Airbag Solutions

There's Something In The Air

"I thought my car was on fire after my accident. My airbag went off with such a noise and the next thing I knew I was surrounded by smoke. I just knew I had to get out of there!"

Whenever an airbag deploys, the occupants are subjected to an array of chemicals and substances foreign to most people. New information regarding these combustibles is now available. We have learned of potentially harmful side effects as airbags continue to evolve.

(photo courtesy of National Science Foundation)

At Airbagsolutions.com, we keep you informed so you and your customers will have the most recent and practical data. We continually monitor and research new information from all the manufacturers as well as independent studies to stay on top of our field.

These are the results of the information available today regarding chemicals and dangers in airbags.

Before a Deployment
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This is the most dangerous time to handle an airbag! The air bag inflator cartridges contain an explosive chemical, sodium azide. This is the same chemical used in making solid rocket propellants.

(photo courtesy of www.swicofil.com)

If the airbag has not been deployed, this material can be dangerous to handle. It can explode, it can cause burns if it gets on unprotected skin, and it can severely irritate the lungs if inhaled. These units are sealed from the factory and should never be opened, or tampered with. They are a "replacement only" item.

Driver's Airbag w/ Inflator Seat Airbag w/ Inflator

The danger is amplified if sodium azide comes in contact with heavy metals in the car, such as lead and copper, because these may react to form a volatile explosive.

NaN₃ + H₂O ---> HN₃ + NaOH.

But most importantly, when sodium azide (NaNO₃) is mixed with water (sweat or tears) it forms hydrazoic acid (HN₃). This new chemical is highly toxic, becomes airborne easily and is potentially explosive. The other byproduct is Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and this is the one that hurts!!!

Here is a list of the medical information available regarding

Sodium Hydroxide

Potential Health Effects
----------------------------------
Inhalation:
Severe irritant. Effects from inhalation of dust or mist vary from mild irritation to serious damage of the upper respiratory tract, depending on severity of exposure. Symptoms may include sneezing, sore throat or runny nose. Severe pneumonitis may occur.
Ingestion:
Corrosive! Swallowing may cause severe burns of mouth, throat, and stomach. Severe scarring of tissue and death may result. Symptoms may include bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea, fall in blood pressure. Damage may appear days after exposure.
Skin Contact:
Corrosive! Contact with skin can cause irritation or severe burns and scarring with greater exposures.
Eye Contact:
Corrosive! Causes irritation of eyes, and with greater exposures it can cause burns that may result in permanent impairment of vision, even blindness.
Chronic Exposure:
Prolonged contact with dilute solutions or dust has a destructive effect upon tissue.
Aggravation of Pre-existing Conditions:
Persons with pre-existing skin disorders or eye problems or impaired respiratory function may be more susceptible to the effects of the substance.

(source..Material Safety Data Sheet )

During a Deployment
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Airbags use cornstarch or some other powder to help lubricate them. The powder floats around in a cloud for a few minutes after the airbag is deployed, and that looks like smoke. Although the airbag cloud is usually harmless and is not a fire or fire hazard, there have been reported cases of the airbag itself catching fire during a deployment. The smoky cloud may cause mild respiratory distress. If you have trouble breathing, you should step away from the cloud to get to fresh air.

There are also serious and physical dangers reported by hundreds of accident victims. Scrapes from the abrasive material and burns from the high heat during deployment are among the most common complaints and concerns.

After a Deployment
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After the air bags have been deployed, handling and disposing of the airbag is no longer dangerous, and you will not have to take special handling precautions, however latex gloves and breathing filters are both recommended by the manufacturers.

(photo courtesy of Stolen & Recovered)

If the vehicle is going to a salvage yard, laws in most states require the airbags to be manually deployed.

posted @ Monday, December 19, 2011 2:21 PM | Feedback (11)

Is Microsoft Entering the Automotive World?

