How are the airbags triggered for deployment?

glowell222

glowell222

TJ Enthusiast
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
868
Location
Northern VA
Having just completed a frame swap on my '98 Sahara, I am intimately familiar with all of the systems on this Jeep.

I noticed that there were no sensors or any electrical wiring near the front bumper/grille except for the fog lights and headlights. My question: in the event of a collision, how are the airbags triggered for deployment? Has anyone ever seen a '97-'99 Jeep with deployed airbags? Where are the sensors or trigger mechanisms within the Jeep?
 
Imapepper said:
Credit to @Jerry Bransford paste: "The airbag sensor module is mounted on the floor under the front of the center console". one time use...
Click to expand...
Yep there's a steel ball in a tapered slot that gets forced forward against contacts in the event of a strong-enough forward crash. The good news is with that design no amount up up-down bumps/jarring like you'd have while offroading will set the airbags off.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Imapepper
I've always wondered how hard of a bumper-into-that-tree impact it would take to blow the airbags.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Allstar424
My company makes vehicle airbags and other automotive safety products. Back in the early dawn of airbag tech, the threshold for airbag deployment was an instant deceleration from approx 15MPH.

With todays vehicle safety tech, it isn't quite that simple. There are many sensors that give input on when the cushions will deploy.
 
2006 TJ
2009-08-05_215644_31.gif


The trigger is a spark igniting an explosive ... to inflate the bag ... which 30 years ago often caused burns to the face. on the TJ I believe ALL the sensors are in the control module ahead of the shifter.
 
billiebob said:
2006 TJ
View attachment 138653

The trigger is a spark igniting an explosive ... to inflate the bag ... which 30 years ago often caused burns to the face. on the TJ I believe ALL the sensors are in the control module ahead of the shifter.
Click to expand...
There is just the one airbag sensor inside the airbag module located under the console in a TJ.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Dcook65
Tray Burge said:
Not really in other words, a sudden impact with sudden deceleration.
Click to expand...

We all know that airbags go off due to a sudden impact with sudden decelleration - that was not in question. That's clearly not what the OP asked, or what my followup question asked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GA05LJ
707kevin said:
We all know that airbags go off due to a sudden impact with sudden decelleration - that was not in question. That's clearly not what the OP asked, or what my followup question asked.
Click to expand...
"Airbags are triggered by direction of travel and rate of deceleration. " his quote.
"This could only be less helpful if it were more vague."
Your quote.
You weren't addressing the OP's question at all, but was remarking on this statement and I just replied his statement wasn't vague and easy to understand is all.
 
Top Bottom
Back