Commander 2WD V8-4.7L VIN P Flex Fuel (2007)
Air Bag: Description and Operation
Driver Airbag
Description
DESCRIPTION
The injection molded, thermoplastic driver airbag protective trim cover (2) is the most visible part of the driver airbag. The driver airbag is located in the
center of the steering wheel (1), where it is secured with two screws to the two horizontal spokes of the four-spoke steering wheel armature. An injection
molded, bright emblem with the Jeep(R) logo is applied to the center of the trim cover.
Concealed beneath the driver air bag trim cover are the horn switch, the folded airbag cushion, the airbag housing, the airbag inflator and the retainers
that secure the inflator to the housing. The airbag cushion (1), housing (5), and inflator (4) are secured within an integral receptacle molded into the back
of the trim cover. The four vertical walls of this receptacle have numerous small windows with blocking tabs that are engaged by numerous hook
formations around the perimeter of the airbag housing. Each hook is inserted through one of the windows and the blocking tab in each window keeps the
hook properly engaged with the trim cover, locking the trim cover securely into place on the airbag housing.
The resistive membrane-type horn switch is secured within a plastic tray that is inserted in a pocket or pouch sewn onto the airbag cushion retainer strap,
between the trim cover and the folded airbag cushion. The horn switch ground and feed pigtail wires have a molded plastic connector insulator (3) that is
secured by an integral retainer in a locator hole near the upper left corner of the airbag housing and is connected to the vehicle electrical system through
a dedicated take out and connector of the steering wheel wire harness.
The airbag used in this vehicle is a multistage-type that complies with revised federal airbag standards to deploy with less force than those used in some
prior vehicles. A radial deploying fabric airbag cushion with internal tethers is used. The airbag inflator is a dual-initiator, non-azide, pyrotechnic-type
unit with four mounting studs and is secured to the stamped metal airbag housing using four flanged hex nuts. Two keyed and color-coded connector
receptacles on the driver airbag inflator connect the two inflator initiators to the vehicle electrical system through two yellow-jacketed, two-wire pigtail
harnesses of the clockspring.
The driver airbag cannot be repaired, and must be replaced if deployed, ineffective, or in any way damaged. The driver airbag trim cover, the horn
switch and the cruise control switches may be disassembled from the driver airbag unit, and are available for individual service replacement.
Operation
