Passenger Air Bag Deactivation (PAD) Switch

The passenger air bag deactivation (PAD) indicator is a visual indicator used to inform the front seat occupants of the passenger air bag deactivation state. The PAD indicator is a stand-alone lamp installed into the vehicle instrument panel in a position visible to each front seat occupants.

The restraints control module (RCM) controls the state of the PAD indicator through a direct hardwire connection, based on information provided by the occupant classification sensor (OCS) system. The PAD indicator is lit to indicate the passenger air bag module is disabled. An exemption to this is when the front passenger seat is determined to be empty and the passenger safety belt buckle is unbuckled, and therefore indication of a deactivated passenger air bag module is not necessary. In ail other cases, the PAD indicator is unlit when the passenger air bag module is enabled. When the ignition switch is in the ON position, the PAD indicator prove-out period is initiated by the RCM. The RCM briefly activates the PAD indicator to prove-out the indicator function and verify to the front occupants correct functional operation of the PAD indicator.

The PAD indicator will be lit/unlit within 1.0 to 1.5 seconds of a change of state from the OCS system.

When an OCS system fault is present, the RCM defaults the passenger air bag module to the last valid state received from the OCS system until the ignition switch is turned OFF. If the OCS system fault is still present when the ignition switch is turned ON, the ROM defaults the passenger air bag module to enabled regardless of the size of the occupant in the front passenger seat. The PAD indicator will be unlit. For additional information on the OCS system, See Occupant Classification Sensor (OCS) 

The following table indicates the passenger air bag status and the PAD indicator status based on the size of the front outboard passenger occupant.

Passenger Air Bag and PAD Indicator Status