1998 Oldsmobile Silhouette Owner's Manual - Page 55

into a wall that doesn't move or deform, the threshold level is about9 to 15 mph (14 to 24 km/h). The threshold levelcan vary, however, with specific vehicle design, so that it can be somewhat above orbelow this range. If your vehicle strikessomething that will move or deform, such as aparked car, the threshold level will be higher. The driver'sand right frontpassenger's frontal airbags are not designed to inflatein rollovers, side impacts, or rear impacts, because inflation would not help the occupant. The driver's and right front passenger's side impact air bags are designed to inflate in moderate to severe side crashes involving a front door. A side impact air bag will inflate if the crash severity is above the system's designed "threshold level." The threshold level can vary with specific vehicle design. Side impact air bags are not designed to inflate in frontal near-frontal impacts, or rollovers or rear impacts, because inflation would not help the occupant.A side impact air bag will only deploy on the side of the vehicle that is struck. In any particular crash,no one can say whether an air bag should have inflated simply because of the damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs were. For frontal air bags,inflation is determined by the angle of the impact and how quickly the vehicle slows down in frontal and near-frontal impacts. For side impact air bags, inflation is determined by the location of the impact and how quickly the side of the vehicle deforms. What makes an air bag inflate? In an impact of sufficient severity, the air bag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. For both frontal and side impact air bags, the sensing system triggers a releaseof gas from the inflator, which inflates the air bag. The inflator, air bag and related hardware are all part of the air bag modules inside the steering wheel, instrument panel and the side of the front seatbacks closest to the door. 1-43