QuestionI have heard that gm and Chevy has an emergency battery for air bag deployment. This was due to a lawsuit due to a non-deployment when a battery was disconnected in a crash. Is this true and if so is there a way to neutralize it? I am a firefighter and have concerns about airbags deploying if when the battery is disconnected. Thanks
Answer
Airbag deploying on a
Hello Eric:
Thank you for asking such an important question.
the answer is EVERY CAR manufacturer has built into the system a capacitor to hold power in the SRS system for between 2 and 10 minutes after a battery is disconnected or damaged. That means every vehicle has that potential threat.
Take a look through the resource pages of my company website to get a much greater detailed explanation as well as see video of that exact scenario played out. The firefighters were ultimately OK, but this is the only known video available detailing your concern.
for more information, please feel free to contact me personally through www.airbagsolutions.com, or www.airbaginvestigations.com
The only way to know a system is completely disabled is to wait, sadly sometimes not an option in your case. Many of the manufacturers have free details of where to cut pillars and roof, so as to not cut into an airbag charge, but still many do not. There are classes and presenters we know of that can put on a demonstration at your firehouse if you wish to pursue this. Please let me know if you need more info, or additional contacts.
Good luck
Doug
