Air Bag: Description and Operation

The driver air bag module consists of a bag cover, air bag, retainer ring, retainer housing and inflator.

The passenger air bag module consists of a deployment door, air bag assembly, inflator and retainer housing. Because of size difference, the passenger air bag module incorporates a larger, tubular shaped inflator.

The driver air bag cover is made of TPE (Thermos Plastic Elastomer), and it splits along a tear seam in the event of a collision. The air bag itself is made of Nylon 66, and the face contact surface is coated with silicone. A vent hole is provided at back side of air bag to deflate air bag immediately after inflation so that it does not interfere with the drivers vision. The inflator produces nitrogen gas by igniting solid propellant pellets inside inflator. The ignitor is triggered by an electrical current and the ignitors ignition intensifier, which in turn ignites propellant pellets causing the air bag to deploy. A heat sink and filter within the unit cools and filters nitrogen gas as it enters air bag.


The Air Bag electrical connector has a shorting bar which will short across Air Bag assembly circuits when the Air Bag connector is disconnected. The Air Bag circuit is automatically shorted by the shorting bar in this way to help prevent unwanted deployment of the Air Bag when servicing the instrument panel, Air Bags or other SRS components.