ArmyofOne

FOr the first year or 2 of curtian airbags, if a curtian was triggered it triggered all the curtians. So take a minivan that gets nailed on the drivers side front, then down the side of the van. The airbags that would deploy are DF, PF (if tiggered), and drivers curtians. In newer (post 2000 models i think) airbag systems, thats how it works. with older models, all the curtains would go if one was triggered.

mmarshall

Today, that works with the front bags as well as the other ones. Most newer vehicles now have a weight sensor in the front passengers's seat that illuminates a yellowish-orange warning light when no one is sitting in it....or the seat doesn't have heavy packages on it that would trigger the sensor. That deactivates the right-front bag, so that if you have a front-end impact (at 14 MPH or greater, where bags go off) you only have to replace/repack the drivers' bag instead of both of them. It saves money and repairs after an accident.

Some two-seat sports cars and pickup trucks, where you can't put childen in the rear, allow you to physically turn the right-front airbag switch off for a child seat up front....air bags and infant seats, especially rear-facing seats, can be dangerous.

Threxx

Yeah I knew about the weight sensors and those haven't always been around... I was referring moreso to cars that might deplay side air bags when it was unnecessary. I'm pretty sure they have always had a separate set of sensors that determine if the impact has any significant lateral motion to it nad based on that, deploy them, or not.

ArmyofOne

They all have had separate sensors, but until recently, have all had to go through the same control computer which wasnt wired to blow just 1 or 2 airbags. now they are programmed to do just that.

Threxx

What's your source on this info?

ArmyofOne

Common sense, working in the industry as a mechanic for over nearly a decade. Other than my own experiences, I guess I dont have an official source...sorry. I dont have any manuals on airbag systems handy (I am sure I have one or two somewhere, but try finding them in my attic LOL), and havent found any info online that even depicts the series of events in the proper way, they are all about the new systems, which do exactly what I (and you) said they do...only inflate the airbags that are needed.

Threxx

Common sense tells me that if a car has individual sensors for each set of air bags, that it's going to have a computer that is capable of reacting appropriately based on those signals and not just blow up all the air bags regardless.

This started off with you bragging on the civic being smart enough to blow only airbags as needed. Then I asked 'isn't that pretty much par for the course on all cars made in the last several years?' In other words, if it is, then why mention it as a plus on the civic? It's like saying it has ABS... well I sure hope so!

nthach

Newer cars have multi-stage airbags and occupant detection in the passenger's seat to turn off the airbags if an adult(in this case, a person weighing <70lbs) is not sitting in the passenger's side. OPDS will command the airbags on the passenger side OFF if a baby seat is installed(which trips the tensioner locks), a person <70lbs is in the passenger's seat, or if the seat belt is locked but no one is seated - such as a after-PDI situation.

Honda takes this a step further by detecting seat position and how heavy the person sitting in either the passenger's or driver's seat and adjusts airbag firing as needed.

joe80

i've owned 2006 civic ex, and i must say and you really get sick of the interior. 28000 miles later, i upgraded to 07 civic si, and had fun for awhile and got sick of it again.. only drove for about 10k. didn't like the look, and i really didn't care for the interior.

i've had many cars for over 50k miles, but both civic ex and si didn't last 30k. i guess honda has failed me twice. i really was a honda fan worshipping tegs and ludes, but i just can't get excited with their new offerings including acura.

mmarshall

I agree that many of the newer Honda/Acura products are not well-styled. The company, IMO, started to lose their styling talents back in the mid-1990's......Toyota, around 2000.

Threxx

Right... that's not what I was asking about though.

FKL

Most manufactures incorporate this. Honda has yet to offer rear-side airbags for the outbound occupants, they are a step behind again. The curtain is not going to save your torso in a side collision.

Honda has never really been at the forefront of safety either...They didn't even offer curtain airbags until 2003 on the Accord, and then it wasn't even standard, and unavailable on lower trims. It took until 2005 to make it standard, and the Civic started using them first in 2005, which is just sad. I may get strangled for yet another vw reference, but the Passat had it standard in 2001, on all models. Traction control with anti-slip regulation and electronic differential lock, standard since 1998 - Honda, around 2005. The Jetta, standard curtains in MY 2002, on all models. Traction, standard. ESP standard on both in 2003, Honda, 2005-2006. I love Honda, but uhhh, I wouldn't tout their safety as a main asset. The Camry and Altima are the same way, sadly. Honda also has no post-crash response system - ALL VWs since 1998 will unlock all doors on airbag deployment, shut off fuel pump. Starting in 2006, the hazards will be activated as soon as an airbag launches. Honda, NO. Come to think of it, Honda doesn't offer a disk wipe feature when the wipers are activated...With added value always comes a price.

nthach

The Prelude was an awesome car - I wouldn't mind rocking a 5th gen Type-SH, but the 3rd gen 4WS models were ahead of their day.

The Legend and the Accord was the g-ride back in the day.

nthach

Umm... GM had OnStar in the mid-1990s on the Cadillac Seville and El Dorado. It was a Motorola AMPS cell phone module integrated by Delco Electronics(Delphi now) running off Verizon's analog network and tied into the SRS system. Mercedes offered TeleAid later on. Mercedes also beat VW to the ASR game, the W126 560SEC offered traction control with ASR in 1990, while VW didn't offer jack.

VW doesn't offer telematics in the US AFAIK - Audi could be an exception.

FKL

who the hell mentioned Onstar? I sure didn't. I'm talking airbags and collision systems.

VW actually offered onstar starting in 2004 across their lineup, it was taken out in 2006 when the network was going to be shut down.

Touareg, Phaeton (DAMN, don't those lights look sexy - ATTENTION TO DETAIL! NICE), Passat, Beetle/Jetta.