Airbag double deployment?

I'm skeptical of this story, but I don't know much about airbag systems.
Has anyone heard of this happening? Does it even make any sense?

-------------------------
My brother was recently in a car accident and was lucky not to be hurt. I
went with him when he took the car to the body shop and learned some
valuable safety information. Just after we arrived, someone drove in a car,
that was not badly damaged, however the air bags had deployed. The manager
of the body shop informed the driver that you should NEVER drive a car after
airbags have deployed, no matter how slight the damage to the car seems. He
told us that many car airbags have 2 deployments, one fast and one slow. If
your airbag had a slow deployment, the fast mechanism may still be "loaded"
and could deploy without warning depending on the damage to your car.

It may seem obvious not to drive a damaged car with a deployed airbag
however I thought this was a good safety learning about deployed bags in
cars with minor damage.
------------------------

--
Scott Ehardt
http://www.scehardt.com

"Scott Ehardt" > wrote in message
.. .
> I'm skeptical of this story, but I don't know much about airbag systems.
> Has anyone heard of this happening? Does it even make any sense?
>
> -------------------------
> My brother was recently in a car accident and was lucky not to be hurt. I
> went with him when he took the car to the body shop and learned some
> valuable safety information. Just after we arrived, someone drove in a
car,
> that was not badly damaged, however the air bags had deployed. The manager
> of the body shop informed the driver that you should NEVER drive a car
after
> airbags have deployed, no matter how slight the damage to the car seems.
He
> told us that many car airbags have 2 deployments, one fast and one slow.
If
> your airbag had a slow deployment, the fast mechanism may still be
"loaded"
> and could deploy without warning depending on the damage to your car.
>
> It may seem obvious not to drive a damaged car with a deployed airbag
> however I thought this was a good safety learning about deployed bags in
> cars with minor damage.

BULL****. Airbags only have enough chemical to inflate once. This idiot
has no idea what he is talking about. The deployment speed is calculated by
the onboard computer instantaneously calculated by g=forces, impact speed
and other criteria.

> matter how slight the damage to the car seems. He told us that many
> car airbags have 2 deployments, one fast and one slow. If your airbag
> had a slow deployment, the fast mechanism may still be "loaded" and
> could deploy without warning depending on the damage to your car.

Airbags can only deploy once. However, airbag control systems often contain
capacitor with enough stored charge to deploy airbags ~1 minute after power
goes out. I believe this is what the guy was talking about. Also, impact can
cause miscalibration of the airbag control module, and it's technically
possible for airbags to deploy some time after the impact - not right away.

Peter

On Tue, 3 May 2005, it was written:

> My brother was recently in a car accident and was lucky not to be hurt.
> I went with him when he took the car to the body shop and learned some
> valuable safety information. Just after we arrived, someone drove in a
> car, that was not badly damaged, however the air bags had deployed. The
> manager of the body shop informed the driver that you should NEVER drive
> a car after airbags have deployed, no matter how slight the damage to
> the car seems. He told us that many car airbags have 2 deployments, one
> fast and one slow. If your airbag had a slow deployment, the fast
> mechanism may still be "loaded" and could deploy without warning
> depending on the damage to your car.

This is your brain on paint fumes, kids.

The manager of the body shop doesn't know what the hell he's talking
about. Some late-model airbags are equipped to deploy at ONE of two
different speeds, depending upon factors such as use/non-use of seatbelt,
vehicle speed and weight of the seat occupant. That does not in any way
mean that the airbags have "2 deployments" or that there's a separate
"mechanism" that can still be "loaded". Once the airbag has deployed (at
either speed), that's IT, it's done, forever and always.

I hope you picked a shop with a less ignorant manager for the final repair
work.

DS

"Daniel J. Stern" wrote:
>
> On Tue, 3 May 2005, it was written:
>
> > My brother was recently in a car accident and was lucky not to be hurt.
> > I went with him when he took the car to the body shop and learned some
> > valuable safety information. Just after we arrived, someone drove in a
> > car, that was not badly damaged, however the air bags had deployed. The
> > manager of the body shop informed the driver that you should NEVER drive
> > a car after airbags have deployed, no matter how slight the damage to
> > the car seems.

That sounds stupid. At that point you're no worse off than in a car with NO
airbags, which I don't see as a problem. Is there some other danger caused by
deployed bags?

