1999 Oldsmobile Intrigue Owner's Manual - Page 31

If something is between an occupant and air an bag, the bag might not inflate properly or it might force the object into that person. The;h pat of an inflating air bag must be kept clear. t Don? put anything betweenan occupant and an air bag, anddon't attach or put anything on the steering wheel hub or on or near any other air bag covering. When should an air bag inflate? An air bag is designed to inflatein a moderate to severe frontal ornear-frontal crash. The airbag will inflate only if the impact speed is above the system's designed "threshold level." If your vehicle goes straight into a wall that doesn't move or deform, thethreshold level is about 9 to 15 mph (14 to 24km/h). The threshold level can vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above or below this range. If your vehicle strikes something that will move or deform, such as a parked car, the threshold level will be higher. The airbag is not designed to inflatein rollovers, side impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not help the occupant. In any particular crash,no one can say whether an air bag should have inflated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costswere. Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or near-frontal impacts. What makes an air bag inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. The sensing system triggers a release gas from the inflator, which of inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related hardware are allpart of the air bag modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger.