Supplementary Restraint System Precautions

GENERAL INFORMATION

03-18

Ignition system safety precautions
The vehicle's ignition system produces high voltage 
and the following precautions should be observed 
before carrying out any work on the system.

WARNING: Before commencing work on an 
ignition system, ensure all high tension 
terminals, adapters and diagnostic equipment 
are adequately insulated and shielded to prevent 
accidental personal contacts and minimise the 
risk of shock. Wearers of surgically implanted 
pacemaker devices should not be in close 
proximity of ignition circuits or diagnostic 
equipment.

Disciplines
Switch off the ignition prior to making any connection 
or disconnection in the system to prevent electrical 
surges caused by disconnecting 'live' connections 
damaging electronic components.

Ensure hands and work surfaces are clean and free 
of grease, swarf, etc. Grease collects dirt which can 
cause electrical tracking (short-circuits) or high-
resistance contacts.

When handling printed circuit boards, treat with care 
and hold by the edges only; note that some electronic 
components are susceptible to body static.

Connectors should never be subjected to forced 
removal or refit, especially inter-board connectors. 
Damaged contacts can cause short-circuit and open-
circuit fault conditions.

Prior to commencing test, and periodically during a 
test, touch a good vehicle body earth to discharge 
static charge. Some electronic components are 
vulnerable to the static electricity that may be 
generated by the operator.

Grease for electrical connectors
Some under bonnet and under body connectors may 
be protected against corrosion by the application of a 
special grease during vehicle production. Should 
connectors be disturbed in service, repaired or 
replaced, additional grease should be applied: Part 
No. BAU 5811, available in 150 gm tubs. 

NOTE: The use of greases other than BAU 5811 
must be avoided as they can migrate into relays, 
switches etc. contaminating the contacts and leading 
to intermittent operation or failure.

Supplementary Restraint System 
Precautions

General
The Supplementary Restraint System (SRS) 
provides active protection for vehicle occupants in 
the event of a serious collision. The system 
components include airbags and pretensioner seat 
belts which are automatically deployed when a 
severe frontal crash condition is detected.

In order to assure system integrity, it is essential that 
the SRS system is regularly checked and maintained 
so that it is ready for operation in the event of an 
accident.

The SRS system contains components which could 
be potentially hazardous to the service engineer if 
not serviced and handled correctly. The following  
guidelines are intended to alert the service engineer 
to potential sources of danger and emphasise the 
importance of ensuring integrity of the SRS 
components fitted to the vehicle.

Where necessary, additional specific precautions are 
detailed in the Restraint Systems section of this 
Manual which should be referred to prior to 
commencing repair operations.

It should be noted that these precautions are not 
restricted to operations performed when servicing 
the SRS system. The same care should be exercised 
when working on ancillary systems and components 
located in the vicinity of SRS components; these 
include but are not limited to steering system (driver's 
airbag), body and trim components (passenger's 
airbag and seat belt pretensioners) and electrical 
system components (SRS harnesses etc.).