Air Bags

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2015 Chevrolet Trax and 2015 Buick Encore. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Air bags contain a housing, inflatable air bag, two initiating devices (if dual inflator), canister of gas generating material and, in some cases, stored compressed gas. The deployment loops supply current through the inflator modules to deploy the air bags. The steering wheel and instrument panel passenger side air bags have two stages of deployment, which varies the amount of restraint to the occupant according to the collision severity. For moderate frontal collisions the air bags deploy at less than full deployment which consists of stage 1 of the air bag. For more severe frontal collisions a full deployment is initiated which consists of stage 1 and stage 2 of the air bag. The current passing through the air bag, ignites the material in the canister producing a rapid generation of gas and is some cases, the release of compressed gas. The gas produced from this reaction rapidly inflates the air bag. Once the air bag is inflated it quickly deflates through the air bag vent holes and/or the bag fabric. Each air bag is equipped with a shorting bar located in the connectors of the module. The shorting bar shorts the air bag deployment loop circuitry to prevent unwanted deployment of the air bag when it is disconnected. To view the locations of the air bags refer to Master Electrical Component List (Encore)Master Electrical Component List (Trax) .