1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Owner's Manual - Page 45

2 _ I vehicle@). Inflation determined by the angle of the impact and the is vehicle's deceleration, of which vehicle damage is onlyone indication. Repair cost is not agood indicator of whether an air should have bag deployed. What makes an airbag inflate? In a frontalor near-frontal impactof sufficient severity, sensors strategically located on the vehicle detect that the vehicle is suddenly stopping as a resultof a crash. These sensors complete an electrical circuit, triggering a chemical reaction the sodium azide sealed the of in inflator. The reaction produces nitrogen gas, whichinflates acloth bag. The inflator, cloth bag, and related hardwareare all part of the airbag inflator modules packed inside the steeringwheel and in the instrument panel in front of the passenger. How does an air bag restrain? In moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal collisions, even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel or theinstrument panel. The air bag supplements the protection provided by safety belts. Air bags distribute the force of the impactmore evenly over the occupant's upper body, stopping the occupant moregradually. But air bags would not provide protectionin manytypes of collisions, including rollovers and rear andside impacts, primarily because anoccupant's motion is not toward the air bag. Air bags should never be regarded anything more as than a supplement tosafety belt protection in moderate to severe frontal and near-frontalcollisions. What will you see after an airbag inflation? - _ - - so After the air bag has inflated, will then quickly deflate. This occurs it quickly that some people may not even realize that the air inflated. bag The air bag will not impede thedriver's visionor ability to steer the vehicle, nor will it hinder the occupants from exiting the vehicle. There will be small amounts of smoke coming from ventsin the deflated air bags. Some components the air bag module in the steering wheelhub of for the driver's air bag or the instrument panel for the passenger's bag may be hot for a short time, but portion of the bag that comes into the contact with you will not be hot thetouch. The nitrogen gas used to to inflate the 'airbag will have vented intothe passenger compartment, and the bagwill be deflatedwithin seconds after the collision. Nitrogen makes up about 80% of the air we breathe andis not hazardous.As the nitrogen 31