Impact Sensor: Description and Operation

DESCRIPTION
The Driver and Passenger Airbag System is a supplemental safety device designed to help protect the driver and passenger from serious injury, caused by a frontal impact of the vehicle. The two front impact sensors provide verification of the direction and severity of the impact. The sensors are mounted on the headlamp carrier surface on the left and right side of the vehicle under the hood.

OPERATION
The impact sensors are threshold sensitive switches that complete an electrical circuit when an impact provides a sufficient acceleration to close the switch. The sensors are calibrated for the specific vehicle and react to the severity and direction of the impact.
- Threshold sensitive switches that complete an electrical circuit when an impact of sufficient G force closes the switch.
- Calibrated for a specific vehicle, and are therefore not interchangeable.

CIRCUIT OPERATION
The airbag impact sensors provide input to the Airbag Control Module (ACM). Each sensor has two circuits that connect to the ACM.

From the left impact sensor, Circuit R47 and R49 connect to the ACM.

From the right impact sensor, Circuit R46 and R48.connect to the ACM.