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Supplemental restraint system (SRS)
Airbags are intended as a supplement to seat belts.
Airbags alone cannot protect as well as airbags plus seat belts in impacts for which the airbags were designed to operate, and do not afford any protection whatsoever in crashes for which the airbags are not designed to deploy.
The SRS uses two crash severity levels (thresholds) to activate either the emergency tensioning retractor (ETR) or front airbag or both. Activation depends on the direction and severity of the impact exceeding the preset thresholds and whether the seat belt is fastened.
Seat belt fastened
• first threshold exceeded:
ETR activates
• second threshold exceeded: airbag also activates
Seat belt not fastened
• first threshold exceeded: airbag activates, but not ETR
Driver and passenger systems operate independently of each other.
Emergency tensioning retractor (ETR)
The seat belts are equipped with emergency tensioning retractors. These tensioning retractors are located in each belt’s inertia reel and become operationally ready with the key in steering lock position 1 or 2.
The emergency tensioning retractors are designed to activate only when the seat belts are fastened during frontal and front-angled impacts and rear impacts exceeding the first threshold of the SRS and in rear impacts exceeding a preset severity level. They remove slack from the belts in such a way that the seat belts fit more snugly against the body restricting its forward movement as much as possible.
In cases of other frontal impacts, rollovers, certain side impacts, rear collisions or other accidents without sufficient frontal or rear impact forces, the emergency tensioning retractors will not be activated. The driver and passenger will then be protected by the fastened seat belts and inertia reel in the usual manner.
For seat belt and emergency tensioning retractor safety guidelines see page 67.
Restraint systems
Instruments and controls
Operation Driving
59
Instrument cluster display
Practical hints Car care
Technical data
Index
Instruments and controls
Operation
Restraint systems
Airbags
Driving
Instrument cluster display
Practical hints
60
Car care
Technical data
1 Driver airbag
2 Passenger front airbag
3 Side impact airbags
The most effective occupant restraint system yet developed for use in production vehicles is the seat belt.
In some cases, however, the protective effect of a seat belt can be further enhanced by an airbag.
In conjunction with wearing the seat belts, the driver and passenger airbags can provide increased protection for the driver and passenger in certain frontal impacts exceeding preset thresholds. Door mounted side impact airbags can provide increased protection to belted occupants on the impacted side of the vehicle in side impacts exceeding its preset thresholds.
The operational readiness of the airbag system is verified by the indicator lamp "SRS" in the instrument cluster when turning the key in steering lock to position 2. If no fault is detected, the lamp will go out after approximately 4 seconds: after the lamp goes out, the system continues to monitor the components and circuitry of the airbag system and will indicate a malfunction by coming on again. If the lamp does not
Index
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