With the acquisition of Canesta, Microsoft is now the holder of smart airbag and pothole avoidance technologies patents, putting them squarely in the automotive industry. So what are they going to do with these patents? Watch & see.

Kinect is Microsoft’s revolutionary new game console accessory that eliminates the need for a controller. This little black box (with the use of 2 simple wristbands) turns your body into the controller, so playing games becomes ultra-realistic. If you jump, your Avatar jumps. If you kick, your Avatar kicks. If you turn your invisible car wheel and slam on the make-believe brakes, your "joy ride" will respond accordingly. Kinect senses, interprets, and responds to your natural movements and hand gestures with its camera. With a simple hand wave, it will recognize the next person and then pull up their Avatar for multi-player fun.

So what does this have to do with airbag technology and your car? This same technology is what is used in the newly emerging collision avoidance and pothole avoidance systems. Using infrared cameras (sensors), these systems bounce light off an object and return it (like radar guns work) giving the computer in your car an image map of the surrounding environment. With this information, vehicles are now able to interpret the road conditions and/or a potential accident and respond accordingly.

With a simple game and the technology available at Microsoft, over 39 million Xbox users will be helping to advance this technology in the safety of their living rooms. Once these ‘test game’ systems have advanced, who’s to say that Microsoft will not be in the forefront of implementing this technology on the car in your garage?

posted @ Wednesday, November 03, 2010 12:28 AM | Feedback (5)

Airbag Recalls - July, August, September 2010

Nissan is recalling certain model year 2002 Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4 vehicles manufactured from August 24, 2001 through August 28, 2001. The air bag inflator contains propellant wafers that are required to properly deploy the front passenger air bag. Due to improper propellant wafer installation during the air bag inflator assembly process, some air bag inflators may be missing one of the wafers. As a result, the remaining wafers in the inflator used for the deployment of the front passenger air bag may, over time, break up into powder due to normal vibration experienced while driving. This causes the combustion rate of the propellant to increase inside the inflator, which can lead to internal pressure rising suddenly during air bag deployment. The inflator housing may rupture, causing an irregular deployment and some possibility of producing loose metal fragments, increasing a risk of injury to the front passenger. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag module assembly with a new one free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during August 2010. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261 and Infiniti at 1-800-662-6200.

Nissan is recalling model year 2008 Nissan Armada and Infiniti QX56 vehicles manufactured fromFebruary 7, 2007 through February 14, 2007. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, "Protection in Interior Impact." An out-of-specification a-pillar finisher might impede the correct inflation of the side curtain air bag near the upper portion of the b-pillar. Incorrect inflation of the side curtain air bag may increase the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant in the event of a crash requiring deployment of that air bag. Dealers will replace both right and left front pillar finishers free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or before August 16, 2010. Owners may contact Nissan at 1-800-647-7261.

Kustom Fit, a division of Villa Furniture MFG Co. Inc. is recalling certain driver and passenger seats, P/N 3429, sold and installed as original equipment for General Motors Chevrolet Class B vans. A support bracket retainer plate, P/N 16393, was not welded to the rear underside of the swivel top plate. The seats fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Nos. 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages." The seat may break in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant. Kustom Fit is working with General Motors to notify owners and the seats in the affected vehicles will be repaired free of charge. Repairs will be performed by authorized dealers. The manufacturer has not yet provided the agency with a notification schedule. Owners may contact Kustom Fit at 1-323-564-4481.

Honda is recalling certain model year 2010 Accord Crosstour vehicles. The front passenger airbag may not have been assembled according to correct specifications. In the event of a crash, the front passenger airbag may not deploy as intended and could place an unbelted child seated in the front passenger seat at greater risk of injury should the airbag deploy. Dealers will inspect and replace the passenger airbag module if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on September 20, 2010. Owners may contact Honda Automobile Customer Service at 1-800-999-1009.

posted @ Monday, October 11, 2010 1:33 AM | Feedback (2)

What's in the Black Box...and What's to Come?

