[W126 Coupe] I'll be needing a new hood...

[Nathan Goodlet]

Hi guys, Nathan the Lurker here.

Paul, so sorry to hear about your car's front end and hood damage, That'll 
be very expensive! Aluminum hood y'know.
I'll predict that they call your car a total loss.
Your car's  Supplimental Restraint System would have been defective if it 
HAD depolyed in the accident you describe, it doesn't care where the impact 
is, it only measures forward G-forces and the sensor is in the middle, 
because it only cares about the forces on the passenger compartment , and 
only reacts to them when they are severe enough to cause injury, and even 
then, the system has a calculated and progressive response.

The Supplimental Restraint System in the SEC is SUPPOSED to register on 
start-up self test whether both air bag and explosive seat belt tensioner 
systems test as functional, and then the G-force sensor detects the severity 
of forward G-force and only deploy the air bags if the forces are severe, it 
is supposed to be smart emough to deploy the seatbelt tensioner charge 
alone, if the force is mild enough to justify SRS but not quite severe to 
require the air bag. The air bag would go off earlier, if the system knows 
the seat belt tensioner didn't pass self test, and there is no medium force 
option. In a full tilt frontal crash, both airbag and seat belt tensioner 
should go off

Many list members have had cars totalled from behind.
One was hit by a truck from behind hard enough to snap off the front seat 
backs, smashed the rear end of the car almost to the rear glass, and was 
pushed INTO another truck had enough to smash the whole front of the car 
almost to the glass, the air bags did not and should not have deployed, as 
there were no forward G-forces on the passenger compartment. Even after that 
abuse, the doors opened fine and no passenger compartment glass was broken.

Good luck.
Marry Christmas and a very Safe and Happy New Year to all you guys and girls 
and your families.
Nathan