General

General
The Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) provides active protection for vehicle occupants in the event of a serious collision. The system components include airbags and pretensioner seat belts which are automatically deployed when a severe frontal crash condition is detected.

In order to assure system integrity, it is essential that the SRS system is regularly checked and maintained so that it is ready for operation in the event of an accident.

The SRS system contains components which could be potentially hazardous to the service engineer if not serviced and handled correctly. The following guidelines are intended to alert the service engineer to potential sources of danger and emphasise the importance of ensuring integrity of the SRS components fitted to the vehicle.

Where necessary, additional specific precautions are detailed in the Restraint Systems which should be referred prior to commencing repair operations.

It should be noted that these precautions are not restricted to operations performed when servicing the SRS system. The same care should be exercised when working on ancillary systems and components located in the vicinity of SRS components; these include but are not limited to steering system (driver's airbag), body and trim components (passenger's airbag and seat belt pretensioners) and electrical system components (SRS harnesses etc.).

WARNING:
^ Do not use rear facing child seats in the front passenger seat if the vehicle is fitted with a passenger airbag.
^ It is imperative that before any work is undertaken on the SRS system the appropriate information is read thoroughly.
^ Replace the airbag every 10 years. Do not install used SRS parts from another car. When repairing an SRS system, always use approved new parts.
Carefully inspect the airbag module before installing it. Do not install an airbag module that shows signs of being dropped or improperly handled, such as dents, cracks or deformation.
Do not try to disassemble or tamper with the airbag module.
Special bolts are necessary for installing the airbag module. Do not use other bolts.

Preliminary procedures
The SRS system uses energy reserve capacitors that keep the system active in the event of electrical supply failure under crash conditions. It is necessary to allow the capacitors sufficient time to discharge in order to avoid the risk of accidental deployment.

Always remove the ignition key from the starter switch, disconnect the vehicle battery and wait 10 minutes before commencing work on the SRS system.

Carefully inspect any SRS component before installation. Do not install any SRS component that shows signs of damage such as dents, cracks or deformity.