Description & Operation

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

WARNING: Accidental air bag deployment is possible. Personal injury may result. Read and follow all WARNINGS and AIR BAG SAFETY PRECAUTIONS before working on air bag system or related components.

Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) system is designed to supplement protection provided by driver-side and passenger-side seat belts. A frontal impact of sufficient force up to 30 degrees off center line of vehicle will deploy driver-side and passenger-side air bags modules. Steering column and knee bolsters below instrument panel also absorb impact energy.

Driver-side and passenger-side air bag modules may deploy in one of two ways. Stage 1 will deploy during moderate frontal collisions. More severe frontal collisions will result in a full stage deployment, where both Stage 1 and Stage 2 sections of air bag module are deployed.

Side impact air bag system supplements protection offered by driver-side and front passenger-side doors and vehicle structure. When a side impact of sufficient force occurs, SDM deploys side impact air bag module on side of impact. Side impact air bag modules are single-stage.

SIR system consists of Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM), driver-side and passenger-side dual-stage air bag modules, left and right side impact air bag modules, driver-side and passenger-side Side Impact Sensors (SIS), SIR coil assembly, front end discriminating sensor, also known as an Electronic Frontal Sensor (EFS) and an AIR BAG warning light. SDM maintains a 23 Volt Loop Reserve (23 VLR) energy supply to provide deployment energy for up to one minute after loss of ignition voltage.