Our knowledge is in airbag systems, airbag replacement and airbag service, so we are usually named upon to do investigations for insurance coverage corporations, attorneys and men and women involving accidental or inadvertent airbag deployment. After inspecting a lot of such autos and realizing the severe individual injuries they can trigger, the cause for these airbag deployments are shocking. What we have identified has a frequent theme…liquids and electronics do not mix!!
This write-up will show you precisely what takes place not necessarily instantly, but six months, 1 year or even up to four or five years down the road. Once you know the details, just becoming conscious of these potentially severe scenarios and hazards can support you deal with the causes and could just save you from severe individual harm.
Although an estimated 500,000-600,000 automobiles have been broken by the hurricane and subsequent flood waters, a lot of non-flood autos are susceptible to the similar variety of damages. What harm? Water or moisture collecting beneath the seats and console damaging very sensitive electronic elements.
The airbag handle units for most of the autos on the road currently are positioned on the floor, or close to the center of the car beneath the seats and consoles. They are positioned there particularly by the makers in order to replicate, as closely as attainable, the effects of an accident on the passengers in the car. But by becoming positioned at such a low point in the car, they are at threat of contamination from water or a lot of other scenarios. Some easy, typical, daily points that occur when you drive a vehicle can have serious consequences. Here are a couple of.
With winter coming and snow flying in a lot of states, melted snow and ice will now be introduced to the floors of autos across the nation. Turn on the heater and this snow and ice becomes water, saturating the carpet and eventually draining to the lowest pint in the car…the floor beneath the seats.
Or how about the utilised vehicle dealer wanting to get the most for his automobiles? With the very best intentions, he energy cleans the interior of a each car he gets from the auction. These are not flood automobiles, just utilised automobiles with soiled carpets. With a stress wand in hand, or a energy steamer, the carpets are purposely washed and then dried as effectively as attainable. But it really is also late… the water that soaked the carpet in the course of the method has currently seeped by means of, drained beneath the seats and now collects on the metal floor, saturating the padding on the way and going precisely exactly where we never want it wet about the airbag handle unit.
And with so a lot of men and women consuming and drinking in their autos, cup holders all more than the dash and console, the prospective for a spilled soft drink or cup of coffee is higher now than ever. And guess exactly where that spilled liquid goes…Right, by means of the console to the floor, or involving the seats exactly where you cannot dry it up.
Whatever the cause, liquids make their way to the carpet and interior of the autos precisely exactly where we never want it…mixing with the electronic handle module.
Here’s what takes place when water and electronics mix. These images capture the inevitable final results of ignoring the difficulty of a wet floor. Over time, water can turn the portion on the left into the portion on the proper. Which a single is in your vehicle?
The owner of the car this portion came from suffered severe injuries as the airbag deployed instantly upon beginning her vehicle a single morning. She wasn’t belted in location, nor was she ready for the effect of the airbag. She was just beginning her vehicle to go to operate when she was hit in the face and jaw by an airbag at 200 mph. (General Motors Safety webpage)
Airbags are created to shield us from injury, but just like so a lot of other conveniences in our lives, they want care and upkeep to insure their reliability. Most vehicle makers advocate servicing the airbag systems each ten years. Checking the floors for moisture buildup must be integrated in that process and performed much more usually. As a car owner even though, it really is eventually your duty to care for and retain your vehicle. After all, it really is you who is at threat.
Here are some easy points you can do to recognize if your vehicle is at threat. Be conscious of any of the following indicators. They could indicate a severe difficulty brewing:
Dampness in the floor and carpeting moisture on the inside of the instrument panel
- beneath the seats or carpeting,
- in the trunk, or
- in the rear floor wells
Keyword: What’s Under Your Car’s Carpet?