501-20B-3
Occupant Restraints — Passive — Supplemental Air
501-20B-3
Bag System
DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION (
CONTINUED
)
WARNING: All vehicles equipped with the
optional passenger air bag from the
factory have a WARNING sticker
attached to the instrument cluster.
PROHIBITING the use of rear facing child
or baby seats.
The SRS consists of the following components:
• air bag control module
• wiring harness
• air bag sliding contact
• warning indicator
• air bag module(s)
• safety belt buckle and pre-tensioner's
The air bag control module governs the operation
of the whole system, including the diagnostics
element. It contains two frontal impact sensors, a
crash sensor and a safing sensor. The crash
sensor produces a signal corresponding to the
rate of deceleration. The safing sensor detects
only deceleration. These two sensors are
connected in series and if they both sense a
deceleration in excess of a predetermined limit,
the air bag control module will deploy the air bag
module(s) and the safety belt buckle pre-
tensioner's. The air bag control module will
always deploy the safety belt buckle pretensioner
before or at the same time as the air bag(s) and
in that sequence only.
The air bag control module performs continual
system diagnostics. In the event of a fault being
detected the warning indicator is illuminated
either constantly or intermittently. The behaviour
of the warning indicator depends on the type of
fault present. The warning indicator is located in
the instrument cluster.
The wiring harness provides power to the air bag
control module from the vehicle supply and
hence to the air bag module(s), safety belt
buckles pre-tensioner's and the warning indicator.
The air bag sliding contact is designed to carry
signals between the air bag control module and
the driver air bag module. The air bag sliding
contact is fitted to the steering column and
consists of fixed and moving parts connected by
a coiled Mylar tape with integral conducting
tracks. The Mylar tape is able to `wind up' and
`unwind' as the steering wheel (to which the
moving part is attached) is turned, maintaining
electrical contact at all times between the air bag
control module and the driver air bag module.
The driver and passenger air bag modules
consist of the following components, which
cannot be disassembled:
• inflator
• bag
• container
• cover
Driver and passenger air bag module inflator
Item
Description
1 Igniter
2 Propellant
charge
3 Catalyst
4
Passenger inflator unit
The inflator is screwed into a metal cup-shaped
container. The air bag is then folded on top of the
inflator and the cover closes the whole sub-
assembly.
The driver air bag module is fitted to the steering
wheel, the cover forming the outer surface of the
steering wheel boss. The cover has invisible `split
lines' moulded in its surfaces allowing the air bag
to easily exit though the cover when the system
deploys.
08/2001
2002 Bantam
