After the airbag inflates, it quickly deflates, so quickly that some people may not even realize the airbag inflated. Some components of the airbag module will be hot for a short time. These components include the steering wheel hub for the driver's frontal airbag and the instrument panel for the right front passenger's frontal airbag. For vehicles with side impact airbags, the ceiling of your vehicle near the side windows will be hot. The parts of the bag that come into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There will be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the driver from seeing or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it stop people from leaving the vehicle.
Caution: When an airbag inflates, there may be dust in the air. This dust could cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing trouble. To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have breathing problems but cannot get out of the vehicle after an airbag inflates, then get fresh air by opening a window or a door. If you experience breathing problems following an airbag deployment, you should seek medical attention.
Your vehicle may have a feature that will automatically unlock the doors, turn the interior dome lamp on and flash the daytime running lights on and off when the airbags inflate (if battery power is available). You can lock the doors again and turn the interior lamps off by using the door lock and interior lamp controls. You must first, however, turn your ignition key to the following ignition switch positions:
- Turn the ignition key to OFF.
- Turn the ignition key to RUN.
- Turn the ignition key to OFF.
In many crashes severe enough to inflate an airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle deformation. Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the right front passenger airbag.
| • | Airbags are designed to inflate only once. After an airbag inflates, you will need some new parts for your airbag system. If you do not get them, the airbag system will not be there to help protect you in another crash. A new system will include airbag modules and possibly other parts. The service manual for your vehicle covers the need to replace other parts. |
| • | Your vehicle is equipped with a crash sensing and diagnostic module which records information after a crash. See Vehicle Data Collection and Event Data Recorders . |
| • | Let only qualified technicians work on your airbag system. Improper service can mean that your airbag system will not work properly. See your Saturn retailer for service. |
Notice: If you damage the covering for the driver's or the right front passenger's airbag, or the side impact airbag covering on the ceiling near the side windows, the airbag may not work properly. You may have to replace the airbag module in the steering wheel, both the airbag module and the instrument panel for the right front passenger's airbag, or side impact airbag module and ceiling covering for roof-mounted side impact airbags. Do not open or break the airbag coverings.
