Patriot 4WD L4-2.4L (2009)
Air Bag: Description and Operation
Driver Air Bag - 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 horn switch within the hub cavity of the four-spoke steering wheel. 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 folded airbag cushion, the airbag housing, the airbag inflator and the retainers that secure the
inflator to the housing. The airbag cushion, housing (3), and inflator (2) 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 two mounting tabs (5) extend from the housing to
secure the housing to the horn switch.
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 67.3 centimeter (26.5 inch) diameter 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 (4) 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 may be
disassembled from the driver airbag unit, and is available for individual service replacement.
