2005 Dodge Dakota Owner Manual - Page 50

50 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE Indicator Light and the Airbag Warning Light. Once the lodged object is removed, the fault will be automatically cleared after a short period of time. • The Driver and Passenger Airbag/Inflator Units are located in the center of the steering wheel and the right side of the instrument panel. When the ORC detects a collision requiring the airbags, it signals the inflator units. A large quantity of nontoxic gas is generated to inflate the front airbags. Different airbag inflation rates may be possible based on collision severity and occupant size. The steering wheel hub trim cover and the upper right side of the instrument panel separate and fold out of the way as the bags inflate to their full size. The bags fully inflate in about 50 - 70 milliseconds. This is about half of the time it takes to blink your eyes. The bags then quickly deflate while helping to restrain the driver and front passenger. The driver's front airbag gas is vented through vent holes in the sides of the airbag. The passenger's front airbag gas is vented through vent holes in the sides of the airbag. In this way the airbags do not interfere with your control of the vehicle. • The Occupant Classification Module (OCM) is located beneath the front passenger seat. The OCM classifies the occupant into categories based on the measurements made by the seat weight sensors. The OCM communicates with the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC). The ORC uses the occupant category to determine whether the front passenger airbag should be turned off. It also determines the rate of airbag inflation during a collision. • The Passenger Airbag Disabled (PAD) Indicator Light indicates to the driver and passenger when the airbag is turned OFF. In the presence of a properly seated occupant, when the PAD indicator light is illuminated, the airbag is OFF. Also, when the Occupant Classification System detects either an empty seat