Accident statistics show that an airbag reduces the death rate by an average of a third. There are cases when a serious collision ended in a slight injury due to the opening of the airbag. But what to do after the airbag deploys on an Opel Astra, Lada Granta or Priora, as well as on other cars? How to fix the error?
Airbag device
An airbag cushion is an elastic base that fills with gas in the event of an accident.
The complex of components also includes a control system and a gas generator. Starch or talc acts as a lubricant for the material, guaranteeing clear opening.
The gas generator's job is to fill the airbag with gas during a collision. Together, the gas generator and the shell form an airbag.
Airbag designs are classified:
- By the nature of the action - with one and two-stage operation;
- In shape - in the form of a tube or dome;
- According to the type of gas formation - hybrid or solid fuel.
A solid fuel generator is based on a fuel charge, a squib and a housing. The airbag is charged with a special composition based on silicon dioxide, potassium nitrate and sodium azide.
The fuel is ignited by the action of the squib, after which gas is formed.
In a hybrid gas generator, the main components are a squib, a housing, a gas and a solid propellant charge.
After a collision, the airbag cushions are filled with compressed gas, releasing a solid propellant charge.
The task of the control system is to combine devices (control unit, shock sensors, squib) and guarantee their precise operation.
How does an airbag deploy in an accident?
The airbag is deployed during a collision with another object or vehicle.
Depending on the location of the impact, the front or side airbags are activated. As soon as the impact force is above the limit level (set by software), the impact sensors send a command to the control unit.
The latter collects information, analyzes it and decides whether to deploy the airbags or not. The described actions occur in a fraction of a second.
Taking into account the analysis of the severity and type of accident, the whole or only part of the system works. Sometimes it is enough to activate only the seat belt tensioners or they work in conjunction with the airbags.
The control unit sends a command to turn on the gas generator of a specific airbag. In this case, the response time is 30-40 ms. During this period, the gas generator guarantees the expansion and filling of the pillow with gas.
As soon as the airbag touches the human body, it ruptures and deflates.
The front airbags are activated when a number of conditions are met:
- Car fire;
- Increasing the specified impact force in a frontal collision;
- Vehicle crash;
- A sharp collision with the wall of a hole, a curb or the edge of a sidewalk;
- Impact to the end of the car (oblique frontal collision);
- A hard fall on the wheels after a “jump”.
It is worth knowing that the front airbags do not deploy in the following cases - when the car rolls over, a side impact or contact from the rear.
It is built into the car program that before opening the airbag, the speed of deceleration of the car and movement at the moment of collision, the presence of connected seat belts, and so on are analyzed.
For more information on this topic, see here https://autotopik.ru/obuchenie/503-kak-rabotaet-podushka-bezopasnosti.html.
Diagnostics
The reason why the airbag light is on can only be determined using a diagnostic scanner. In this case, it is not necessary to use an expensive dealer-grade device - its only advantage will be the presence in the software of a guided diagnostic procedure, that is, a step-by-step algorithm for finding the causes of a specific malfunction on a given car. More affordable tools, as a rule, are only able to read and display a list of recorded faults, but this is enough to diagnose the airbag control system.
This figure shows errors read from the vehicle. Obviously, not only was he in a serious accident (breaks in the circuits of the seat belt pretensioners and the driver's airbag mean that they are highly likely to be deployed), but they also tried to hide it - the last detected fault was the circuit of the airbag warning lamp itself.
What to do if the airbag deploys?
Car enthusiasts are often lost and don’t know what to do when opening an airbag. On many cars (Lada Granta and Priora, Ford Focus 2, Lada Priora, Opel Astra and others), you will have to perform the following manipulations:
- Install new airbags, replacing those that have already deployed;
- Correct the “brains” of the control system, that is, the unit that is responsible for the SRS. Instead of the error, a dump of the new machine is installed (as if there was no accident);
- Install a special snag (plug).
