Subaru 2009 Forester Owner's Manual page 297

vehicle, the control module inflates the
curtain airbags. After the deployment, the
SRS side airbag immediately starts to
deflate. The time required from detection
of an impact to deflation of an SRS side
airbag after deployment is shorter than the
blink of an eye.
The SRS curtain airbags remain inflated
for a while following deployment then
slowly deflates.
The SRS side airbag and SRS curtain
airbags deploy even when no one occu-
pies the seat on the side on which an
impact is applied.
When the SRS side airbag and SRS
curtain airbags deploy, a sudden, fairly
loud inflation noise will be heard and some
smoke will be released. These occur-
rences are a normal result of the deploy-
ment. This smoke does not indicate a fire
in the vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not touch the SRS side airbag
system components around the
front seat seatback with bare hands
right after deployment. Doing so can
cause burns because the compo-
nents can be very hot as a result of
deployment.
After deployment, do not touch any
part of the SRS curtain airbag
system (from the front pillar to the
part of the roof side over the rear
seat). Doing so can cause burns
because the components can be
very hot as a result of deployment.
The SRS side airbag and SRS curtain
airbags are designed to deploy in the
event of an accident involving a moderate
to severe side impact collision. Also, in the
case of a rollover, the SRS curtain airbags
deploy. They are basically not designed to
deploy in a lesser side impact. Also, they
are basically not designed to deploy in
frontal or rear impacts because SRS side
airbag and SRS curtain airbag deploy-
ment would not help the occupant in those
situations.
Each SRS side airbag and SRS curtain
airbags are designed to function on a one-
time-only basis.
SRS side airbag and SRS curtain airbag
deployment depend on the level of force
experienced in the passenger compart-
ment during a side impact collision. That
level differs from one type of collision to
another, and it may have no bearing on
the visible damage done to the vehicle
itself. Also, the SRS curtain airbags
deploy depending on the vehicle's position
Seat, seatbelt and SRS airbags
and inclination at the time of the rollover.
! Example of the type of accident in
which the SRS side airbag will most
likely deploy.
A severe side impact near the front seat
activates the SRS side airbag and SRS
curtain airbag.
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