Side

Side Impact Sensor:

Two side impact sensors are used on this model when it is equipped with the optional side curtain airbags, one each for the left and right sides of the vehicle. These sensors are mounted remotely from the impact sensor that is internal to the Airbag Control Module (ACM). Each side sensor is secured with a screw to the inner right or left B-pillar above the front seat belt retractor within the passenger compartment. The sensor housing has an integral connector receptacle, an integral anti-rotation pin, and an integral mounting hole with a metal sleeve to provide crush protection.

The right and left side impact sensors are identical in construction and calibration. A cavity in the center of the molded black plastic impact sensor housing contains the electronic circuitry of the sensor which includes an electronic communication chip and an electronic impact sensor. Potting material fills the cavity to seal and protect the internal electronic circuitry and components. The side impact sensors are each connected to the vehicle electrical system through a dedicated take out and connector of the body wire harness.

The impact sensors cannot be repaired or adjusted and, if damaged or faulty, they must be replaced.

The side impact sensors are electronic accelerometers that sense the rate of vehicle deceleration, which provides verification of the direction and severity of an impact. Each sensor also contains an electronic communication chip that allows the unit to communicate the sensor status as well as sensor fault information to the microprocessor in the Airbag Control Module (ACM).

The ACM microprocessor continuously monitors all of the side passive restraint system electrical circuits to determine the system readiness. If the ACM detects a monitored system fault, it sets a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) and controls the airbag indicator operation accordingly. The impact sensors each receive battery current and ground through dedicated left and right sensor plus and minus circuits from the ACM. The impact sensors and the ACM communicate by modulating the voltage in the sensor plus circuit.

The hard wired circuits between the side impact sensors and the ACM may be diagnosed and tested using conventional diagnostic tools and procedures. However, conventional diagnostic methods will not prove conclusive in the diagnosis of the ACM, the impact sensors, or the electronic message inputs to or outputs from the impact sensors. The most reliable, efficient, and accurate means to diagnose the impact sensors, the ACM, and the electronic message communication between the sensors and the ACM requires the use of a diagnostic scan tool.