Passenger Airbag: Description

Fig 1: Passenger Airbag Door

Courtesy of DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORP.

The rearward facing surface of the injection molded, thermoplastic passenger airbag door is the most visible part of the passenger airbag. See Fig 1. The passenger airbag door is located above the glove box opening on the instrument panel in front of the front seat passenger seating position. The passenger airbag door also serves as a trim cover and has two flanges and a stamped metal bracket that secure it to the instrument panel structural support. The upper flange is secured with screws to the top of the instrument panel structural support and the lower flange to the upper glove box opening reinforcement. A stamped metal passenger airbag door hinge bracket is secured to the back of the instrument panel structural support with two screws.

Located behind the passenger airbag door within the instrument panel is the passenger airbag unit. The passenger airbag unit has an upper rear bracket and a lower rear bracket that are secured by nuts to three weld studs on the instrument panel structural support, one stud at the top and two at the bottom. Two nuts secure a front lower bracket on the passenger airbag housing to two weld studs on the dash panel above the heater and air conditioner housing. The front lower bracket mounts are accessed through the instrument panel glove box opening.

The passenger airbag unit used in this model is a Next Generation-type that complies with revised federal airbag standards to deploy with less force than those used in some prior models. The passenger airbag unit consists of a stamped and welded metal housing or retainer, the airbag cushion and the airbag inflator. The airbag housing contains the airbag inflator and the folded airbag cushion. A rectangular fabric cushion is used. The airbag inflator is a hybrid-type unit that is secured to and sealed within the stamped metal airbag housing beneath the folded airbag cushion. The inflator initiator is connected to the vehicle electrical system through a yellow connector on the end of a short, two-wire pigtail harness and a take out of the body wire harness.

The passenger airbag and the passenger airbag door are available as separate service items. The passenger airbag cannot be repaired and must be replaced if deployed, faulty, or in any way damaged. The passenger airbag door will be damaged and must be replaced following an airbag deployment.