The airbag diagnostic module (or control unit) does a lot more than monitor your safety restraint system. This electronic component has evolved from a series of inertia switches and triggers to an Event Data Recorder (EDR), similar to those found in airplanes. This unit, first of all, isn’t black. Second of all, this unit is fast becoming one of the most important pieces of equipment in a car today. With the ability to record events and circumstances, manufacturers, lawyers and governments are all vying for both control and accessibility to these units.
Although Diagnostic Control Units have been in vehicles since 1976, they have only been recording data since 1994. The amount of data they collect is currently determined by each manufacturer. EDRs record between 5 and 20 seconds of data both prior to and subsequent to a crash event. The information they collect includes data such as vehicle speed, throttle position, brake switch position, gas pedal position, tire pressure warning lamp mode, ignition switch logic, transmission selector position, service engine lamp mode, outside temperature, door status (all 4), cruise control mode, engine speed, antilock brake system mode, steering angle and yaw rate (if equipped). All of this information is used by law enforcement, accident recreation professionals, lawyers and engineers, each for their own purposes.

The most recent controversy has been the Toyota worldwide recall for “sudden acceleration”. Toyota is one of the companies that, in the past, has not allowed software to access their ACUs (Airbag Control Units). A recent article released by AP (Associated Press) indicated that there was only one laptop in the entire US that was capable of reading Toyota event data. The article indicated that the data belonged to Toyota and that Toyota either refused to provide key information, settled pending lawsuits or provided printouts with the key columns blank when forced to provide access or event data. Subsequent to the media frenzy over the sudden acceleration incidents and recall, Toyota issued a press release addressing these concerns and provided both NHTSA as well as Transport Canada. Over 150 laptops capable of reading these vehicles have been released to other authorities.

But it’s not just Toyota that has issues with the ‘black box”. Ford has a unique issue discovered during the capture of data during an investigation. Some 2005 and later Ford vehicles have an additional event data recorder in the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). If airbags or seat belt pretensioners deployed, these vehicles are designed to store vehicle speed, brake on/off, ABS on/off, accelerator pedal position, and other parameters for 20 seconds before the crash and 5 seconds after the crash at 0.2 seconds intervals. But the problem Ford is experiencing is related to the data locking signal which is supposed to set after a crash with an airbag deployment. Electrical shorts caused by a crash or complete power loss in the vehicle can prevent this signal from being sent. As these recorders are designed to ‘continuously overwrite themselves’ the crash data may be lost if the key is not shut off within 25 seconds of a crash event.

There are documented instances where there was a severe crash, vehicle power was lost, but a well meaning investigator restored power to check other functions in the vehicle. In doing so, they unintentionally overwrote the event data and spoiled the only evidence available detailing the crash event timing and data.

Currently, the following manufacturers have event data recorders in the ACUs (this list may already be incomplete at of the time of this publishing).

Dodge
Chrysler
Jeep
Ford
Lincoln
Mercury

Buick
Cadillac
Chevrolet
Geo
Oldsmobile
Pontiac

Saturn
GMC
Hummer
Saab
Holden
Sterling
Mitsubishi

Isuzu
Suzuki
Toyota
Lexus
Scion

What the Future Holds

New legislation by the US government has mandated that all vehicles produced by 2012 must include an event data recorder. As most of us do not actually read the laws pending in our government, here is some of the legislation that they have voted on and passed.

The Secretary shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding requiring that the event data recorders required to be installed in passenger vehicles…-
(1) be temperature, water, crash, and tamper resistant; and
(2) continuously record vehicle operational data that can be accessed for retrieval and analysis

Specifications- The rule--
(1) shall require such recorders to record, for a reasonable time before, during, and after a crash or airbag deployment, information that includes engine performance, steering, braking, acceleration, vehicle speed, seat belt use, and airbag deployment level, deactivation status, deployment time, and deployment stage, and may require such recorders to record other data, such as data related to vehicle rollovers, as the Secretary considers appropriate;
(2) shall require such recorders to record data for at least 60 seconds prior to, and 15 seconds after, a crash or airbag deployment;
(3) may require such recorders to capture certain events such as rapid deceleration, full-throttle acceleration lasting more than 15 seconds, and full braking lasting more than 10 seconds, even if there is not a crash or airbag deployment;
(4) may not require information recorded or transmitted by such data recorders to include the vehicle’s location;
(5) shall require that data stored on such recorders be accessible, regardless of vehicle manufacturer or model, with commercially available equipment; and
(6) shall specify data format requirements and other requirements, and shall require an interoperable data access port to facilitate universal accessibility and analysis.

The upside to this is that all of us will have proof positive of the events that led up to and after a crash event. Certain aspects of liability will be determined more easily and driver error will quickly be assessed.
The downside of this is these new units are estimated to cost between two and three times more than the current diagnostic units. This will once again raise the cost of our vehicles substantially, increase insurance costs and increase the rate of total losses from vehicle damages.

posted @ Sunday, June 20, 2010 11:52 PM | Feedback (9)

Airbag Recalls - December 2009, January 2010, February 2010

Jaguar Land Rover is recalling certain model year 2010 Range Rover vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." These vehicles equipped with occupant classification system (OCS) may experience airbag warning lamp illumination on the instrument cluster. The passenger airbag will be disabled when the airbag warning lamp is illuminated as a result of this defect and the passenger airbag warning disable (PAWD) lamp in the overhead console will also illuminate. Deployment of the passenger airbag may not be achieved in the event of a vehicle crash increasing the risk of injury. Dealer will update the vehicle's restraints control module (RCM) with the integrated diagnostics system (IDS) tool with software from DVD 118.5 patch 16 or later. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on December 21, 2009. Owners may contact Jaguar Land Rover at 1-800-452-4827.

Volkswagen is recalling certain model year 2009 Q5 passenger vehicles manufactured between

November 25, 2008 and June 4, 2009. A left and/or right a-pillar trim cover clip may not have been manufactured correctly, allowing the a-pillar trim to become loose when the sideguard head protection airbags deploy during a crash. If this happens, a loose trim piece could injure the front seat occupants of the vehicle. Volkswagen will inspect the clip in the middle of the left and right a-pillar covers and replace it free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during January 2010. Owners may contact Audi at 1-800-253-2834. VW's campaign number is 70D4/J6.

Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2009 Azera vehicles manufactured from September 27, 2005, through October 1, 2008. The wiring harness for the right front seat belt tension sensor may sustain damage after repeated use of the seat belt. If the seat belt tension sensor wiring becomes damaged the air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash necessitating front air bag deployment. The seat occupant is at an increased risk of injury should the air bag not deploy as intended. Hyundai will notify owners and repair the vehicles free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during February 2010. Owners may contact Hyundai customer assistance center at 1-800-633-5151. Hyundai's recall campaign number is 094.

Winnebago is recalling certain model year 2010 View and Itasca Navion motor homes for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 207, "Seating Systems," and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 210, "Seat Belt Assembly." The seats are missing a reinforcing plate. This does not meet the requirements of the standard. Dealers will remove the swivel and install a new design of swivel that does not require a reinforcing plate in order to meet the standard. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during January 2010. Owners may contact Winnebago at 1-800-537-1885.

Honda is recalling certain model year Acura 2010 MDX vehicles manufactured between October 7, 2009 and November 14, 2009. A bolt used to attach an interior trim piece to either the driver's or passenger's side a-pillar may not have been installed during manufacturing. In the event of a crash resulting in side curtain air bag deployment, the trim piece may not remain properly secured to the a-pillar, increasing the risk of injury to the driver and/or front seat passenger. Dealers will inspect the interior trim piece of the A-pillar and if a bolt is missing it will be installed free of charge. Four vehicles were purchased before the stop-sale was issued and all the vehicles have been inspected and repaired if necessary, an owner notification will not be issued for this campaign.

