Air Bag Deployment

[wriorprncess]

I am sad to report that my Liberty is (was) very much "Trail Rated"  but unfortunatly not "Mini Van Rated".  On Saturday morning a min van pulled out in front of me and I t-boned it.  I hit so hard I flew forward and hit the stirring wheel.  (Yes, I was wearing my seat belt......but I have short legs and sit very close to the steering wheel).  I was taken to the hospital were I was poked and probed for 7 hours before they released me with some goods meds.  My concern is the air bag did not deploy.  Is this normal?  Would I be this sore and cranky if the air bag did deploy?  If the impact was not hard enough for the air bag to deploy, I certainly do not ever want to hit anything that hard!

FYI:  I was not issued a citation for the incident.  However, the driver of the mini van was.  Now the insurance companies are fighting it out.  Wahoo!  what a great weekend.

[Death Wobble]

My concern is the air bag did not deploy.  Is this normal? 

Ouch!  Sounds like something malfunctioned, as airbags are meant to deploy at fairly low speeds.  My XJ doesn't have any airbags, so I'm considering a nice heavy ARB bumper or a stinger to put more distance between me and any fools who pull out in front of me.    Hope that you are going to be OK!

[emgraz]

wow Sue....glad you're ok......yeah seems weird that they did not deploy, i thought too that they were supposed to pop out pretty quickly....

 

get better!!!

Erica

[billiejf]

Sue,
I'm glad to hear you're doing ok.  However, unless your Liberty has a side impact air bag, it probably wouldn't deploy.  Wayne and I were t-boned by a drunk driver in 2001 (I was driving) and the front air bag did not deploy.  I have since purchased vehicles with side impact airbags.  I believe the front airbag only deploys if you're hit in the front or back, not side.  I know how much pain you're probably in and speaking from experience, go for all of the therapy they tell you to.  I'm currently having serious back pain that is a direct result of that accident 7 years ago.  Believe it or not, you could expect pain in your arms and legs as well as your back, so don't overlook those either.  Feel better!  Billie jeanne

[Charlie]

Sue,
Glad to see you're still kickin'.

The bag should have deployed and I would push the issue with the dealer. Safety is a major issue these days and you paid for that safety feature...the feature didn't work.

Take care and see you Friday?

Charlie

[hillbilly]

are u the original owner? if not check the fuses.  someone might have pulled it to keep it from going off on accident, wheeling air bag equipped vehicles sometimes cause a misfire in the ignition circuit of the air bag sensor, so someone might have pulled it  sorry about your luck  i have an xj so no air bag but a big chunk of steel bumper, but hitting a steering wheel either way hurts like hell (3 broken ribs with a seatbelt) also the dealer might pitch a fit about wheeling saying that may have damaged the system.

[DeadheadTJ]

Glad you're OK! It's sad to hear about Jeeps (even Littleberties) getting wasted...especially on the road.  At least you are still in one piece, though.

I know of another incident my buddy had in his Subaru...same deal. Someone blitzed an intersection and he T-Boned the car. He was doing around 25 MPH (wearing his seatbelt) and his airbag did not deploy. It was traced back to "crud on the seatbelt contacts". Apparently, the computer didn't realize that the seatbelt was connected, and there was no signal to the airbag to deploy.