Air Bag Control Module: Description and Operation

The restraints control module (RCM):
- The primary purpose of the restraints control system is to discriminate between an event that warrants supplemental restraints system deployment and an event that does not. The air bag control module, located under the floor console, governs the operation of the whole system and performs continual system diagnostics. Information on the severity of an impact is received from the crash sensor. In the event of a side impact, in excess of a predetermined limit, the air bag control module will evaluate the signal received from either of the side impact sensors against stored data and deploy the corresponding side air bag module and the side air curtain module. In the event of a frontal impact, in excess of a predetermined limit, the air bag control module will evaluate the signal received from the front crash sensor against stored data and deploy the front air bag modules and the safety belt buckle pretensioners. Variations in the deployment of the front air bag modules are dependent on the status of the driver seat track position, passenger weight sensor and the front safety belt buckles.