Hyundai de Puerto Rico is recalling certain model year 2006 through 2009 Azera vehicles manufactured from September 27, 2005, through October 1, 2008. The wiring harness for the right front seat belt tension sensor may sustain damage after repeated use of the seat belt. If the seat belt tension sensor wiring becomes damaged the air bag will not deploy in the event of a crash necessitating front air bag deployment. The seat occupant is at an increased risk of injury should the air bag not deploy as intended. Hyundai will inspect and replace the right front seat belt and install a new seat belt tension sensor wiring harness clip, if necessary, and reroute the right front seat belt tension sensor wiring and secure the wiring with a new harness. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during February 2010. Owners may contact Hyundai de Puerto Rico 1-787-999-3333.

Honda is recalling certain model year 2001-2002 Honda Accord and Civic, model year 2002 CR-V and Odyssey, model year 2002-2003 3.2TL and one vehicle for model year 2003 Honda Pilot, Civic and Acura 3.2CL passenger vehicles. The driver's airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure. If an affected airbag deploys, the increased internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture. Metal fragments could pass through the airbag cushion material possibly causing injury or fatality to vehicle occupants. Dealers will replace the airbag inflator free of charge. The safety recall began on February 26, 2010. Owners may contact Honda Automobile Customer Service at 1-800-999-1009.

Hyundai is recalling certain model year 2010 Tucson vehicles. Properly seated adult right front seat passengers weighing over approximately 240 pounds cause the passive occupant detection system (PODS) module program to illuminate the "air bag" warning lamp. If "air bag" warning lamp is illuminated, the passenger air bag will deploy if a crash of sufficient force to require front air bag deployment is experienced, and will not be deactivated if a child is seated in the right front seating position, which may increase the risk of injury to a child front passenger. Dealers will reprogram the pods module free of charge. Hyundai anticipates owners will be notified by telephone and/or by mail during March 2010. Owners may contact Hyundai Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-633-5151.

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2004 SAAB 9-3 sedans. Some of these vehicles were produced with front seat belt retractors that, over time, could fail to retract. Using a seat belt that has not retracted, and in the event of a crash, a seat occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of personal injury. Dealers will replace the driver side retractor free of charge. If the front passenger retractor were to fail to retract, GM will replace the front passenger retractor free of charge under a special coverage that will be released for the same population for 10 years from new vehicle date of sale. The safety recall is expected to begin during March 2010. Owners may contact SAAB at 1-800-620-7668 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

Spartan is recalling certain model year 2003 through 2009 Gladiator fire apparatus chassis cabs

manufactured between February 27, 2003 and November 17, 2009. Certain seat belt anchorages fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages." The seat belt may separate from the cab during a vehicle crash and fail to properly restrain the occupant. This may result in personal injury to the seat occupant. The manufacturer has not yet provided a remedy plan or a notification schedule. Owners may contact Spartan Chassis at 1-800-543-4277 - Option 1.

posted @ Tuesday, April 27, 2010 9:19 AM | Feedback (13)

Airbag Recalls - September / October / November 2009

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) is recalling certain model year 2010 Endeavor model vehicles manufactured between May 26 and July 28, 2009. The retainer bracket used for the seatmounted side airbag frames on both the driver and front passenger seats may not have been properly welded. If this condition exists, the front seat-mounted airbags may not deploy correctly in a side impact crash, possibly resulting in injury to the seat occupant. MMNA will notify owners and dealers will inspect the weld condition of the side airbag retainer bracket on the front passenger seats. If the weld is insufficient, the dealer will replace the seatback assembly free of charge. The safety recall began on September 30, 2009. Owners may contact Mitsubishi Customer Relations Department at 1-888-648-7820. Mitsubishi's recall campaign number is SR-09-003.

