Motoring Discussion > airbags	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Bellboy	Replies: 30

Wed 4 Aug 10 22:33   airbags - Bellboy

sensible advice or just a lot of hot air? www.safespeed.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=22964&p=227016 Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 4 Aug 10 23:52   airbags - henry k

>>sensible advice or just a lot of hot air? >> Certainly interesting. "Citylink and DHL agree to handle the devices but only when clearly labelled and couriered through their Dangerous Goods Department." How are airbags normally delivered to dealers and what precautions are taken ? Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 09:32   airbags - Chris S

An airbag is basically an unexploded bomb - they've killed people who've sat to close to them. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 09:42   airbags - Old Sock

>> An airbag is basically an unexploded bomb - they've killed people who've sat to close >> to them. I'll remember that - next time I get in and drive :-) Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 09:44   airbags - Fenlander

When I was somewhat involved with the business I thought airbags and compressed springs the most dangerous items involved with vehicle maintenence. I always took the removal and replacement of airbags very seriously doing it all by the book. Once off the car they were treated as a potentially explosive device with regard to where they were kept. My last three cars have had comprehensive airbag & seat belt tensioner systems and I appreciate one day these systems my save the life of someone in the car. Would never mess with used parts in this area. I would never buy a rebuilt crashed car either... however cheap. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 09:47   airbags - Fenlander

BTW I remember helping someone with info... think it was through HJ a few years back... who was involved where a child had gone into the glovebox of a Peugeot and the airbag went off breaking his arm. Investigations turned up many similar incidents. You do need to be aware if an airbag goes off and you are in anything other than the perfect position it will cause injury. Last edited by: Fenlander on Thu 5 Aug 10 at 09:50 Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 09:54   airbags - DP

The steering wheel on my old Mondeo mk2 was badly worn (150k) and I sourced a cheap replacement on Ebay. The most nerve wracking job I have ever done on a car was fitting that. I disconnected the battery and left it overnight (the manual says 15 minutes is enough), and still felt a level of nerves that no other job I've done has involved. On a Mondeo (and I presume others) the airbag unit is secured to the steering wheel with two screws set in the rear face of the wheel spokes. Accessing these without having your face within inches of the airbag unit takes some serious contortion, and even then it's too close for comfort. Luckily the job went well, but it's not something I'd ever want to repeat. There are some amusing videos on YouTube of people deliberately setting off airbag units which have been removed from cars. The explosive power of these units is quite frightening. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 10:18   airbags - Skoda

Ah, one component of a car i'd be happy to pay someone else to deal with. Read recently that you should renew them on 10 years, don't know how many mfrs support that idea. That'd be an expensive job if i had it done in my 728, so many of them, and some look awkward to get to. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 10:33   airbags - -

I was all intent on doing the job when the indicator switch started playing up on the old MB, read the manual and it seemed to be quite a rigmarole to disconnect the airbag, so entrusted the job to my ex MB sparky who knows a thing or two. Who simply disconnected the thing and reconnected afterwards without a care in the world whilst i minced worryingly about ferrying coffee and biscuits as with all visitors with mobile phone at the ready. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 10:34   airbags - DP

>> don't know how many mfrs support that idea. My S60 had a label affixed on the passenger side B-pillar with a 2011 "service date" for the airbags (10 yrs old). I thought the same thing. The value of the car in no way justifies that kind of work. Seats would need to be painstakingly disassembled and reassembled, plus the headlining, dash etc etc. I cannot imagine anyone ever bothers. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 10:39   airbags - -

Visibly showing 'sell by' dates for airbags probably stops owners of out of date bags that fail to go off properly making claims. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 10:45   airbags - rtj70

There was a problem with the airbag on my old Passat - the warning light would come on complaining about different voltages in two different circuits. When they tried a few times to sort it and hadn't I said couldn't they just fit a new airbag. They said they'd have to order one in and it would take a few days. This is an item not kept in stock for obvious reasons. I seem to recall they also said they were delivered inside a metal box. I could be remembering incorrectly because it was at least 7 or 8 years ago. Reply to this message | Report message

Thu 5 Aug 10 22:16   airbags - Bellboy

ive blown a few airbags up for fun in my time a chappie i know ruined two fingers by blowing used airbags up for his employer to comply with abi rules of the time for cat b cars hes still not a happy bunny and i dont blame him as regards my link i think its a dubious way of trying to get our govt to ban s/h airbags,this i dont agree with for many reasons the main one being containment of basic rights to trade in something someone may need rather than paying overpriced dealer prices a contained steel box is the way to store these explosive devices Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 09:55   airbags - movilogo

