184002797 - E7030 AIR BAG - DESCRIPTION
Description
The vehicle is equipped with an electronic control system that governs the acivation of specific containment devices in the event of frontal or side impact.The front protection system includes dual stage activation dual front Air Bags (driver and passenger), front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters, an additional impact detection sensor and a manual passenger Air Bag disabling switch.The side protection system comprises two Head Bags, housed in the side members under the roof and, available as an optional extra, two Side Bags in the front seats.The front protection system features new Air Bag Smart 2 activation software that automatically adapts activation parameters according to impact severity.Driver and passenger front airbags feature two-stage activation: when the severity of the impact is medium, the electronic control unit only operates the first activation stage for the Air Bags avoiding the use of unnecessary energy for the protection of the occupant.Conversely, in the case of very severe impacts, the control unit activates both stages to absorb most of the kinetic energy from the occupant''s body before it strikes the steering wheel or dashboard.A supplementary ECS “Early Crash Sensor” near the bonnet lock also helps the electronic control unit to operate more quickly than a conventional system so that the Air Bag activation stage is comleted before the occupant''s body begins to move towards the steering wheel or dashboard. This sensor also detects underbody impacts or stresses which do not activate the Air Bags as there is no risk to the occupants.The control unit is located under the centre console and is securely fastened to the bodyshell: in this way the deceleration sensors located inside the unit are near the centre of gravity and detect the deceleration for the entire vehicle accurately.There are two stages for the front Air Bag modules: the first intervenes at an intial impact level, the second in the case of a more serious impact.The driver side air bag module is located in the middle of the steering wheel. It is fitted on a tilting plate that is also used to control the horns. The plate houses a metal container that contains the folded bag and the gas generation device that inflates the bag.A clock spring allows the connecting cables for the Air Bag module to follow the rotation of the steering wheel without danger of breaking.The passenger Air Bag module is located in the dashboard and fastened directly to the vehicle crossmember by means of a special bracket.The passenger air bag may be deactivated manually by means of a special switch which can be operated using the key: it is located in the upper dashboard compartment, passenger side.With the key OFF the control unit also controls activation of a special "passenger air bag disabled" warning light.The side bag protects the chest area and also - together with the door panels - protects critical areas of the body such as the ribs and abdomen. Its position on the seat always ensures maximum efficacy irrespective of seat position, even if the seat occupant is not seated correctly, because bag opening dynamics minimise the risk of body damage due to impact against the body.The window bags are activated together with the sidebags and interpose themselvers between the occupant and the vehicle to prevent the head coming into contact with highly intrusive objects such as glass, pillars etc.Because the window bags extend from the front pillar to the luggage compartment, they protect front and rear passengers. The window bag system offers the best performance due to the broad area covered and their ability to be self-supporting even without a backing.The pretensioners are incorporated in the front seat belt reel. Activation of the seat belt pretensioners is controlled by the same strategy as the air bags.The pretensioners are designed to take up slack in the seat belt to ensure it holds the occupant against the backrest from the first moments of impact, thus reducing movement inside the passenger compartment.The control unit is equipped with an autodiagnostic function:
- it detects and stores faults
- it recognises the various components and the fault type
- it indicates the onset of faults by means of a special warning light
 | When operations are carried out to the Air Bag system, the following safety recommendations must be closely followed. For more details [PR5580C] |