The 1999 Acura 3.5 RL, redesigned inside and out for the new model year, features two major breakthroughs in air bag technology to enhance front seat passenger safety.
One system automatically adjusts the deployment of the front passenger SRS airbag based on the severity of the crash. The Honda patented system, which uses a dual-stage inflator, is the first such design ever to be used , on an automobile.
The second breakthrough is a side air bag system that uses a series of seven
sensors to
monitor size and position of the front seat occupant to adjust its deployment.
The system uses
information from the sensors to de-activate the bag if the passenger is determined
to be too small
and out of position. Together, the innovative new systems offer a highly responsive
combination
of supplemental restraint systems.
Acura RL Air Bag Safety
Dual-Stage Inflator
To enhance the protection of the front seat passenger during a variety of frontal
impact
collisions, varying air bag deployment power is used in the new 3.5RL. During
a slow speed
collision, the dual-stage inflator system for the dash-mounted air bag is triggered
in sequence,
resulting in slower overall air bag deployment with less initial force. During
a higher speed
collision, both inflators operate simultaneously for full immediate inflation,
to correspond with
the greater impact force.
The airbag system logic also controls the operation of the seat belt pretensioners
which
automatically tighten the seat belts during a collision to help hold occupants
in place. An
additional new feature designed into the system also detects whether the passenger's
seat belt is
fastened. If the passenger seat belts not fastened, the air bag deploys full
force at a lower
collision speed to help offer more protection to the unbelted occupant.
The operation parameters for the dual-stage air bag inflator and seat belt
pretensioner are
shown in the following table:
DUAL-STAGE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG ADVANCED LOGIC
| Impact Speed | Seatbelt Pretensioner |
Driver Front Air Bag |
Passenger Front Air Bag |
| Very Low | OFF | OFF | OFF |
| Low | ON | OFF | OFF |
| Mid-range | ON | ON | Activated in sequence |
| High | ON | ON | Activated Simultaneously |
Acura RL Air Bag Safety
Side Air Bag System
Recognizing that a child might occasionally be placed in the front seat of
a vehicle
equipped with a side air g,the 3.5RL features an advanced side air bag system
which uses a
matrix of seven sensors in the front passenger seat to determine occupant size
and seating
position. Six height sensors are integrated into the seat back to determine
the passengers size and
a head sensor is built into upper portion of the side bolster to monitor if
a small passenger is
leaning into the path of deployment of the bag. The system uses.this information
to determine if
it is safe to deploy the side air bag, and de-activates the side air bag if
the passenger is too small
and out of position - such as when napping against the door.
To further reduce the risk of unintentional side air bag deployment, the system
uses a
three point sensing device, composed of one central sensor and an additional
sensor at each side of the vehicle. The sensors determine the force, direction.and
type of impact, then deploy the appropriate side air bag.
The 1999 RL benefits from nearly 300 refinements throughout the vehicle for
the new
model year, including the air bag enhancements mentioned above.