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The side airbags are located in t he sides of the
front seat backrests
c:!;>fig. 157 and the rear back-
rest facing the doors . They are identified by the
word "AIRBAG".
The side airbags installed for the front seating
positions have been designed and certified to
help reduce the risk of injury that can be caused
by airbags when they inflate, particularly when
the occupant sitt ing next to it is not seated prop-
erly. The side airbag for the front passenger seat
can be used with properly installed child re-
stra ints. Please be sure to read the important in-
formation and warnings whenever using a child
rest raint in a vehicle: Safety belts
¢page 134,
Airbag system <:!;>page 142, Child safety
¢page 166.
The side airbag system basically consist s of :
- the electron ic control module and externa l side
impact sensors
- the two airbags located in the sides of the front
backrests and the two airbags* located in the
rear backrest
- the airbag warning light in the instrument clus-
ter .
The airbag system is monitored electronically to
make certain that it is functioning properly at all
times . Each time you switch on the ignition, the
airbag system indicator light will come on for a
few seconds (self diagnostics).
The side airbag system supp lements the safety
belts and can help to reduce the risk of inj ury to
the driver's, front and rear passenger's upper tor-
so on the side of the vehicle t hat is struck in a
side collision. The airbag dep loys only in side im-
pacts and only when the vehicle accelerat ion reg -
istered by the contro l unit is high enough. If this
rate is below the reference value programmed in-
to the control unit, the side airbags will not be
tr iggered, even though the car may be bad ly
damaged as a result of the collision. It is not pos-
sible to define an airbag tr igger ing range that
will cover every possib le ang le of impact, since
the circumsta nces will vary considerably between
one collision and another. Important facto rs in-
clude, for example, t he natu re (hard or soft) of
the impact ing object, t he angle of impact, vehicle
Airbag sys t e m
speed, etc. ¢ page 162, Important safety in -
structions on the side airbag system .
Aside from the ir normal safety funct ion, safety
belts work to help keep the driver or front pas -
senger in position in the event of a side collision
so that the side airbags can provide protection .
The airbag system is
not a substitute for your
safety belt. Rather, it is part of the overall occu-
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re-
member that the side airbag system can only
help to protect you if you are wear ing your safety
belt and wear ing it properly. This is another rea-
son why you should always wear your safety
belts, not just because the law requires you to do
soc:!;> page 134, General information .
It is important to remember that while the sup-
plementa l side airbag system is designed to re-
duce the likelihood of ser ious injuries, other inju -
ries, for example, swelling, bru ising, friction
burns and minor abras ions can also be assoc iated
with deployed side airbags. Remember too, side
airbags will deploy only once and only in certa in
kinds of accidents - your safety belts are always
the re to offer protection .
Vehicle damage, repair costs or even the lack of
vehicle damage are not necessar ily an indication
of over-sens it ive or failed airbag activation. In
some collisions, both front and side airbags may
inflate. Remember too, that airbags will dep loy
only once and only in certain kinds of collisions -
your safety belts are always there to offer protec-
t ion in those accidents in which airbags are not
supposed to deploy or when they have already
deployed .
The side airbag system will not deploy :
- when the ignition is switched off
- in side collisions when the acceleration meas -
ured by the sensor is too low
- in front -end collisions
- in rea r-end collisions
- in rollovers.
In some types of accidents the front airbags, side
curtain airbags and side airbags may be tr iggered
togethe r. ..,
161
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