Do not place hard or sharp objects between your body and the airbags, carry hard or sharp objects on your lap, and do not smoke a pipe while driving as this could result in serious injury in an accident. In order to prevent the risk of unauthorized deployment of airbags, try not to press your hands to the locations of the airbags and their modules. Airbag locations are labeled «AIRBAG».
Among the devices and components of the additional security system (SRS) includes:
- Two front airbags and (with appropriate equipment) side airbags and side curtains. The driver's front airbag module is housed in the steering wheel hub; The front passenger airbag is placed in a special cavity on the right side of the car's instrument panel, above the glove box. Side airbags are located in the door trim panels. Side curtains are located under the upholstery of the ceiling above the doorways;
- Directional g-force sensors, triggered by severe frontal or side impacts (when the car is equipped with side airbags and curtains);
- An electronic self-diagnostic system that, with the ignition on, provides continuous testing of overload sensors, the control unit, airbag gas generators, squibs for emergency seat belt tensioners and the connecting wiring of the corresponding circuits;
- Automatic emergency seat belt tensioners integrated into the front seat belt retractors;
- SRS warning lamp in instrument cluster.
Location of airbags
1 - Front
2 - Side
3 - Side curtains
The rear airbags can be deactivated - contact your BMW representative.
The principle of operation of airbags
The airbags should not deploy in the event of minor frontal or side collisions, or if the vehicle rolls over.
Directional g-force sensors respond to exceeding a certain limit value, which may occur in a severe frontal or side collision. At the signal of the sensors, the control unit turns on the gas generators of the airbags, causing them to instantly fill.
During a collision, the seat belt keeps the occupant's lower torso from moving. The front airbags help prevent injury to the driver and front passenger from head and chest impacts on the steering wheel/dashboard or head impacts on the pillars/door windows.
Both front airbags deploy at the same time. However, the probability of operation of only one of the pair of pillows is not ruled out - this becomes possible when the magnitude of the directional overloads that occurred during the collision was on the verge of the sensitivity range of the sensors. In this case, the seat belts provide sufficient protection for the driver and front passenger, while the effect of the airbag deployment will be minimal. The side airbag and the air curtain will only deploy on the side of the impact.
Immediately after the airbags are deployed and perform their functions, gas is released from them, which allows the driver to maintain visibility and freely manipulate all vehicle controls.
The total duration of the process from the moment the signal is given by the overload sensors to the release of gas from the pillows takes no more than a tenth of a second. The operation of the modules is so fast that the human ear is simply not able to perceive the pop of the gas generators when the pillows are filled.
After the airbags have been deployed, the interior of the car may look slightly smoky due to the suspension of fine powder, which is usually poured into folded airbag shells. People with a respiratory disease may experience some discomfort from the airborne gaseous products emitted by airbag generators.
SRS warning lamp
Pilot lamp (K/L) SRS is built into the car's instrument cluster (see part Vehicle equipment, arrangement of instruments and controls).
When the ignition is switched on, the K/L lights up for a short time and then goes out, confirming that all components of the SRS system are functioning properly.
If the lamp does not turn on, does not go out, flashes, or randomly works at any other moment, the car owner should contact the service station specialists as soon as possible, because. the above symptoms may cause the SRS system to fail during an accident.
Seat belts with automatic emergency retractors
Emergency automatic tensioners are equipped with front seat belt retractors. Tensioners are activated with strong frontal overloads (along with the front airbags), that occur during a frontal collision and provide an instant selection of the slack in the belts, as a result of which the belts of the latter tightly cover the body of the occupant, greatly increasing the degree of protection for the driver and front passenger.
The operation of the modules is accompanied by a loud pop and a small emission of smoke.
The smoke emitted during the operation of the tensioners is safe for human health, however, if inhaled directly, it can cause irritation of the mucous membranes.
The procedure for using such seat belts is similar to the procedure for using conventional belts equipped with inertial return devices. The tensioner mechanism does not require any additional skills and knowledge from the user.
As in the case of airbags, emergency tensioner modules are designed for a single operation and after that they must be replaced complete with belts - contact the service station.