Description & Operation

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Pontiac Montana, 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette, and 2003 Chevrolet Venture. 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 collision of sufficient force will deploy driver-side and passenger-side dual stage air bag modules and seat belt pretensioners. Steering column and knee bolsters below instrument panel also absorb impact energy.

Single stage side impact air bag modules supplement protection offered by driver-side and passenger-side doors and vehicle structure. When a side collision of sufficient force occurs, side impact air bag module on side of impact will deploy.

SIR system consists of Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM), driver-side and passenger-side air bag modules, left and right side impact air bag modules, Electronic Frontal Sensors (EFS), Side Impact Sensors (SIS), driver-side and passenger-side front seat belt pretensioners, SIR coil assembly and AIR BAG warning light. SDM maintains a 36 Volt Loop Reserve (36 VLR) energy supply to provide deployment energy for up to one minute after loss of ignition voltage.