> I hope you picked a shop with a less ignorant manager for the final repair
> work.

Ditto.

--
Cheers, Bev
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++
Warning -- Driver carries less than $20 worth of ammunition

"Scott Ehardt" > wrote in message
.. .
> I'm skeptical of this story, but I don't know much about airbag systems.
> Has anyone heard of this happening? Does it even make any sense?
>
> -------------------------
> My brother was recently in a car accident and was lucky not to be hurt. I
> went with him when he took the car to the body shop and learned some
> valuable safety information. Just after we arrived, someone drove in a
car,
> that was not badly damaged, however the air bags had deployed. The manager
> of the body shop informed the driver that you should NEVER drive a car
after
> airbags have deployed, no matter how slight the damage to the car seems.
He
> told us that many car airbags have 2 deployments, one fast and one slow.
If
> your airbag had a slow deployment, the fast mechanism may still be
"loaded"
> and could deploy without warning depending on the damage to your car.
>
> It may seem obvious not to drive a damaged car with a deployed airbag
> however I thought this was a good safety learning about deployed bags in
> cars with minor damage.
> ------------------------
>
> --
> Scott Ehardt
> http://www.scehardt.com
Not sure about not driving after an accident, but we are using smart air bag
systems now that will do just that,
>

"High Density" > wrote in message
news:UIGde.1203956$Xk.129998@pd7tw3no...
>
> "Scott Ehardt" > wrote in message
> .. .
> > I'm skeptical of this story, but I don't know much about airbag systems.
> > Has anyone heard of this happening? Does it even make any sense?
> >
> > -------------------------
> > My brother was recently in a car accident and was lucky not to be hurt.
I
> > went with him when he took the car to the body shop and learned some
> > valuable safety information. Just after we arrived, someone drove in a
> car,
> > that was not badly damaged, however the air bags had deployed. The
manager
> > of the body shop informed the driver that you should NEVER drive a car
> after
> > airbags have deployed, no matter how slight the damage to the car seems.
> He
> > told us that many car airbags have 2 deployments, one fast and one slow.
> If
> > your airbag had a slow deployment, the fast mechanism may still be
> "loaded"
> > and could deploy without warning depending on the damage to your car.
> >
> > It may seem obvious not to drive a damaged car with a deployed airbag
> > however I thought this was a good safety learning about deployed bags in
> > cars with minor damage.
>
> BULL****. Airbags only have enough chemical to inflate once. This idiot
> has no idea what he is talking about. The deployment speed is calculated
by
> the onboard computer instantaneously calculated by g=forces, impact speed
> and other criteria.
>
Once they go off that's it, However if the vehicle is equipped with
multistage air bags, the processor determines the severity of the impact
and the proper level of deployment.
The conventional air bags used a solid fuel pellet design, the new
multistage air bags uses a canister with highly compressed gas. These air
bags have 2 squibs and they can be timed to ignite at up to 3 different
stages from what Im told. The timing depends on the severity of the impact.
They are low, medium and full deployment.

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

Hmmm, highly compressed gas and were expected to believe that the valve and
control mechanism and gas are all expected to last the life of the vehicle?
I smell bs. In order for this system to be reliable there would have to be
some sort of pressure monitoring system. I suspect that there are probably
different methods of igniting the sodium azide that is used in traditional
systems.
"maxpower" > wrote in message
news
>
> "High Density" > wrote in message
> news:UIGde.1203956$Xk.129998@pd7tw3no...
>>
>> "Scott Ehardt" > wrote in message
>> .. .
>> > I'm skeptical of this story, but I don't know much about airbag
>> > systems.
>> > Has anyone heard of this happening? Does it even make any sense?
>> >
>> > -------------------------
>> > My brother was recently in a car accident and was lucky not to be hurt.
> I
>> > went with him when he took the car to the body shop and learned some
>> > valuable safety information. Just after we arrived, someone drove in a
>> car,
>> > that was not badly damaged, however the air bags had deployed. The
> manager
>> > of the body shop informed the driver that you should NEVER drive a car
>> after
>> > airbags have deployed, no matter how slight the damage to the car
>> > seems.
>> He
>> > told us that many car airbags have 2 deployments, one fast and one
>> > slow.
>> If
>> > your airbag had a slow deployment, the fast mechanism may still be
>> "loaded"
>> > and could deploy without warning depending on the damage to your car.
>> >
>> > It may seem obvious not to drive a damaged car with a deployed airbag
>> > however I thought this was a good safety learning about deployed bags
>> > in
>> > cars with minor damage.
>>
>> BULL****. Airbags only have enough chemical to inflate once. This idiot
>> has no idea what he is talking about. The deployment speed is calculated
> by
>> the onboard computer instantaneously calculated by g=forces, impact speed
>> and other criteria.
>>
> Once they go off that's it, However if the vehicle is equipped with
> multistage air bags, the processor determines the severity of the impact
> and the proper level of deployment.
> The conventional air bags used a solid fuel pellet design, the new
> multistage air bags uses a canister with highly compressed gas. These air
> bags have 2 squibs and they can be timed to ignite at up to 3 different
> stages from what Im told. The timing depends on the severity of the
> impact.
> They are low, medium and full deployment.
>
> Glenn Beasley
> Chrysler Tech
>
>

