Description & Operation: Notes

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2002 Buick Rendezvous. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

WARNING: Accidental air bag deployment is possible. Personal injury may result. Read and follow all WARNINGS and AIR BAG SAFETY PRECAUTIONS before working on air bag system or related components.

Supplemental Inflatable Restraint (SIR) system is designed to supplement protection provided by driver-side and passenger-side seat belts. A frontal impact of sufficient force, up to 30 degrees off center line of vehicle will deploy driver-side and passenger-side air bag modules. A side impact of sufficient force will deploy side impact air bag module on side of impact. Steering wheel, steering column and knee bolsters also absorb collision energy.

Driver-side and passenger-side dual stage air bag modules may deploy in one of two ways. Stage 1 will deploy during moderate frontal collisions. More severe frontal collisions will result in a full stage deployment, where both Stage 1 and Stage 2 sections of air bag module are deployed.

Side impact air bag system supplements protection offered by driver-side and front passenger-side doors and vehicle structure. When a side impact of sufficient force occurs, SDM deploys side impact air bag module on side of impact. Side impact air bag modules are single-stage.

SIR system consists of Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM), dual stage driver-side and passenger-side air bag modules, single stage driver and passenger side impact air bag modules, driver-side and passenger-side front end discriminating sensors, also known as Electronic Frontal Sensors (EFS), driver-side and passenger-side Side Impact Sensors (SIS), SIR coil assembly, driver-side and passenger-side knee bolsters and AIR BAG warning light.