The problem is that each manufacturer has classified information, which forces car enthusiasts to buy a new control unit for the airbag. In addition, airbags are often tied to the VIN number or model of the vehicle.
If you go to a service station, the cost of restoration work will hit your wallet.
Experienced car enthusiasts copy a security system dump and write it to a remote memory device.
Data is stored until sold. If the car is involved in an accident, it is easier for a specialist to restore the system.
In this situation, a microcircuit and a programmer are purchased, after which the device is flashed. The average cost for such work is from 5-7 thousand rubles.
Is it possible to drive without airbags?
Car enthusiasts often ask questions regarding the operation of the car if there are faulty (opened) airbags or a malfunction indicator has been activated.
If the icon lights up, it indicates that one of the sensors has failed. This means that the likelihood of the airbag not deploying in an accident is higher. The indicator also lights up when the device has already been activated and a “plug” is installed instead.
You are allowed to drive with such errors (the technical part of the car does not suffer). Another thing is that the level of security is falling. There remains a risk that the airbag will not fulfill its intended purpose.
What to do after the airbag is triggered?
It is worth knowing that restoring airbags without involving service station specialists is a dangerous undertaking.
And the problem is not even that in the event of a collision the airbags are less likely to open. It's worse if they work spontaneously.
To avoid problems, you should contact an official dealer, who will adjust the system and replace faulty components.
When servicing yourself, there are a number of points to consider:
- In some cars, the airbag and squib are one unit that is purchased as a kit. This is done at a disassembly site or in a store (the first option is cheaper, but the risk of the product not being opened in an accident increases). There are also companies that do not change the airbag, but supply it with a whole squib (such a restoration should be avoided).
When repairing an airbag, the following points are taken into account:
- Removing the negative terminal from the battery is mandatory, after which you should wait until the autonomous power source discharges (7-10 minutes);
- The airbag is positioned with the body facing towards itself.
Often, car enthusiasts do not repair the airbag and limit themselves to restoring the body. In this case, the light bulb on the dashboard is removed or a “fake” is installed instead of a pillow.
This approach is dangerous. It is better to contact an official dealer and restore the system.
As for selling a car with a deployed airbag, this is real, but the new owner should be aware of the problem.
If you repair the panel and turn off the “lamp,” the buyer is unlikely to notice anything without diagnostics, but in the first accident, his death falls on the conscience of the seller.
Why does the Airbag light come on?
If the airbag light comes on on the dashboard of your car, it means there is some problem in the system. The indicator can light constantly or flash at certain intervals, thereby informing the driver of the error code.
If everything is good in the security system, then when you turn on the ignition, the light blinks about six times. This way the system lets the driver know that everything is fine. After this, the indicator goes out on its own and reminds you of itself only the next time you start the engine. But if any problems or errors are detected, the lamp continues to light. As soon as the electronics notices an error, it automatically begins searching for the cause and transfers the fault code to memory.
After a certain period of time after the first testing, the system checks all elements again. If the fault identification was erroneous or the signs indicating a fault have disappeared, the diagnostic module erases the error code previously sent to memory. In this case, the lamp goes out and the machine continues to operate as normal. When the system recognizes the fault again, the light continues to flash.
What to do if the car does not start after the airbag deploys?
On many car models (Lada Granta or Priora, Ford Focus 2, Opel Astra and others), the injectors turn off after the airbag is activated. This is done for safety and to prevent the car from catching fire.
To restore the supply of the fuel mixture, you should contact a specialist (it is unlikely that you can restore the supply of the hot mixture yourself).
Sometimes disconnecting the battery for 6-10 minutes (disconnecting the terminal) helps. In addition, a number of manufacturers install unlock buttons.
How to remove the error?
On numerous forums, car enthusiasts discuss how to remove the error after the airbags deploy. This is logical, because driving with a burning lamp is an unpleasant and dangerous pleasure.
When the indicator lights up, you should take the following measures:
- Check the operation of the airbag when starting the engine;
- Make diagnostics for errors and determine the code. It is often possible to do such work only at a service station;
- Change or repair the airbag;
- Update the system module.