"David Cole" > wrote in message
news:gI_de.20666$0X6.1241@edtnps90...
> Hmmm, highly compressed gas and were expected to believe that the valve
and
> control mechanism and gas are all expected to last the life of the
vehicle?
> I smell bs. In order for this system to be reliable there would have to
be
> some sort of pressure monitoring system. I suspect that there are
probably
> different methods of igniting the sodium azide that is used in traditional
> systems.
> "maxpower" > wrote in message
> news
> >
> > "High Density" > wrote in message
> > news:UIGde.1203956$Xk.129998@pd7tw3no...
> >>
> >> "Scott Ehardt" > wrote in message
> >> .. .
> >> > I'm skeptical of this story, but I don't know much about airbag
> >> > systems.
> >> > Has anyone heard of this happening? Does it even make any sense?
> >> >
> >> > -------------------------
> >> > My brother was recently in a car accident and was lucky not to be
hurt.
> > I
> >> > went with him when he took the car to the body shop and learned some
> >> > valuable safety information. Just after we arrived, someone drove in
a
> >> car,
> >> > that was not badly damaged, however the air bags had deployed. The
> > manager
> >> > of the body shop informed the driver that you should NEVER drive a
car
> >> after
> >> > airbags have deployed, no matter how slight the damage to the car
> >> > seems.
> >> He
> >> > told us that many car airbags have 2 deployments, one fast and one
> >> > slow.
> >> If
> >> > your airbag had a slow deployment, the fast mechanism may still be
> >> "loaded"
> >> > and could deploy without warning depending on the damage to your car.
> >> >
> >> > It may seem obvious not to drive a damaged car with a deployed airbag
> >> > however I thought this was a good safety learning about deployed bags
> >> > in
> >> > cars with minor damage.
> >>
> >> BULL****. Airbags only have enough chemical to inflate once. This
idiot
> >> has no idea what he is talking about. The deployment speed is
calculated
> > by
> >> the onboard computer instantaneously calculated by g=forces, impact
speed
> >> and other criteria.
> >>
> > Once they go off that's it, However if the vehicle is equipped with
> > multistage air bags, the processor determines the severity of the impact
> > and the proper level of deployment.
> > The conventional air bags used a solid fuel pellet design, the new
> > multistage air bags uses a canister with highly compressed gas. These
air
> > bags have 2 squibs and they can be timed to ignite at up to 3 different
> > stages from what Im told. The timing depends on the severity of the
> > impact.
> > They are low, medium and full deployment.
> >
> > Glenn Beasley
> > Chrysler Tech
> >
> >
Thats right, highly compressed gas
>

Hmmm,
highly compressed gas and were expected to believe that the valve
> and
> > control mechanism and gas are all expected to last the life of the
> vehicle?
> > >
> Thats right, highly compressed gas
> >
>
>
I don't know Glenn you may be wrong on this one,there may be compressed gas
in the pretensioner but I just looked at tech connect and put in '04 sebring
2.4 liter(just picked a car)and clicked service info>electrical>restraints
and about halfway down the page found;


Deployed and Nondeployed Air Bags may or may not have live pyrotechnic
material within the air bag inflator. Do not dispose of Driver and Passenger
Airbags unless you are sure of complete deployment. Please refer to the
Hazardous Substance Control System for Proper Disposal. Dispose of deployed
air bags in a manner consistent with state, provincial, local, and federal
regulations.