I didn't even know you can fit 2nd hand airbags!! Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 10:16   airbags - midlifecrisis

Police officer in the US was killed when he tried to open a car with a slim jim. He was sliding it into the door when the side airbag went off. The force of the activation fired the slim jim up through his chin into his brain. That is the reason we don't carry them any more. On a lighter note..be careful what you bop too. www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsHt3PZBN6Q Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 13:08   airbags - 832ark

>> Police officer in the US was killed when he tried to open a car with >> a slim jim. He was sliding it into the door when the side airbag went >> off. The force of the activation fired the slim jim up through his chin into >> his brain. That is the reason we don't carry them any more. >> Mythbusters looked into this and concluded that it couldn't have happened. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 13:14   airbags - FotheringtonTomas

>> Police officer in the US was killed when he tried to open a car with >> a slim jim. He was sliding it into the door when the side airbag went >> off. The force of the activation fired the slim jim up through his chin into >> his brain. www.snopes.com/autos/hazards/slimjim.asp >> That is the reason we don't carry them any more. Perpetuate the myth. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 13:16   airbags - IJWS14

Everybody worries about second hand airbags, How many worry about second hand cars, which include by definition, second hand air bags. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 13:25   airbags - Cpt. Flack

"Everybody worries about second hand airbags, How many worry about second hand cars, which include by definition, second hand air bags." The worry is a second hand airbag might have come from a crash damaged car where the airbag has not fired. Possibly faulty. Or might have been taken off and repacked with a spent cartridge by unscrupulous vendors. On a second hand car it doesn't go off until an impact. Where we will find out if it works or not for the first time. So not second hand. Though the car is. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 Aug 10 09:02   airbags - IJWS14

>> On a second hand car it doesn't go off until an impact. Where we will >> find out if it works or not for the first time. So not second hand. >> Though the car is. >> >> >> You don't know what impacts the car has had, many sellers don't tell you, some don't know. My copmpany car has had two minor accidents, will the lease company say so when they send it to auction? You can never be sure what you are buying when you buy second hand. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 20:01   airbags - BiggerBadderDave

"Everybody worries about second hand airbags" Really? I'm intrigued just how worried someone can be about an about airbag. Do you think it's a case of simply losing sleep or do they actually have blood in their stool? Cos I don't give them a second thought. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 13:28   airbags - midlifecrisis

News to me! The report was sent out by global e-mail throughout the Force a few years back and the slim jims were withdrawn. Myth or not, we don't carry them any more for precisely this reason. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 Aug 10 12:37   airbags - Bill Payer

>> Myth or not, we don't carry them any more for precisely this reason. >> How bizarre (and scary) that UK Police policy decisions are based in rumours found on the Internet! Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 13:16   airbags - Cpt. Flack

I don't know the layout of US car airbag systems, but here the side airbag inflation cartridge is in the "B" post or within the seat itself. Not within the door. So I don't think you would activate anything using your "slim jim" on the door. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 13:35   airbags - sherlock47

The problem might be that that the other offficer jumping on the bonnet may trigger airbag deployment. www.tinyurl.com/2uzbfdh :) Last edited by: pmh on Fri 6 Aug 10 at 13:38 Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 19:23   airbags - Skoda

How accurate is the airbag monitoring built into the car? The wee airbag light etc. Is there any readyness check the airbag ECU does? Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 22:08   airbags - DP

AFAIK, its just a circuit check of the sensors, airbag units, ECU,.and the wiring in between. If there's a problem with the pyrotechnics, it can't reveal itself until the airbag is triggered. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 6 Aug 10 23:40   airbags - bathtub tom

>>The problem might be that that the other offficer jumping on the bonnet may trigger airbag deployment. I understood their deployment was controlled by sensors, one of which would be speed. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 Aug 10 09:24   airbags - Zero

>> >>The problem might be that that the other offficer jumping on the bonnet may trigger >> airbag deployment. >> >> I understood their deployment was controlled by sensors, one of which would be speed. In modern systems yes. But speed is not required for deployment. If you are staionary and a car hits you the airbags still deploy. Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 Aug 10 09:44   airbags - Dieselfitter

Had the same thought as Cpt Flack - doors don't contain airbags, do they? Can anyone confirm? If true, this would be a myth busting fact... Reply to this message | Report message

Mon 9 Aug 10 09:50   airbags - Zero

I dont know of many cars that have airbags in the door, (there were some early ones) they are in the seat sides, the b post or the roof lining, reason being that doors deform and you dont want the airbag deployment pattern changed by a deformed door. Last edited by: Zero on Mon 9 Aug 10 at 09:52 Reply to this message | Report message