What Makes an Airbag Inflate?

In an impact of sufficient severity, the airbag sensing system detects that the vehicle is in a crash. Additionally, in the case of a “rollover capable” roof-mounted side impact airbag, the sensing system detects that the vehicle is about to roll over. The sensing system triggers a release of gas from the inflator, which inflates the airbag. The inflator, airbag, and related hardware are all part of the airbag modules inside the steering wheel and in the instrument panel in front of the right front passenger. For vehicles with roof-mounted rollover airbags, the airbag modules, the inflator, and the airbags are located in the ceiling of the vehicle, near the side windows.

    See also:

    Instrument Panel Brightness
    Press the knob located next to the exterior lamps knob to extend it. Turn the knob to adjust the instrument panel lights. Turn the knob all the way up to turn on the interior lamps. Press the k ...

    Front Turn Signal/Parking/Side Marker Lamps (Base and Up-Level)
    To replace the front turn signal, parking lamp, or sidemarker lamp: 1. For the driver side bulb, remove the windshield washer bottle filler neck by firmly pulling it straight up and out of the bottle ...

    Cellular and GPS Antennas
    Avoid placing items over or near the antenna to prevent blocking cellular and GPS signal reception. Cellular reception is required for OnStar to send remote signals to the vehicle. ...