1994 Chevrolet Camaro Owner's Manual - Page 31
1994 Chevrolet Camaro Manual
Page 31 highlights
How does an air bag restrain? In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. The air bag supplements the protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But air bags would not provide protection in many types of collisions, including rollovers and rear and side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward the air bag. Air bags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belt protection in moderate to severe frontal and near-frontal collisions. What will you see after an air bag inflation? After the air bag has inflated, it will then quickly deflate. This occurs so quickly that some people may not even realize that the air bag inflated. Some components of the air bag module in the steering wheel hub for the driver's air bag or the instrument panel for the passenger's bag may be hot for a short time, but the portion of the bag that comes into contact .with you will not be hot to the touch. There w i l l be small amounts of smoke coming from vents i n the deflated air bags. The air bag will rn impede the driver's vision or ability to steer the vehicle, nor will it hinder the occupants from exiting the vehicle. In many crashes severe enough to inflate an air bag, windshields are broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may occur in vehicles with passenger air bags because the windshield acts as a reaction surface for the inflating air bag. 0 The air bags are designed to inflate only once. After they inflate you'll need some new parts for your air bag system. If you don't get them, the air bag system won't be there to help protect you i n another crash. A new system will include air bag modules and possibly other parts. The service manual has information about the need to replace other pans. Your vehicle is equipped with a diagnostic module. which records information about the air bag system if the air bag deploys i n a crash. The module records information about the readiness of the system, which sensors activated the deployment, and whether thr driver's safety belt was in use. Let only qualified technicians work on your air bag system. Improper service car mean that your air bag system won't work properly. See your dealer for service. If you damage the cover for the driver's or the right-front passenger's air bag, they may not work properly. You may have tu replace the air bag on the steering wheel or both the air bag and the instrument panel for the passenger's air bag. Do not open or break the air bag covers. 29 ...