Each car has a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS), or an airbag as it is usually called, for the driver and the front-seat passenger to reduce the impact of a head-on or frontal crash. It has two sorts of impact sensors fixed at behind the bumper, an air bag module which is located in the middle of the steering wheel and to the right of the instrument panel and the sensing / diagnosis module in the center of the car. Most models also have side impact air bags and side curtain air bags as the name may suggest. The driver's side air bag inflator module is situated in the steering wheel; an electrical signal triggers the inflator to ignite and inflate the air bag almost simultaneously. The position of the passenger side airbag which is larger than the driver side is above the glove compartment and is anchored on a steel type reaction housing. Pillar-mounted side-impact air bags are located in the seat backs and side curtain air bags are tucked in the headliner, triggering during a side collision to shield passengers' heads. The sensing and diagnostic module provides current to the air bag system upon a crash and tests the system each time the car is started, among other actions, if the "AIRBAG" light illuminates then it means that it is working well. To disarm the system, the wheels must be straight ahead, the key in 'Lock', the - terminal disconnected, and IGN, CIG, and RADIO fuses pulled out; one should wait before at least two minutes if possible. When it comes to an airbag module, it should always be positioned in such a manner that the open face of the airbag is pointing away from the handler or the technician's body while an airbag should not be placed on a bench or table in a manner that its open face is touching the bench surface. One should never attempt to make any resistance measurements on SRS components and live air bag modules must be taken to a dealer or any qualified repair shop for proper disposal. To remove the passenger's side airbag module there must first disconnect power by pulling the yellow connectors the glove box must then be removed to access the airbag this is bolted to the under part of the instrument panel. Installation is the reverse of the procedure and makes certain that the air bag module mounting fasteners are tightened to 15 ft-lbs.
