Airbags are one of the most important safety innovations of recent decades. Advanced designs and expanded use continue to evolve to make vehicles even safer. Since the 1999 model year, dual front airbags for driver and passenger have been required by law in all new passenger vehicles, including cars, light duty trucks, and SUVs. Auto manufacturers have progressed from just two frontal airbags, with many vehicles now having six to ten airbags to maximize passenger safety in the event of a crash. Types of airbags include steering wheel airbags, passenger dashboard airbags, driver and passenger knee airbags, and various side, curtain, and roof airbags.
How an Airbag Works
Airbag design can seem like a mystery. Exactly how does the “SRS AIRBAG” symbol or cover on the steering wheel or the passenger-side dashboard miraculously become a life-saving tool? Courtesy of Auto.howstuffworks.com, the mystery is solved:
The car is equipped with sensors, often mounted in the B pillars (the structural area between the front and rear doors) or in the door itself. The sensor detects the impact and calculates which airbags need to be deployed, triggering a gas inflator. The gas pushes the airbag out of its mounting (but remains firmly attached), the airbag inflates rapidly, and the gas immediately dissipates to deflate the bag. The entire process is complete in less than a second.
Airbags can only be deployed once and then they need to be replaced. LKQ Online has inventory of used OEM airbags as well as airbag control modules for most car brands on the road today from American Motors to Volvo. You can find non-deployed replacement OEM airbags for far less cost than going to a car dealership when you need to replace airbags.
· Airbags don't typically require maintenance unless they deploy in a crash.
· Replacement airbags must be OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to ensure fit and function.
· Airbag installation and testing should only be done by a qualified mechanic.
· If the airbag light comes on without deployment, have your airbags checked for operation integrity by a trusted mechanic.
· Federal law prohibits removing or modifying the airbags in a vehicle.
To check the number and types of airbags in your car, read the owner’s manual and it should indicate where all the airbags are situated in your car. You can also search for the “SMS Airbag” symbols to indicate airbag location or look for the airbag warning under the sun visor.
Frontal airbags
Frontal airbags include the driver airbag, passenger dashboard airbag, and knee airbags for both driver and passenger. Frontal airbags take most of the impact in head-on collisions but will also deploy if a side impact generates sufficient forward movement.
· The driver airbag is in the steering wheel and inflates instantly when signaled to deploy.
· The passenger airbag is located in the dashboard, and many include weight sensors to indicate if it’s a child in the seat rather than an adult and will deploy with less force.
· Knee airbags deploy from underneath a car’s lower dashboard and are intended to lessen impact to reduce leg injuries as well as reduce impact to an occupant's chest and abdomen by controlling movement of the lower body.
Side airbags
Most passenger vehicles come with side impact airbags as standard equipment although not required by law. Side airbags are any sort of airbag that goes on the side of the car and protects you from injury from side impacts.
· Driver side impact airbags are usually mounted to the side of the seat or within the car door to give added protection to the driver’s torso in a side impact collision.
· Side curtain airbags work as a complement to traditional airbags and are mounted in the seat frame or in the headliner above the doors and deploy over the windows like a curtain.
· Side curtain airbags specifically protect the head from impact in the event of a side collision and helps keep arms and bodies inside the vehicle.
· Rear-window curtain airbags are designed to protect people in back seats in rear-end crashes.
· Special curtain airbags designed to deploy in a rollover crash cover the window opening and inflate more stiffly to prevent ejection of the passenger and to keep out intrusions such as metal, broken glass, and other crash debris. Sensors register vehicle tilt indicating a rollover and these bags remain inflated longer than non-rollover airbags for extended protection.
Roof airbags
Roof airbags include those mounted in the lining as well as airbags designed to blanket the roof in the event of a crash and/or rollover. Some roof-mounted airbags take the place of passenger airbags typically located in the dashboard, freeing up more space for dashboard-based electronics, controls, and storage space.
· Frontal curtain airbags are installed inside the headliner above the windshield for frontal protection of driver and passenger. In a head-on crash, they deploy from top to bottom in front of the driver and passenger.
· Hyundai designed a roof airbag that covers the entire ceiling of a car when a car is overturned.
· The roof airbag will not only prevent passengers from being thrown out of the sunroof but also protect them from serious multiple injuries inside the vehicle.
· Some roof airbags are mounted around the sunroof and triggered when the sensor detects a collision or rollover.
Buying used airbags with LKQ Online
Our airbags have been visually inspected, and all replacement airbags are non-deployed, meaning they have never been expanded. They are certified as not subject to recall and all used airbags are sold “as is” with no warranty coverage or return option. Airbags are OEM and come in “new” condition from used vehicles.
· For a used airbag to operate properly, a qualified installer must install the used airbag in accordance with the vehicle manufacturers specifications.
· Airbags are considered hazardous materials by the U.S. Department of Transportation and require special HAZMAT requirements to ship properly and safely. No air shipments of airbags are allowed.
· Up to two airbags can be combined for shipping if they ship from the same location. We cannot combine shipping if multiple airbags in one order ship from different locations. Airbags do not include the control module, unless otherwise stated.
· Due to a New York State law banning the installation of used airbag equipment in vehicles, LKQ cannot ship airbags to New York.
· We also cannot ship airbags to any location outside the continental United States, including Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
Don’t put off replacing deployed or defective airbags, leaving you and your passengers at risk. With LKQ Online you can shop by year, make, and model of your car or truck and find used airbags of all types to keep your vehicle safe and legal. You’ll save money over dealership replacement costs while receiving identical OEM used airbags. Check description and fitment in the individual listings for confirmation that the airbags are the right choice for your car.