Principles Of Operation: Accelerometer
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2003 Ford Focus. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The accelerometer measures the acceleration which corresponds to the force required to slide the vehicle sideways. This acceleration comes in two forms. The first is the centrifugal acceleration which is generated when an object travels around in a circle. The second is the acceleration due to gravity. The acceleration sensor measures the acceleration only along the dual axis (or sideways) direction of the vehicle.