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

[airedale at sbcglobal.net]

Great explanation & interesting story.
John
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nathan Goodlet" <nathang at texoma.net>
To: "Mercedes Coupes Mailing Lists" <mbcoupes at mbcoupes.com>
Sent: Saturday, December 24, 2005 8:08 AM
Subject: Re: [W126 Coupe] I'll be needing a new hood...


> 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
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