forgot almost all i knew about this car, havent been drivin it in awhile. had some trouble startin recently. air filter was disgusting so that was tossed. now gettin INF REST light after its been runnin awhile. what is that?
basic question, but im pretty new to these types of cars. havent had time or $$$ to do much to it or learn much.
btw its a 90rs 305tbi.

thanks.

:lala:

 

Mine flashes when I first start the car, and I have no idea what it meens. Id also like to know what it is for.

 

prolly secret code for 'fix me'.

 

Inflatable Restraint. (Air Bag)

It is supposed to flash when the car starts up.

If it is staying on you have a problem with yours. Which may mean it will not deploy if you get into an accident.

 

Inflatable Restraint. (Air Bag)

That makes sence. every car Ive had with an air bag has a light that flashes when you first start the car

 

air bag. figures. who needs it. got bigger worries. thanks for the info

 

I tell my wife that I've had a passenger side air bag in my vehicles for 30 years - then I duck.

Actually, the INL REST lamp should flash when the ignition is turned on, and when the engine is started. The number of flashes is supposed to be equal to the number of sensors and loads (I/O devices) the SIR control module has connected to it. Every flash is supposed to indicate a successful test of an individual sensor or load, but don't ask me what the order is on your car.

This is just my opinion, but if you wear a harness all the time, the air bags are just another dangerous device in the vehicle - like a cell phone or video display. If air bags were "all that", you'd have seen them in compettitive vehicles (like F1, Grand Nationals, and Indy cars) in the late '60s, when GM first developed them. GM developed the system, spent untold hours testing, and concluded that they were more dangerous than the limited safety margin offered would be worth. Even though the public could purchase them on some GM cars as early as 1973, I think they were right. Put a NASCAR chassis into the barrier at 220, and walk away, without having to peel the air bag off your face. Then try that in a Ford Focus....

But, I digress. Since you already have the system installed in your car, you might as well diagnose and repair it. Then disconnect the gas generator(s) for your own safety. Then, don't even move the car without being strapped in. I never do, never have.

 

I agree with Vader on the airbag thing.

I've never owned a car with an airbag, and that's through choice. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but there's something about sitting with my face 2 feet from a loaded weapon that I just don't like.

Another (rather debatable) point with airbags is this...If you drive with your doors locked, like many people do, one of the safety devices linked with the airbag would be the doors unlocking themselves in the event of an accident, thus allowing you to exit the vehicle. I know of a few cars over here that have such a device.
If this is the case, surely giving the front end of a car a sufficient whack would trigger the airbag and unlock the doors, allowing access for thieves and the like? I'm pretty sure the ignition does not have to be on for the airbag to work, given that a car could roll into oncoming traffic etc...

Any thoughts?

 

actualy not to long down the road hopefully, I plan on disabling the airbag and replacing the stearing wheel.

maybe I'll throw the airbag into the field behind my house and see how many years it takes for it to go off! :lala:

 

Well, mine doesn't work, but it saves me about 300 a year on insurance, so its good for somthing.

 

Slammed into a wall going 50 mph in my 2001 Firebird a year ago after another driver bumped the rear side of my vehicle at highway speeds sending spinning across 3 lanes of traffic.

The Air bag went off, and when the dust cleared I got out of the car and was completely unharmed. Damage done $7800.

Compared that to the time I got into a head on collision in my 83 380 SEL Mercedes with no Airbags at 30 miles an hour and I ended up going to the hospital. Damage done $3600.

Was wearing my seat belt in both accidents.

The 380 is 208 inches long and weighs 3800lbs whereas the firebird is 193" and 3300 lbs. In insurance institute crash tests the Mercedes was rated "Excellent", the Firebird is rated "Acceptable" in front offset and "Good" in full frontal.

Fact of the matter is for me, the average sized male driver, for whom the Air Bag system works best with, I believe Airbags probably saved my life or at least saved me from signifigant injury.

Generally it seems insurance companies and crash statistics would seem to agree.

 

Hey Si_Camaro The airbag sensor is an inertia switch. This means that the sensor has to be moving and then come to a sudden stop to activate the airbags. Hitting it with a hammer does'nt work about 95% if the time on GM vehicles. It would take one hell of a wack to set it off. Also, on our cars it would be nearly impossible to hit it with anything without taking off the front end.