passenger Inflatable Knee Blockers
inflates rearward towards the driver 's knees to help
protect the knees and position you for the best interaction
with the front airbag. The Driver/Passenger Inflatable
Knee Blockers fully inflates in about 50 milliseconds, this
is only about half of the time it takes you to blink your
eyes. It then quickly deflates while helping to protect the
driver 's knees.
The Knee Impact Blockers help protect the knees and
position the occupant.
Passenger Front Airbag On/Off Switch
The ON/OFF switch is located at the right end of the
instrument panel and is accessible by opening the pas-
senger door.
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NOTE:When the passenger airbag is turned off, the
yellow airbag off light will illuminate.
To Shut Off the Passenger Airbag:
²Place the ignition key in the on/off switch, turn the
key clockwise, and remove the key from the switch.
This will shut off the passenger front airbag.
²The air bag will remain off until the switch is turned
back to the ON position.
²The switch does NOT turn off the side airbag.
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To Turn On the Passenger Airbag:
²Place the ignition key in the on/off switch, turn the
key counterclockwise, and remove the key from the
switch. This will turn on the passenger airbag. The
Passenger Airbag Off light on the console will turn off,
or will not be illuminated when the ignition is turned
to the ON position.
WARNING!
The airbag may malfunction and serious injury could
result if key is left in the airbag shut off switch.
Always remove the key.
Maintaining Your Airbag System
WARNING!
²Unapproved 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 accident. A
modified vehicle may not comply with required Fed-
eral Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
²You need proper knee impact protection in a collision.
Do not mount or locate any aftermarket equipment on
or behind the knee impact blocker.
²You can be injured if you are too close to either airbag
cover when the airbags inflate. It is dangerous to try
to repair any part of the airbag system yourself. Don't
try to repair the airbag system. Be sure to tell anyone
who works on your vehicle that it has airbags.
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WARNING!
After installing a child safety seat or booster seat on the
passenger seat, do not adjust the back rest forward. This
could cause a higher load being perceived by the OCS
system which in turn could lead to the passenger airbag
being turned on. Failure to follow this warning could
result in serious or fatal injury. It is always recom-
mended to turn off the passenger front air bags using
the passenger front airbags on/off switch located at the
right end of the instrument panel when the passenger is:
²an infant (less than 1 year old),
²a child, age 1 to 12,
²an adult with a medical condition which makes
passenger airbags inflation (deployment) a greater
risk for the passenger than the risk of hitting the
dashboard (instrument panel) or windshield in a
crash.
The on/off switch is accessible by opening the passen-
ger door.
WARNING!
Improper installation of a child restraint to the
LATCH anchorages can lead to failure of an infant or
child restraint. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the manufacturer's directions exactly
when installing an infant or child restraint.
Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat
Belt
Child restraints can be securely fastened in the passenger
seat using the seat belts. For this purpose, the passenger
seat belt retractor provides two modes of operation -
normal emergency locking and automatic locking. For
child restraint installation, the retractor switches to auto-
matic locking when the belt is pulled out to the full extent
of its travel. As the belt retracts, the retractor locks to
prevent the belt from being pulled out again. Pulling the
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belt snugly over the child restraint toward the retractor
secures the restraint in place. When the belt retracts fully
after child restraint removal, normal (emergency locking)
retractor action is restored. Any seat belt system will
loosen with time, so check the belt occasionally and pull
it tight if necessary.
If your child restraint is equipped with a tether strap,
attach it to the vehicle by first moving the seatback fully
forward. Next, route the child restraint tether directly
over the top of the seat, through the strap near the top of
the seatback, and attach the hook to the anchor bar.
Recline the seatback and move the passenger seat as far
rearward as possible. Remove slack in the tether strap as
you push the child restraint downward and rearward,
following the child restraint manufacturer's instructions.Child Restraint Tether Anchor - General
Information
Child restraints having tether straps and hooks for con-
nection to tether anchors have been available for some
time. In fact, many child restraint manufacturers will
provide add-on tether strap kits for certain of their older
products. There is a tether strap anchor behind the
passenger seat.
To attach the tether strap to the anchor, move the
seatback fully forward. Pass the child restraint tether
hook over the top of the seat, through the strap near the
top of the seatback, and attach it to the anchor bar behind
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