1998 Chevrolet Astro Owner's Manual - Page 43

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 If something is between an occupant and an air air bag is not designed to inflate in rollovers, side bag, the bag might not inflate properly it or impacts or rear impacts, because inflation would not might force the object into that person. The path help the occupant. of an inflating air bag must be kept Don't clear. In any particular crash, no one cansay whether an air put anything between occupant and an air an bag should have inflated simply because of the damage bag, and don't attach or put anything on the to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. steering wheel hub or on or near any other air Inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and bag covering. And don't hang anything from the how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal or near-frontal impacts. assist handleon the passenger's sideof the instrument panel. What makes an air bag inflate? When should an air bag inflate? An air bag is designed to inflate in a moderate to severe frontal or near-frontal crash. The air bag will inflate only if the impact speedis above the system's designed "threshold level." If your vehicle goes straight into a wall that doesn't move or deform, the threshold level is about 1 1 to 16 mph (18 to 26 km/h). The threshold level In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is ina crash. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related hardware are all part of theair bag modules inside the steering wheel and in theinstrument panel in front of the right front passenger. 1-29