1993 Buick Century Owner's Manual - Page 39

Q Where is the air bag? : A: The driver's air bag is in the middleof the steering wheel. Q When is an air bag expected to inflate? : A: The air bag is designed to inflate in moderate to severe frontalor near-frontal crashes. The air bag will only inflate if the velocity of the impact is above the designed threshold level. When impacting straight into a wall that does not or deform, move A: the threshold level for most vehicles is between GM 9 and 14 mph (14 and 23 km/h). However, this velocity threshold depends on the vehicle design and may be several miles-per-hour faster slower. In or addition, this threshold velocity will be considerably higher if the vehicle strikes an object such as a parked car which will move and deform on impact. The air bag is also not designed to inflate in rollovers, side impacts, or rear impacts where the inflation would provideno occupant protection benefit. In any particular crash, the determination whether of the air bag should have inflated cannot be based solely on the level damage on the vehicle(s). of Inflation is determined the angle of the impact by and the vehicle's deceleration, of which vehicle damage is only one indication. Repair cost is not a good indicator of whether an air bag should have deployed. In a frontal impact sufficient severity, sensors of strategically located on the vehicle detect that the vehicle is suddenly stopping as a resulta crash. of These sensors complete an electrical circuit, triggering a chemical reaction the sodium azide of sealed in the inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen gas, which inflates the cloth bag. The inflator, cloth bag, and related hardware all part of the air bag are inflator module packed inside the steering wheel. Q What makes anair bag inflate? : 37