2007 Suzuki XL7 Owner's Manual - Page 49

SEATS AND RESTRAINT SYSTEMS impact, and how quickly the vehicle slows down. For roof-mounted rollover airbags, inflation is determined by the location and severity of the impact or a rollover event. plement the protection provided by safety belts. Airbags distribute the force of the impact more evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant more gradually. But the frontal airbags would not help you in many types of collisions, including rollovers, rear impacts, and many side impacts, primarily because an occupant's motion is not toward the airbag. Roof-mounted rollover airbags would not help you in many types of collisions, including many frontal or near frontal collisions, and rear impacts. Airbags should never be regarded as anything more than a supplement to safety belts, and then only in moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions for the driver's and right front passenger's frontal airbags, and only in moderate to severe side collisions or rollovers for vehicles with roof-mounted rollover airbags. roof-mounted side impact airbags - may be hot for a short time. The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from leaving the vehicle. What Makes an Airbag Inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. In the case of a roofmounted rollover airbag, the sensing system detects that the vehicle is about to roll over or has been in a severe frontal or side impact. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates the airbag. The inflator, airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger. For vehicles with roofmounted rollover airbags, the airbag modules are located in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows. If your vehicle has a third row seat with roof-mounted rollover airbags, the airbag modules are located inside the rear-most pillar trim and above in the ceiling above the fixed rear glass. WARNING When an airbag inflates, there may be dust in the air. This dust could cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have breathing problems but cannot get out of the vehicle after an airbag inflates, then get fresh air by opening a window or a door. If you experience breathing problems following an airbag deployment, you should seek medical attention. Your vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and flash the hazard warning flashers when the airbags inflate. You can lock the doors again, turn the interior lamps off, and turn off the hazard warning flashers by using the controls for those features. What Will You See After an Airbag Inflates? After a frontal airbag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that some people may not even realize an airbag inflated. Roofmounted rollover airbags may still be at least partially inflated minutes after the vehicle comes to rest. Some components of the airbag module - the steering wheel hub for the driver's airbag, the instrument panel for the right front passenger's airbag, and the area along the ceiling of the vehicle near the side windows for vehicles with How Does an Airbag Restrain? In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside of the vehicle. Airbags sup- 1-38