I have a 2017 Jeep Renegade that I bought used with the service air bag (SRS) light on.
It was in a minor accident with rear-bumper damage. Both front seat belts have blown tensioners but claims reported on Car Fax say there was no air-bag deployment.
My question, will the belt tensioners blow without deploying the air bags? – Dwight
There are incidents that appear to be minor cosmetically, but are still significant enough for the pre-tensioners only to be deployed.
Seat-belt pre-tensioners are designed to remove the slack from the front seat belts, aiding with the positioning and securing of the driver and front passenger moments before a collision.
Sensors in the vehicle detect direction and velocity of impacts and deploy the necessary air bags and pre-tensioners.
Additionally, in Ontario, Section 8 (Body), Seatbelts and Occupant Restraints of the Passenger/Light-Duty Vehicle Inspection Standard states to reject the vehicle if “the airbag (SRS) tell-tale indicates a malfunction or fails to operate according to OEM service instructions and a pre-tensioner has been activated and not repaired.”
Safety standards are regulated provincially so check with your local inspection station, but if you reside in Ontario, this Jeep should not have passed a safety inspection at the point it was sold used. Repair the SRS system immediately, as it may not function at all if you are unfortunate enough to get into an accident right now.
Lou Trottier is owner-operator of All About Imports in Mississauga. Have a question about maintenance and repair? E-mail globedrive@globeandmail.com, placing “Lou’s Garage” in the subject line.
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