Description And Operation: Description
Side curtain airbags (1) are standard factory-installed equipment for this vehicle. These airbags are passive, inflatable Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) components. The side curtain airbag system is designed to reduce injuries to the vehicle occupants in the event of a side impact collision. Each side curtain airbag cushion provides coverage of the side glass adjacent to all seating positions on the same side of the vehicle as the monitored impact.
Each vehicle is equipped with two individually controlled side curtain airbag units. These side curtain airbag units are concealed and mounted above the headliner where they are each secured to one of the roof side rails. Each folded airbag cushion is contained within a fabric wrap and several miniature plastic wrappers that extend along the roof rail from the A-pillar at the front of the vehicle to just behind the C-pillar. A tether extends from the front and the rear of the side curtain airbag cushion. The end of each tether is secured to the A-pillar (front tether) or roof rail (rear tether) sheet metal.
The side curtains use a hybrid inflator. To deploy the airbag, the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) sends a current to the airbag inflator which ignites the chemical pellets. When the chemical pellets ignite, the pressure of the expanding gases produces enough pressure to break a containment cap of a cylinder of inert gas. The gas is directed into the side curtain airbag. The side current airbags will stay inflated for approximately five seconds to help protect passengers in the event of a rollover event. The deflation rate of the airbags is controlled by the tightness of the airbag fabric mesh.
The side curtain airbag units cannot be adjusted or repaired and must be replaced if deployed, ineffective, or in any way damaged. Once a side curtain airbag has been deployed, the complete side curtain airbag unit, the headliner, the upper A, B and C-pillar trim, and all other visibly damaged components must be replaced.