Description & Operation

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Pontiac Sunfire and 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier. 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 will deploy driver-side and passenger-side air bags. Steering column and knee bolsters also absorb impact energy. A side impact of sufficient force will deploy side impact air bag module on side of impact. Sensing and Diagnostic Module maintains a 23 Volt Loop Reserve (VLR) to provide deployment energy for up to one minute after loss of battery voltage.

SIR system consists of SDM, driver-side and passenger-side air bag modules, SIR coil assembly, Electronic Frontal Sensor (EFS), driver and passenger side impact air bag modules and Side Impact Sensors (SIS) and AIR BAG warning light.