1996 Toyota Avalon Owners Manual - Page 39

The SRS airbags are not designed to inflate if the vehicle is subjected to a side or rear impact, if it rolls over, or if it is involved in a low-speed frontal collision. The SRS airbag system mainly consists of the following components and their locations are shown in the illustration. 1 Airbag sensor assembly 2 Steering wheel pad (airbag and inflator) 3 Passenger airbag module (airbag and inflator) 4 SRS airbag warning light The airbag sensor assembly consists of a safing sensor and airbag sensor. In a severe frontal impact, sensors detect deceleration and the system triggers the airbag inflators. Then a chemical reaction in the inflators momentarily fills the airbags with non-toxic nitrogen gas to help restrain the forward motion of the occupants. When the airbags inflate, they produce a fairly loud noise and release some smoke along with the nitrogen gas. This is not harmful and does not indicate a fire. Be sure to wash off any residue as soon as possible to prevent minor skin irritation. Deployment of the airbags happen in a fraction of a second, so the airbags must inflate with considerable force. While the system is designed to reduce serious injuries, it may also cause minor burns or abrasions and swellings. Parts of the airbag module (steering wheel hub, dashboard) may be hot for several minutes, but the airbags themselves will not be hot. The airbags are designed to inflate only once. 33