How Does The Front Air Bag System Work? - Ford 2001 Mercury Cougar Owner's Manual

Seating and safety restraints
How does the front air bag
system work?
The air bag SRS is designed to
activate when the vehicle sustains
sufficient longitudinal deceleration
to cause the sensors to close an
electrical circuit that initiates air
bag inflation.
The fact that the air bags did not
inflate in a collision does not mean
that something is wrong with the
system. Rather, it means the forces
were not of the type sufficient to
cause activation. Air bags are
designed to inflate in frontal and
near frontal collisions, not rollover,
side impact, or rear impacts.
The air bags inflate and deflate
rapidly upon activation. After air
bag deployment, it is normal to
notice a smoke like, powdery
residue or smell the burnt
propellant. This may consist of
cornstarch, talcum powder (to
lubricate the bag) or sodium
compounds (e.g., baking soda) that
result from the combustion process
that inflates the air bag. Small
amounts of sodium hydroxide may
be present which may irritate the
skin and eyes, but none of the
residue is toxic.