Daimler Trucks is recalling certain model year 2008 through 2009 trucks equipped with Indiana Mills and manufacturing rolltek side-roll protection systems. The sensor designed to detect vehicle roll can malfunction and cause the side airbags to inadvertently deploy. Inadvertent deployment of the sideairbags could result in a vehicle crash or injury to an out of position occupant. Daimler Trucks willinspect to determine if a vehicle contains an affected system and, if so, that system will be replaced freeof charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before November 20, 2009. Owners may contact Daimler Trucks at 1-800-547-0712.

Mitsubishi is recalling model year 2008-2009 Lancer and Lancer Evolution vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and District Of Columbia. In areas where heavy road salt is used in the winter, a long term exposure to a mixture of melted snow with salt thrown up by the other vehicles on the road may cause a water-salt mixture to adhere to the front impact sensors. This coating over time may cause corrosion or the sensor. In the event of a vehicle crash of the type that would deploy the airbags this type of short-circuit may cause a delay in the deployment of the airbags which could result in driver or passenger injury. Dealers will install new front airbag sensors that have improved corrosion resistance. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on November 27, 2009. Owners may contact Mitsubishi Customer Relations Department at 1-888-648-7820.

Chrysler is recalling certain Model Year 2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee passenger vehicles manufactured from October 22 through November 12, 2009. The passenger side airbag may not properly deploy through the instrument panel tear seam. The airbag may not properly protect the passenger in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Dealers will replace the top cover of the instrument panel free of charge. The campaign is expected to begin in December 2009. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's campaign number is J33.

Volvo is recalling model year 2010 XC60 vehicles. The driver's seat side cover panel (seat control panel) in certain driver's side impacts may release the attachment of the seatbelt to the seat frame. Should this condition occur in a crash the seatbelt may fail to properly restrain the occupant increasing the risk of injury. Dealers will modify the inside of the driver's seat side cover panel free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before December 15, 2009. Owners may contact Volvo at 1-800-458-1552.

posted @ Tuesday, December 29, 2009 1:21 AM | Feedback (3)

Airbag Myths & Facts

I need to wear my seat belt in order for the airbag to work.
False.
Although many vehicles combine the seat belt pretensioner deployment with an airbag deployment, the use of the seat belt does not determine whether the airbag will deploy or not. Airbag deployment is determined by a series of sensors in the vehicle that measure deceleration, and impact data during a crash. Airbags are a "supplemental restraint". Airbags are meant to assist the seat belt in protecting the occupants of a vehicle, but will operate independent of them. Every carmaker strongly recommends that seat belts be worn at all times, as they are the primary defense against personal injury during a crash. Many states now require the use of seatbelts..."It's the law!"

The "5 STAR Rating" on my car means I'm safe.
Partially True.

It only means you're 'safer' on a relative scale. The US government has set up a standard of guidelines to measure the effectiveness of safety systems. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducts independent tests on many vehicles produced and rates these vehicles according to these government guidelines. For frontal crash ratings, vehicles are crashed into a fixed barrier at 35 miles per hour. Here are the details of what these stars actually mean:


Cars today are required to have side airbags, curtain airbags or both.
False.
Each vehicle manufacturer offers side impact protection according to the design of that vehicle; some as standard equipment and some as options. With all of the recent news about rental car fleet vehicles being sold without side airbags, many people are questioning the integrity and honesty of both the carmakers and the companies selling these cars. As of 2009, side airbags were not required on any vehicle although a high percentage of the vehicles produced that year did have them as standard equipment. It is (and was) legal to sell a vehicle without a side airbag as long as it is represented as such.

Hitting the the body or frame of the car with a hammer will cause the airbag to deploy.
Partially True!

Although certain crash criteria must be met in order for a deployment to occur, there have been instances where simply working on the car has caused the airbag to deploy. The most common accidental deployment is a side impact activating the side airbag. These sensors, mounted near the center pillar or floor edge, are much more sensitive and may cause an accidental deployment by striking the area near them with a hammer or in some cases even slamming the door too hard. There are also records of Emergency Responders accidentally deploying an airbag with the 'Jaws of Life' or by inadvertently cutting through a roof curtain airbag canister. ALWAYS disconnect and power down the system before doing any heavy work on the vehicle.

