Buick Encore Owners & Service Manuals

Buick Encore: What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates?

Buick Encore 2020-2024 Owners Manual / Seats and Restraints / Airbag System / What Will You See after an Airbag Inflates?

After the frontal, knee (if equipped), and seat-mounted side impact airbags inflate, they quickly deflate, so quickly that some people may not even realize the airbags inflated.

Roof-rail airbags may still be at least partially inflated for some time after they inflate. Some components of the airbag module may be hot for several minutes. For location of the airbags, see Where Are the Airbags?

The parts of the airbag that come into contact with you may be warm, but not too hot to touch. There may be some smoke and dust coming from the vents in the deflated airbags. Airbag inflation does not prevent the driver from seeing out of the windshield or being able to steer the vehicle, nor does it prevent people from leaving the vehicle.

Warning

When an airbag inflates, there may be dust in the air. This dust could cause breathing problems for people with a history of asthma or other breathing trouble.

To avoid this, everyone in the vehicle should get out as soon as it is safe to do so. If you have breathing problems but cannot get out of the vehicle after an airbag inflates, then get fresh air by opening a window or a door.

If you experience breathing problems following an airbag deployment, you should seek medical attention.

The vehicle has a feature that may automatically unlock the doors, turn on the interior lamps and hazard warning flashers, and shut off the fuel system after the airbags inflate.

The feature may also activate, without airbag inflation, after an event that exceeds a predetermined threshold. After turning the ignition off and then on again, the fuel system will return to normal operation; the doors can be locked, the interior lamps can be turned off, and the hazard warning flashers can be turned off using the controls for those features. If any of these systems are damaged in the crash they may not operate as normal.

Warning

A crash severe enough to inflate the airbags may have also damaged important functions in the vehicle, such as the fuel system, brake and steering systems, etc. Even if the vehicle appears to be drivable after a moderate crash, there may be concealed damage that could make it difficult to safely operate the vehicle.

Use caution if you should attempt to restart the engine after a crash has occurred.

In many crashes severe enough to inflate the airbag, windshields are broken by vehicle deformation.

Additional windshield breakage may also occur from the front outboard passenger airbag.

  • Airbags are designed to inflate only once. After an airbag inflates, you will need some new parts for the airbag system.

    If you do not get them, the airbag system will not be there to help protect you in another crash. A new system will include airbag modules and possibly other parts. The service manual for the vehicle covers the need to replace other parts.

  • The vehicle has a crash sensing and diagnostic module which records information after a crash. See Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy 0 290 and Event Data Recorders
  • Let only qualified technicians work on the airbag systems.

    Improper service can mean that an airbag system will not work properly. See your dealer for service.

    READ NEXT:

     Passenger Sensing System

     If the On Indicator Is Lit for a Child Restraint

    The vehicle has a passenger sensing system for the front outboard passenger position. The passenger airbag status indicator will light on the instrument panel when the vehicle is started. United Sta

     If the Off Indicator Is Lit for an Adult-Sized Occupant

    If a person of adult size is sitting in the front outboard passenger seat, but the OFF indicator is lit, it could be because that person is not sitting properly in the seat. Use the following steps

    SEE MORE:

     Child Restraint Systems

    Rear-Facing Infant Restraint A rear-facing child restraint provides restraint with the seating surface against the back of the infant. The harness system holds the infant in place and, in a crash, acts to keep the infant positioned in the restraint. Forward-Facing Child Restraint A forward-faci

     Trouble Shooting

    NOTE: This article is generic in nature and all information does not apply to all vehicles. For vehicle specific information, see the appropriate articles in the ENGINE PERFORMANCE category. ENGINE PERFORMANCE NOTE: This article is generic in nature and all information does not apply to all vehicl

    © 2020-2024 Copyright www.bencore2.com