[NA] And the airbag didn't deploy?

[AggieMike88]

Want to share something with the gallery here... Some of the interesting stuff I encounter in my business.

Something that I can never figure out on the vehicles I purchase for my recycled parts business....

Ones with really hard hits in the front end (picture1), but yet the SRS Airbag system doesn't deploy (picture2). 2008 Dodge Ram 1500

And then I see others that are only lightly hit on the front, and all of the airbags deploy.

An added note about the truck pictured below. Even with the hard hit show, it is listed as part of the "run and drive" portion of the auction. I'm kinda going Missouri on that.

 

[poadeleted21]

I took some railroad tracks in the backwoods a little hard in my 2001 ford ranger, BOOM airbags deployed. Didn't so much as scratch anything, I guess just the jolt did it. \

Looks like Dodge doesn't have that problem.

"Run and Drive" Hey, you could use it as a snow plow as is here in MT.

 

[wsuffa]

Where are/is the airbag sensor(s)? Are they in the two attachment absorbers for the front bumpers? If so, given the type of damage, I'd bet those sensors never deployed.

Or it's possible someone stole the airbags and put something in that looks like it belongs there.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Interesting shots.

A couple of theories on your question-

Maybe the sodium azide is old and decomposed already. To test the theory, observe the model years. The theory is suppported if older vehicles exhibit less airbag deployment.

The other theory is that although the vehicle is badly damaged, it decelerated at a slower rate. It's something like an off-airport landing where the pilot menuvered the plane between trees and the trees took the wings off. The plane is badly damaged but the acceleration is slow. OTOH, if the landing gear caught on something, the plane may look less damaged but it is a hard stop. I suppose certain areas of a car are "stronger" and resist crushing?

Just my guesses...

 

[AggieMike88]

Where are/is the airbag sensor(s)? Are they in the two attachment absorbers for the front bumpers? If so, given the type of damage, I'd bet those sensors never deployed.

Likely this is the case. Since we never get any calls for the sensors themselves, we've never investigated nor educated ourselves about them. I would guess most are "impact" sensors. Though some are like the Ranger mentioned above and have an accellerometer inside.

Or it's possible someone stole the airbags and put something in that looks like it belongs there.

Seen that too. When inventorying one car, the cover in the steering wheel of one car looked like it wasn't fitted right. Closer investigation found newspapers and a pop can stuffed in where an airbag should have been.

I get quite a few cars and trucks that make wish I could dig up the police report about to see exactly what happened to cause the damage.

 

[AggieMike88]

I suppose certain areas of a car are "stronger" and resist crushing?

The sides definitely. But on vehciles from 2001 and newer, I can definitely see improvements in "crumple" zone design over older cars.

The hits are likely 35-45 MPH, and the headlight is now against the tire which is against the A-pillar. But the cabin and footwell are still okay, and often the door.


As far as the propellant degrading... interesting idea, but don't recall from the trade publications of anyone studying this.

 

[Graueradler]

The ends of the bumper obviously decelerated more slowly than the rest of the vehicle. Sensor location?

 

[flyingron]

The other option is something hit the TRUCK and not the other way around.

 

[EppyGA]

I don't think you can hit a pole more head on and centered than that.

 

[Dr. O]

Maybe the driver turned off the ignition switch just before impact?

 

[poadeleted21]

Maybe the driver turned off the ignition switch just before impact?

Trying to save the engine from a prop strike?

 

[airguy]

Trying to save the engine from a prop strike?

Did he bump the starter to get it turned correctly?

 

[tonycondon]

interesting. i find it really amazing at how localized the damage is to the engine compartment.

 

[Matthew]

Looks like it was pretty well a point impact and all the forces were concentrated right at that point. The rest of the vehicle might have decelerated slowly enough not to trip the airbag.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/airbags/airbags03/page3.html

 

[Steve Foley]

Looks like it was pretty well a point impact and all the forces were concentrated right at that point. The rest of the vehicle might have decelerated slowly enough not to trip the airbag.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/airbags/airbags03/page3.html

The lack of damage elsewhere on the vehicle makes me believe this was not a very high speed impact. It just hit the weakest part of the front end and it just collapsed. The bumper, hood, and radiator supports took all the impact.