The airbags will work even if the little airbag light is on.
False.

1. never illuminate
2. will remain illuminated
3. flash continuously.

In those cases, there is a fault in the system and the airbags will NOT DEPLOY.

The smoke in the car after an airbag goes off is toxic or dangerous.
False.
The smoke seen after an airbag deploys is a combination of both the exhausted nitrogen gas (harmless) from the explosion and the powder used to keep the bag lubricated and free from sticking to itself. Although there have been isolated cases of the airbag actually catching fire from the heat of the explosion, the most common complaint is of mild respiratory distress from breathing the combination of the corn starch based powder and exhausted gases. The best advice is to exit the vehicle as quickly as possible following a deployment.

The "BLACK BOX" in my car has all the crash data, like an airplane.
Partially True.
All vehicles with an airbag have a so called 'black box'. This refers to the airbag control unit and none of them are actually black. These control units are called many things; SDM (Sensing & Diagnostic Module), RCM (Restraints Control Module), Diagnostic Monitor, SRSCM (Supplemental Restraint System Control Unit), and ORC (Occupant Restraint Controller) among other things. Currently, all control units constantly measure speed, impact, deceleration, system readiness and other vehicle functions, but only about 60% of the car makers implement "Event Data Recorders" (EDR) into these units and store this data following a crash. As of the date of this article, the only vehicles that store event and non-event crash data are:
Generally speaking, crash data retrieval on these vehicles is available from model year 1997 to present day with some coverage going back to 1994. According to our research, car manufacturers will be required to include EDR on all vehicles produced after September 1, 2012.

Unplugging the battery will clear the light & codes.
False
When airbags first became mandatory (about 1992), most vehicles had a control unit that was less advanced than those seen on cars today. There were actually some models that did support that method, but since about the mid 90's, this is not the case. There is no vehicle produced today that will reset the light by disconnecting the battery. Currently there are three methods, depending upon the design, to accomplish resetting the light:
1. The system will reset itself once the fault is corrected
2. The system requires a new control unit be replaced and comes reset
3. The system requires a scan tool to access, configure, program or reset the light

One scanner will work for all cars.
False
There are currently about 30-40 car manufacturers producing vehicles for the US. Some of these cars use the same software and can be read by the same scan tool, but for the most part that statement is not true. With the changes every year in airbag systems, and the methods for resetting and reading these vehicles, there is no single scan tool that will read all of them. In addition, those that do read multiple vehicle lines require upgrades each year.

Every car has front sensors behind the bumper.
False
Once again, when airbags were first introduced to the US, most vehicles had multiple remote sensors located in the front of the vehicle. That has all changed over the years. Some manufacturers do not use front sensors at all. Some use them but mount them on the frame rail while others mount them in multiple places on the radiator core support. Others mount them under or behind the lower frame cross member. The use and location of front sensors is not uniform and is determined by each manufacturer.

When the airbag light is on, the clockspring is bad.
False.

When the light is on, the system needs to be diagnosed to determine the exact cause of the problem. Although the clockspring is a common component that fails, it is not always the cause of an airbag light illumination. Any component deployment, wiring malfunction, poor connection or damaged part can cause the light to illuminate. With the implementation of seat weight sensing systems, even a mis-calibration of that seat sensor will cause the light to come on.

posted @ Saturday, October 24, 2009 4:37 AM | Feedback (48)

Airbag Recalls - June /July /August 2009

Honda is recalling 440,000 Model Year 2001 and 2002 Civic, Accord, and Acura vehicles. The driver's airbag
inflator could produce excessive internal pressure. If an affected airbag deploys, the increased internal pressure
may cause the inflator to rupture. Metal fragments could pass through the air bag cushion material possibly
causing injury to vehicle occupants. Dealers will replace the airbag inflator free of charge. Dealers will replace
the airbag inflator free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during August 2009. Honda's recall
campaign Nos. Q96 (Accord and Civic) and R13 (Acura). Owners may contact Honda Automobile Customer
Service at 1-800-999-1009.

