airbag SATURN OUTLOOK 2008 User Guide
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: SATURN, Model Year: 2008, Model line: OUTLOOK, Model: SATURN OUTLOOK 2008Pages: 488, PDF Size: 3 MB
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Airbag System
Your vehicle has the following airbags:
A frontal airbag for the driver.
A frontal airbag for the right front passenger.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the driver.
A seat-mounted side impact airbag for the right front
passenger.
A roof-rail airbag for the driver, passenger seated
directly behind the driver, and the third row
outboard passenger position.
A roof-rail airbag for the right front passenger,
passenger seated directly behind the right front
passenger, and the third row outboard passenger
position.
All of the airbags in your vehicle will have the word
AIRBAG embossed in the trim or on an attached label
near the deployment opening.
For frontal airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear on the
middle part of the steering wheel for the driver and
on the instrument panel for the right front passenger.
With seat-mounted side impact airbags, the word
AIRBAG will appear on the side of the seatback
closest to the door.With roof-rail airbags, the word AIRBAG will appear
along the headliner or trim.
Airbags are designed to supplement the protection
provided by safety belts. Even though today’s airbags
are also designed to help reduce the risk of injury
from the force of an in ating bag, all airbags must
in ate very quickly to do their job.
Here are the most important things to know about the
airbag system:
{CAUTION:
You can be severely injured or killed in a crash
if you are not wearing your safety belt — even
if you have airbags. Wearing your safety belt
during a crash helps reduce your chance of
hitting things inside the vehicle or being
ejected from it. Airbags are “supplemental
restraints” to the safety belts. All airbags are
designed to work with safety belts, but do not
replace them.
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{CAUTION:
Frontal airbags are designed to deploy in
moderate to severe frontal and near frontal
crashes. They are not designed to in ate in
rollover, rear crashes, or in many side crashes.
Seat-mounted side impact airbags are designed
to in ate in moderate to severe crashes where
something hits the side of your vehicle. They
are not designed to in ate in frontal, in rollover,
or in rear crashes. Rollover capable roof-rail
airbags are designed to in ate in moderate to
severe crashes where something hits the side
of your vehicle, during a vehicle rollover, or in a
severe frontal impact. They are not designed to
in ate in rear crashes.
Everyone in your vehicle should wear a safety
belt properly — whether or not there is an
airbag for that person.
{CAUTION:
Airbags in ate with great force, faster than
the blink of an eye. Anyone who is up against,
or very close to, any airbag when it in ates
can be seriously injured or killed. Do not sit
unnecessarily close to the airbag, as you would
be if you were sitting on the edge of your seat or
leaning forward. Safety belts help keep you in
position before and during a crash. Always wear
your safety belt, even with airbags. The driver
should sit as far back as possible while still
maintaining control of the vehicle.
Occupants should not lean on or sleep against
the door or side windows in seating positions
with seat-mounted side impact airbags and/or
roof-rail airbags.
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{CAUTION:
Airbags plus lap-shoulder belts offer the
best protection for adults, but not for young
children and infants. Neither the vehicle’s
safety belt system nor its airbag system is
designed for them. Young children and infants
need the protection that a child restraint
system can provide. Always secure children
properly in your vehicle. To read how, see
Older Children on page 1-39orInfants and
Young Children on page 1-42.
There is an airbag
readiness light on the
instrument panel cluster,
which shows the airbag
symbol.
The system checks the airbag electrical system for
malfunctions. The light tells you if there is an electrical
problem. SeeAirbag Readiness Light on page 3-40
for more information.
Where Are the Airbags?
The driver frontal airbag is in the middle of the steering
wheel.
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The right front passenger frontal airbag is in the
instrument panel on the passenger side.
The seat-mounted side impact airbags for the driver and
right front passenger are in the side of the seatbacks
closest to the door.Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
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The roof-rail airbags for the driver, right front passenger,
passengers behind the driver and right front passenger,
and the third row outboard passengers are in the
ceiling above the side windows.
{CAUTION:
If something is between an occupant and an
airbag, the airbag might not in ate properly
or it might force the object into that person
causing severe injury or even death. The path
of an in ating airbag must be kept clear.
Do not put anything between an occupant and
an airbag, and do not attach or put anything
on the steering wheel hub or on or near any
other airbag covering.
Do not use seat accessories that block the
in ation path of a seat-mounted side impact
airbag.
Never secure anything to the roof of a vehicle
with roof-rail airbags by routing a rope or tie
down through any door or window opening.
If you do, the path of an in ating roof-rail
airbag will be blocked. Driver Side shown, Passenger Side similar
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When Should an Airbag In ate?
Frontal airbags are designed to in ate in moderate to
severe frontal or near-frontal crashes to help reduce the
potential for severe injuries mainly to the driver’s or right
front passenger’s head and chest. However, they are only
designed to in ate if the impact exceeds a predetermined
deployment threshold. Deployment thresholds are used
to predict how severe a crash is likely to be in time for the
airbags to in ate and help restrain the occupants.
Whether the frontal airbags will or should deploy is not
based on how fast your vehicle is traveling. It depends
largely on what you hit, the direction of the impact,
and how quickly your vehicle slows down.Frontal airbags may in ate at different crash speeds.
For example:If the vehicle hits a stationary object, the airbags
could in ate at a different crash speed than if the
vehicle hits a moving object.
If the vehicle hits an object that deforms, the
airbags could in ate at a different crash speed than
if the vehicle hits an object that does not deform.
If the vehicle hits a narrow object (like a pole), the
airbags could in ate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle hits a wide object (like a wall).
If the vehicle goes into an object at an angle, the
airbags could in ate at a different crash speed
than if the vehicle goes straight into the object.