 

[Fearless Tower]

It's a freakin' Chrysler product! Why is anyone suprised about this?

 

[wsuffa]

The lack of damage elsewhere on the vehicle makes me believe this was not a very high speed impact. It just hit the weakest part of the front end and it just collapsed. The bumper, hood, and radiator supports took all the impact.

Yeah, sorta looks like it took a ride on the Mythbusters Rocket Test Sled.

 

[Skylane81E]

IIRC the sensor is an accelerometer in the area of the center console on many cars, I know i found my saturns there when i gutted out the interior.

 

[AggieMike88]

Yeah, sorta looks like it took a ride on the Mythbusters Rocket Test Sled.

Funny that I had thought the same when I first saw it!


Unfortunately, didn't win the auction for this truck. Had left a proxy bid of $2600 and was winning when live auction started. But a bidding war happened at end and it sold for much more than that.

I did win some needed items. Including: a 2005 Nissan Xterra (eng & trans are valuable), a 2008 Civic sedan, and a 2004 Tahoe.

 

[flightmedic]

I am amazed that the airbag didn't deploy in the truck. If I remember right they are set to go off at a collision of 12-13 MPH and above. We frequently see vehicles with much less damage than that with the airbag deployed. Vehicles that could otherwise be driven away need to be towed because of the deployed airbag.

On a side note, vehicles like that pickup are a nightmare because if we are working on a patient in the front seat of that truck, there is always a chance that it will. See the below link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1Qj75pbl8o&feature=related

 

[zaitcev]

It always was normal for about 1 in 50 airbags not deploy. At one point there was an epidemic of "youth" in Germany stealing cars, taking them for a joyride, then crashing them while not wearing the seatbelts and relying on airbags. That herd got thinned well, I'm happy to report.

 

[weilke]

Newer generation SRS dont use sensors in the bumpers. They have an accelerometer and based on the rate of speed decrase, they calculate an estimated position of the body relative to the steering wheel/dash. The airbags are deployed once that distance has reached a preset value. The speed of the vehicle itself does not matter, the decrease and rate of decrease are what counts. Looks like the first truck took out either a small tree or some sort of non-frangible traffic sign. I had a car that looked a little bit like that after my dad ran into a light-post.

 

[AggieMike88]

I was awarded this truck today from an auction in Houston. Mainly purchasing for the drivetrain and some of the sheet metal that looks okay.

Fortunately, the airbags did deploy. But this must have been one wild ride for the occupants when they got struck.

 

[Matthew]

OK - I'll say it, "That'll buff right out."

--

PS - do you have an interior driver's side door handle (gray) for a 2000 Intrepid?

 

[flyingron]

I had a moving van strike me nearly head on in my Suburban. The airbags did deploy and despite getting a pretty good bruise from the seat belt, I was just shook up.

The sheriff who investigated the thing says that the truck spun my Suburban around nearly 180 degrees and drove it backwards 20 feet. His estimation was they were doing over double the 25 MPH speed limit in the little industrial park we were in. I guess I can't complain about the crashworthiness of the big Chevy trucks.

Oddly a few minutes before the collision I was thinking to myself that maybe I should get rid of the Suburban and get something more fuel efficient. But I figured it would probably be more cost effective to drive the then ten year old suburban until it died. Little did I know that was only several minutes away. I replaced it with an Avalanche.

 

[denverpilot]

Mass FTW!

It's always nice to know you'll launch a "Smart" car into the next timezone if he runs a red light in front of you in a Yukon.

Dude! You scratched my bumper!

 

[PilotAlan]

The comments on rate of deceleration are right on. A skinny object hitting the front may have spread the deceleration out such that critical g was not reached.

Also, the system behaves differently for front and rear impacts (more crumple area to disperse impact) than for side impacts. Far lower side impact (or side component of an angle crash) to trigger airbag deployment.