Air Bag Control Module: Description and Operation

Airbag Control Module (ACM) Location:

The Airbag Control Module (ACM) contains the impact sensor and energy reserve capacitor. The impact sensor acts as a threshold sensitive switch that completes a circuit when an impact provides sufficient deceleration. The sensor is calibrated for the specific vehicle and reacts to the severity and direction of the impact.

The ACM monitors the system to determine the system readiness. The ACM stores sufficient energy to deploy the airbags for approximately two minutes after the battery is disconnected. The ACM contains on-board diagnostics, and illuminates the AIRBAG warning lamp in the cluster when a diagnostic trouble code occurs. The warning equipment is tested for a few seconds every time the vehicle is started.