For Fbodfather: Glitchy airbag triggers?
11-16-2009, 05:40 PM
#17
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Location: Rixeyville, VA
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11-28-2009, 08:45 AM
#23
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Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 72
The side-curtain airbags deploying when I hit a deer square-on makes complete sense.
I got to talk to a GM engineer about it. He's evidently a fairly senior guy, and spent about a half hour on the phone with me. He explained the logic circuits involved in airbag deployment, and how all the various sensors interact to make a deployment decision. Most illuminating was his explanation of a "second stage" deployment. Apparently, I hit the deer hard enough to cause the sensors to respond to a "major collision," which set off the side-curtain airbags. Even in a straight-ahead major collision, it's possible or even likely that the occupants will go bouncing around inside of the passenger compartment. Head injuries from whacking your head against the side window glass are common enough that the side-curtain airbags go off on both sides. He didn't say so specifically, but he didn't deny, that this is also a hedge against major lawsuits from fools that don't wear their safety belts. (I worked as an aircraft mechanic long time ago, and the dents in the instrument panels from people not wearing their shoulder belts in an accident made a "big impression" on me.)
We had a question once about something to do with my wife's '06 Mustang GT. Noone local ever got back to us, much less anyone from the manufacturer. I was very impressed that they'd take the time, and I hope that this is just one example of GM's new commitment to customer service, one customer at a time.
I got to talk to a GM engineer about it. He's evidently a fairly senior guy, and spent about a half hour on the phone with me. He explained the logic circuits involved in airbag deployment, and how all the various sensors interact to make a deployment decision. Most illuminating was his explanation of a "second stage" deployment. Apparently, I hit the deer hard enough to cause the sensors to respond to a "major collision," which set off the side-curtain airbags. Even in a straight-ahead major collision, it's possible or even likely that the occupants will go bouncing around inside of the passenger compartment. Head injuries from whacking your head against the side window glass are common enough that the side-curtain airbags go off on both sides. He didn't say so specifically, but he didn't deny, that this is also a hedge against major lawsuits from fools that don't wear their safety belts. (I worked as an aircraft mechanic long time ago, and the dents in the instrument panels from people not wearing their shoulder belts in an accident made a "big impression" on me.)
We had a question once about something to do with my wife's '06 Mustang GT. Noone local ever got back to us, much less anyone from the manufacturer. I was very impressed that they'd take the time, and I hope that this is just one example of GM's new commitment to customer service, one customer at a time.
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