Post by Aurora40 on Jan 2, 2006 14:53:30 GMT -6
2001 AURORA RAISES THE BAR ON SAFETY
Across all automotive segments, from luxury, to sport utility, to economy, there is one thing that every driver and passenger shares - the need to feel safe. The Aurora benefits from ongoing GM safety research and development programs. The use of unique computer modeling, biomechanical studies, field crash research and an extensive program of product testing have made GM a world leader in automotive safety research. GM’s approach to automotive safety is two fold: avoiding crashes in the first place and helping to protect all occupants in the event of a collision.
Stopping Crashes Before They Occur
The Aurora has a comprehensive list of crash avoidance features. Equipped with a high-performance chassis, world-class anti-lock brakes and an amazingly precise steering system, the 2001 Aurora puts more control in the driver, particularly in a dangerous situation.
“Most crashes are avoidable,” said Anna Kretz, vehicle line executive, Aurora. “By giving our drivers outstanding safety performance equipment, we’ve taken the first step in helping to keep them safe on the road.”
GM World Leader in Automotive Safety Research
Driver in Control
A balanced chassis design is one key to avoidance of collisions. To achieve the all-around balance necessary for excellent maneuverability, mass has been shifted rearward where possible. The battery is positioned under the rear seat and the hood is aluminum to save several pounds over the front wheels. The 4.0 Aurora also uses an aluminum deck lid.
Crash avoidance systems on the 2001 Aurora include traction control and a Precision Control System (PCS). Both systems are standard on the 4.0 and available as options on the 3.5.
Aurora’s traction control system uses both torque reduction and front brake applications to minimize wheel spinning and slippage during slippery road conditions.
The PCS is a vehicle stability system that uses advanced electronic equipment to enhance cornering stability during adverse driving circumstances. PCS is automatic and requires no added driver action.
The 2001 Aurora uses the Delco-Bosch 5.3 four-channel anti-lock braking (ABS) system. ABS is no longer breakthrough technology, but it continues to be a cornerstone for some of the world’s most innovative safety developments available on current vehicles. Principally designed for added control on slippery surfaces, ABS also can help stabilize the vehicle when making a
Balanced Chassis Design
Crash Avoidance
Traction Control System
Precision Control System
Anti-lock Braking
panic stop on dry roads. ABS brake capabilities are most dramatic on roads covered with ice, rain, or snow and help drivers maintain control, stop straight and also steer while the vehicle is coming to a stop.
The Aurora also features Magnasteer, a speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion system to increase or decrease steering effort as needed. In addition to continually adjusting steering effort at various road speeds, Magnasteer is designed to react to other conditions. If the PCS system is engaged, steering effort is actively increased to provide greater driver control. Controlling steering effort in this manner aids the driver in handling emergency maneuvers.
To help avoid driver distractions in wet weather conditions, the 2001 Aurora features rain sensing automatic windshield wipers. Once the wipers are turned on and set in the delay mode, sensors detect the amount of moisture on the windshield and automatically engage the windshield wipers. The system will automatically adjust wiper speed and frequency eliminating the need for the driver to constantly adjust the delay and speed modes to the weather conditions. This feature is standard with the 4.0 and available as an option for the 3.5.
The interior rear view mirror also incorporates an electrochromic reflective surface that dims under light to prevent the driver from being bothered by headlamps from other vehicles following behind.
Magnasteer
Rain Sensing Automatic Windshield Wipers
Dimming Rear View Mirror
One of the most fundamental aspects of safety and crash avoidance is an effective lighting system. The Aurora’s headlamp design is not only attractive to look at but also highly functional. The 2001 Aurora comes standard with daytime running lamps which automatically switch to full head and taillamp operation at dusk. Also enhancing visibility are standard front and rear fog lamps (clear lens in front, red in back) and a full width, roof mounted CHMSL.
Crash Protection
The goal is to help drivers avoid collisions and injury in the first place - but if a crash occurs, protection of the Aurora occupants was a major factor in the design of the car.
Extensive crash tests were conducted at GM to assure that the Aurora’s body structure met not only government-mandated safety standards but also satisfied GM’s internal performance goals. The Aurora was designed as an integrated system to provide high levels of protection for a vehicle in the luxury segment.
To help protect passengers in the event of
a crash, the Aurora is manufactured with a safety-cage design that maximizes structural strength using an advanced spot welding and adhesive techniques. With this enhanced design, the structural members are built to deform in a calculated manner and absorb crash energy before in gets into the passenger cabin.
Effective Lighting
Rear Fog Lamps
High Safety Standards
Safety-Cage Design
Inside the Aurora, the interior appointments use special energy-absorbing materials to further protect passengers in the case of a collision. The steering column, door panels and armrests, potential causes of injury, have been designed to minimize the force of a collision by absorbing energy. To help protect the legs and knees of front seat passengers, the instrument panel knee bolsters also have been modified.
Safety belts have long been an important and effective safety feature. For the 2001 Aurora, the front safety belts are mounted directly to the seat structure to help assure that they are properly adjusted for any size passenger.
In a rear crash, Aurora’s self-aligning headrest built into the front seat-backs use the rearward movement of the driver’s or passenger’s upper torso to rotate the headrest closer to the occupant’s head.
To supplement safety belt protection in more severe crashes, the 2001 Aurora uses a four-air bag system. The first, like most vehicles, is integrated into the steering wheel. The second air bag for the right front passenger is a seamless design in which a portion of the instrument panel pad lifts in the event of a deployment. The deployment threshold is also set high, to reduce the potential for air bag deployment at lower speeds.
The two front side air bags offer additional torso protection in the event of a significant lateral collision. To reduce the chance of
Energy-Absorbing Materials
New Safety Belt Mounting
Self-aligning Headrest
Four-air Bag System
Standard Front Side Air Bags
an unwarranted air bag deployment at lower speeds, the system has been designed to engage only in higher impact situations.
Safety: The Technology
Convenience is another measure of safety, and that means building a car that monitors its environment and warns against dangerous situations or potential trouble. Whether its theft deterrence, battery monitoring or making the Aurora child-friendly, Oldsmobile has set out to provide outstanding convenience and safety - on the open road or parked in a remote lot.
The 2001 Aurora is theft-guarded by a standard InKey theft deterrent system, which will lock the ignition in the event the car has been accessed without the proper key. To alert passers-by, the Aurora will repeatedly sound its horn and flash its lights.
To help protect against unnecessary battery power drainage, the 2001 Aurora monitors any excessive power usage - from interior lamps that have been left on, to general system overloads while the engine is running. Through an electronic load management system, the Aurora will adjust power as needed, while also providing power to locks, windows and audio controls for up to 10 minutes after the engine has been shut off.
The Aurora also features a tire inflation monitor, which keeps a constant check on tire pressure. By monitoring wheel speed, the Aurora alerts the driver that a tire’s pressure is significantly lower
InKey Theft Deterrent
Battery Rundown Protection
Tire Inflation Monitor
than the remaining tires. The warning is integrated into the Aurora’s driver information center (DIC).
Keeping Children Safe
Child safety is always an area of special attention for parents and drivers with children in the car. The 2001 Aurora, in addition to its class-leading safety features, has included some special details for the next generation.
Three rear seat anchors located on the rear package shelf provide a solid upper attachment for child seats. Anchors increase child protection by limiting the movement of a child seat in a frontal collision.
Also standard on all Auroras are rear door child security locks, to help prevent children from opening car doors in inappropriate or dangerous situations.
Rear Seat Anchors
Child Security Locks