There are cases when the light comes on due to insufficient contact or due to the absence of airbags dismantled after an accident.
Ideally, the clock spring, control unit, wiring, belts and airbag are replaced. As mentioned, costs are reduced when purchasing units from disassembly.
To temporarily “extinguish” the light bulb, it is possible to install a “plug” (a special resistance of 2.0 - 2.2 ohms).
- Disconnect the battery, install the control unit and clock spring. Instead of the airbag, an equivalent resistance of 2.2 Ohms is installed;
- Connect the battery and check whether the lamp flashes or not;
- Erase the crash date from the airbag control unit;
- Go to a service center to reset the error in the control unit using a scanner. If everything is correct, then the light will not light, that is, it lights up for a short time and goes out.
Why does the airbag light on the instrument panel come on?
If the airbag system light comes on in a car, there may be several reasons why the indicator lights up, namely:
- one or more elements of the protective system are damaged;
- for certain reasons, these elements stopped exchanging signals;
- after replacing or repairing doors, problems with contacts began;
- the shock counter has suffered mechanical damage;
- the wiring between the system elements is damaged or shorted;
- fuses do not perform their functions;
- there are problems in the security system control unit;
- as a result of careless replacement of seats, the wiring in them is damaged;
- on one of the pillows in this car the resistance jumped;
- the on-board network is under critically low voltage;
- the cushion or squibs have expired their service life (most often, 10 years);
- the system sensors got wet after washing the car;
- the battery was incorrectly replaced;
- tuning was performed incorrectly.
Results
If the airbag has deployed, operating the car or doing it yourself often leads to tragedy on the road.
To eliminate problems, you should contact an authorized dealer, who, after a complete diagnosis, will replace the failed elements.
Otherwise, there is no guarantee that the airbag will work in an accident and save lives.
The passive safety system (SRS) of the Lada Granta combines inertial seat belts for the driver and all passengers and airbags.
Depending on the configuration, the Lada Granta is equipped with one (for the driver) or two (for the driver and front passenger) airbags.
Seat belts for the driver and front passenger can be equipped with pyrotechnic pretensioners installed in the inertial belt reels.
Note:
Airbags are not a replacement for seat belts. Moreover, when driving a Lada Granta, the driver and front passenger must be fastened with seat belts, since in the event of a traffic accident, a deployed airbag itself can cause serious injury to a person not wearing a seat belt. In addition, rear seat passengers must wear seat belts. In the event of an accident, an unbelted passenger in the back seat can cause injury and serious injury to all passengers in the Lada Granta car.
Do not install or place any accessories on the instrument panel in front of the front passenger. They may move suddenly and cause injury when the airbag deploys.
The deployment of airbags may be accompanied by a loud noise and the spread of fine powder throughout the cabin. This is normal because the airbags, when inoperative, are packed in this powder. Powder released during the expansion of pillows may cause irritation to the skin or organs of vision, and may increase the asthmatic reaction of some people. After an accident in which the airbags deploy, always thoroughly wash all exposed skin with warm water and soap.
The SRS airbag system is designed to deploy only when the force of the frontal impact is sufficiently large and its direction makes an angle of no more than 30° with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. In addition, it is a single use system. Front airbags are not designed to inflate in the event of a side collision, rear impact, or rollover.
According to the Traffic Rules, children under 12 years of age should be transported in a Lada Granta car in special child seats, which must be securely secured to the car seat.
The SRS system includes the following elements:
The airbag light on the Chevrolet Lacetti came on
One day, the driver of this car noticed that when starting the engine, the SRS light did not blink, but stayed on for five seconds, then went out. This happened every time I started the engine. The reason turned out to be as follows: while removing the seat, the driver disconnected the cushion and turned on the ignition to gain access to the cigarette lighter. The system considered an error, which is why the airbag light on the Lacetti came on. Then, when the seat and contacts were returned to their place, the car continued to remind of the problem.