Thresholds can also vary with speci c vehicle design.
Frontal airbags are not intended to in ate during vehicle
rollovers, rear impacts, or in many side impacts.
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In addition, the vehicle has dual-stage frontal airbags.
Dual-stage airbags adjust the restraint according to
crash severity. The vehicle has electronic frontal
sensors, which help the sensing system distinguish
between a moderate frontal impact and a more severe
frontal impact. For moderate frontal impacts, dual-stage
airbags in ate at a level less than full deployment.
For more severe frontal impacts, full deployment occurs.
The vehicle has seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags. SeeAirbag System on page 1-64.
Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail airbags
are intended to in ate in moderate to severe side
crashes. In addition, these roof-rail airbags are
intended to in ate during a rollover or in a severe
frontal impact. Seat-mounted side impact and roof-rail
airbags will in ate if the crash severity is above the
system’s designed threshold level. The threshold
level can vary with speci c vehicle design.Seat-mounted side impact airbags are not intended to
in ate in frontal impacts, near-frontal impacts, rollovers,
or rear impacts. Roof-rail airbags are not intended to
in ate in rear impacts. A seat-mounted side impact airbag
is intended to deploy on the side of the vehicle that is
struck. Both roof-rail airbags will deploy when either side
of the vehicle is struck, or if the sensing system predicts
that the vehicle is about to roll over, or in a severe frontal
impact.
In any particular crash, no one can say whether an
airbag should have in ated simply because of the
damage to a vehicle or because of what the repair costs
were. For frontal airbags, in ation is determined by what
the vehicle hits, the angle of the impact, and how quickly
the vehicle slows down. For seat-mounted side impact
and roof-rail airbags, deployment is determined by the
location and severity of the side impact. In a rollover
event, roof-rail airbag deployment is determined by
the direction of the roll.
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What Makes an Airbag In ate?
In a deployment event, the sensing system sends
an electrical signal triggering a release of gas from the
in ator. Gas from the in ator lls the airbag causing the
bag to break out of the cover and deploy. The in ator,
the airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag
module.
Frontal airbag modules are located inside the
steering wheel and instrument panel. For vehicles
with seat-mounted side impact airbags, there are airbag
modules in the side of the front seatbacks closest to the
door. For vehicles with roof-rail airbags, there are airbag
modules in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side
windows that have occupant seating positions.
How Does an Airbag Restrain?
In moderate to severe frontal or near frontal collisions,
even belted occupants can contact the steering wheel
or the instrument panel. In moderate to severe side
collisions, even belted occupants can contact the inside
of the vehicle.Airbags supplement the protection provided by
safety belts.
Frontal airbags distribute the force of the impact more
evenly over the occupant’s upper body, stopping the
occupant more gradually. Seat-mounted side impact and
roof-rail airbags distribute the force of the impact more
evenly over the occupant’s upper body.
Rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to help
contain the head and chest of occupants in the outboard
seating positions in the rst, second, and third rows.
The rollover capable roof-rail airbags are designed to
help reduce the risk of full or partial ejection in rollover
events, although no system can prevent all such
ejections.
But airbags would not help in many types of collisions,
primarily because the occupant’s motion is not toward
those airbags. SeeWhen Should an Airbag Inflate? on
page 1-69for more information.
Airbags should never be regarded as anything more
than a supplement to safety belts.
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What Will You See After an Airbag
In ates?
After the frontal airbags and seat-mounted side impact
airbags in ate, they quickly de ate, so quickly that
some people may not even realize an airbag in ated.
Roof-rail airbags may still be at least partially in ated
for some time after they deploy. Some components
of the airbag module may be hot for several minutes.
For location of the airbag modules, seeWhat Makes
an Airbag Inflate? on page 1-71.
The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you
may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may
be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the
de ated airbags. Airbag in ation does not prevent
the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being
able to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people
from leaving the vehicle.
{CAUTION:
When an airbag in ates, there may be dust
in the air. This dust could cause breathing
problems for people with a history of asthma or
other breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone
in the vehicle should get out as soon as it is
safe to do so. If you have breathing problems
but cannot get out of the vehicle after an airbag
in ates, then get fresh air by opening a window
or a door. If you experience breathing problems
following an airbag deployment, you should
seek medical attention.
The vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock
the doors, turn the interior lamps on, and turn the hazard
warning ashers on when the airbags in ate. You can
lock the doors, turn the interior lamps off, and turn the
hazard warning ashers off by using the controls for
those features.
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In many crashes severe enough to in ate the airbag,
windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.
Additional windshield breakage may also occur
from the right front passenger airbag.
Airbags are designed to in ate only once. After an
airbag in ates, you will need some new parts for
the airbag system. If you do not get them, the airbag
system will not be there to help protect you in
another crash. A new system will include airbag
modules and possibly other parts. The service
manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace
other parts.
The vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic
module which records information after a crash.
SeeVehicle Data Recording and Privacy on
page 7-18andEvent Data Recorders on page 7-18.
Let only quali ed technicians work on the airbag
systems. Improper service can mean that an
airbag system will not work properly. See your
dealer/retailer for service.
Passenger Sensing System
Your vehicle has a passenger sensing system for
the right front passenger’s position. The passenger
airbag status indicator will be visible on the instrument
panel when you start your vehicle.
The words ON and OFF, or the symbol for on and off,
will be visible during the system check. If you are using
remote start to start your vehicle from a distance, if
equipped, you may not see the system check. When the
system check is complete, either the word ON or the word
OFF, or the symbol for on or the symbol for off, will be
visible. SeePassenger Airbag Status Indicator on
page 3-41. United States
Canada
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