Land Rover is recalling 40 Model Year 2009 Range Rover vehicles. During the installation process it was
identified that primer, applied by an automated glazing robot, was not being dispensed onto the glass. This
omission can lead to the chemical bonding between the primer and the polyurethane adhesive not being activated
and therefore the windshield not chemically bonded to the vehicle. Where the windshield is not chemically
bonded, water could enter the vehicle and/or there may be increased wind noise. Full windshield retention may
not be achieved in the event of an airbag deployment or during a vehicle crash. This increases the risk of injury in
the event of a crash. Dealers will inspect the rear tailgate glass for the presence of primer and will prime the
windshield glass as needed and free of charge. The recall began on July 17, 2009. Owners may contact Land
09V-257
09V-258
09V-259
09V-260
SAFETY DEFECT/NONCOMPLIANCE NOTICES
RECEIVED DURING JULY 2009
Published August 4, 2009
Page 7 of 18
Rover at 1-800-637-6837

Volkswagen is recalling 18,500 MY 2009 Routan vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." The owner's manual was printed
without the FMVSS No. 208 required information explaining that no objects should be placed over the or near
the air bag on the instrument panel. Any such objects could cause injury to the vehicle's occupants in the event of
a crash severe enough to cause the air bag to inflate. Dealers will send an owner's manual insert containing the
required air bag information for owner installation or dealers will install in the event the owner prefers assistance
from the dealer. The recall began on July 31, 2009. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.

BMW is recalling 2,350 MY 2008 1-Series and 3- Series passenger cars. Incorrect crimp connectors may
have been used on the side air bag and belt tensioner wiring. As a result sufficient contact between the crimp
connectors and the corresponding plug may not occur which could lead to an increase in the electrical resistance
of that connection. The side air bag and/or the safety belt tensioner may not deploy in a crash and an occupant
may not be properly protected, increasing the risk of injuries or death. BMW will notify owners and repair the
vehicles free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during August 2009. Owners may contact BMW
Customer Relations and Services toll-free at 1-800-525-7417.

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2010 Corolla vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." The air bag label installed on
the driver side sun visor can separate from the surface of the visor. This does not meet the standard
requirements. Dealers will inspect the label and exchange the driver's side sun visor free of charge. The recall is
expected to begin on or before October 15, 2009. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

posted @ Monday, September 21, 2009 12:19 AM | Feedback (3)

Airbag Recalls - February / March / April / May 2009

Volkswagen is recalling approximately 5,000 MY 2009 CC vehicles. Some affected vehicles may have an incorrectly routed right front passenger seat belt buckle wiring harness, creating the potential for wires to become damaged when the seat is moved fully up or down or back and forth. If this wiring damage occurs, the airbag control module will switch to a fallback algorithm and deactivate the passenger's frontal air bag. In the event of a crash, the passenger's frontal airbag will not deploy and will not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries. Dealers will inspect and adjust the routing of the right front passenger seat belt wiring harness. If a damaged wiring harness is found, the harness will be replaced free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before April 24, 2009. Owners may contact Volkswagen at 1-800-822-8987.

Chrysler is recalling 4,336 MY 2009 Dodge Journey, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Commander and Wrangler vehicles. Wiring may be reversed on the steering column control module driver airbag squib connector. The driver's airbag may not deploy as intended. In the event of a crash, the driver's airbag may not properly inflate and may not be able to properly protect an occupant, increasing the risk of injuries. Dealers will inspect the driver's airbag squib wires and replace the steering column control module free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during May 2009. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403.

posted @ Saturday, June 27, 2009 12:37 PM | Feedback (4)