will my airbag work without...

1. Flimbo Regular Poster Joined: Feb 2003 United Kingdom (England) Posts: 417 '98 saxo. '96 mx5 gleneagles

   #1 19th December 2006, 16:18

   i've had my buckets fitted for a few years now and love them. i've got four point harnesses with them, but i've never connected the seatbelt pre-tensioner things to the old seat belt clip.
   
   so i'm asking if my airbag would actually go off without this connection? is it like a full circuit where everything has to be completed?
   
   i'm wanting to replace my standard steering wheel with an after market one, but the thought of an airbag is swaying me to keep the standard wheel.
   if it wont work anyway, i may as well get an aftermarket wheel.
   
   thanks, matt
2. stevenet15 Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: Jun 2006 aylesbury buckinghamshire Posts: 4822 Astra Turbo, saxo vts, punto turbo

   #2 19th December 2006, 16:31

   i am 99% sure it has to have the pretensioners for it work mate, if i remeber right you can bridge the pretensioner wires with a 5A fuse and it will trick the airbag ecu to think that its there and connected, same with the airbag wires if u put an aftermarkert steerign wheel on
3. saunders Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: May 2006 Kent Posts: 3669 Fiat Seicento, MK2 Furio 2000 X, Pug 206

   #3 19th December 2006, 16:33

   your airbag will still work, its just for the pretensioners, but if u fit an aftermarket steering wheel then obvoiusly your airbag wont work. Just keep it to the side to fit back on when u sell
4. stevenet15 Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: Jun 2006 aylesbury buckinghamshire Posts: 4822 Astra Turbo, saxo vts, punto turbo

   #4 19th December 2006, 16:35

   i thought it had to have the pretensioners workign of not the airbag light flashes and deactivates the airbags as it will burn ur face if the pretensioners dont hold u back in your seat
5. Euphoria Frequent Poster Joined: Oct 2006 Essex - Harlow Posts: 889 106 GTi

   #5 19th December 2006, 16:35

   the airbag can still work even without being connected...
   
   its like an explosive, dosent have to be connected to anything, it could go off if u leave it in a shed, drop it, etcx etc etc
6. saunders Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: May 2006 Kent Posts: 3669 Fiat Seicento, MK2 Furio 2000 X, Pug 206

   #6 19th December 2006, 16:37

   i thought that it will still go off anyway, cos it would hurt less than the sterring wheel on its own, but i may be wrong. Im sure somone on here siad there airbag light was on and it still went off in an accident
7. saunders Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: May 2006 Kent Posts: 3669 Fiat Seicento, MK2 Furio 2000 X, Pug 206

   #7 19th December 2006, 16:38

   Quote:

   Originally Posted by Euphoria the airbag can still work even without being connected... its like an explosive, dosent have to be connected to anything, it could go off if u leave it in a shed, drop it, etcx etc etc

   i think he means durin an accident
8. Flimbo Regular Poster Joined: Feb 2003 United Kingdom (England) Posts: 417 '98 saxo. '96 mx5 gleneagles

   #8 19th December 2006, 16:38

   yeh that was another point.
   i dont have the runners on my buckets, and i'm sitting considerably lower than in standard seats.
   
   i often wonder how this might affect my face with the airbag. and if harnesses instead of seatbelts will make a difference.
   
   after all, the airbag system was designed with standard seats and seatbelts in mind. sometimes i wonder if i would be safer to run without an airbag.
9. stevenet15 Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: Jun 2006 aylesbury buckinghamshire Posts: 4822 Astra Turbo, saxo vts, punto turbo

   #9 19th December 2006, 16:38

   Quote:

   Originally Posted by Euphoria the airbag can still work even without being connected... its like an explosive, dosent have to be connected to anything, it could go off if u leave it in a shed, drop it, etcx etc etc

   
   what he is asking is will his car TRY set it off if he crashes even tho the pretensioners disconnected
10. stevenet15 Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: Jun 2006 aylesbury buckinghamshire Posts: 4822 Astra Turbo, saxo vts, punto turbo

    #10 19th December 2006, 16:39

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by saunders i think he means durin an accident

    beat me to it all 3 posts at 16:38 lol
11. Flimbo Regular Poster Joined: Feb 2003 United Kingdom (England) Posts: 417 '98 saxo. '96 mx5 gleneagles

    #11 19th December 2006, 16:40

    Quote:

    stevenet15 Quote: Originally Posted by Euphoria the airbag can still work even without being connected... its like an explosive, dosent have to be connected to anything, it could go off if u leave it in a shed, drop it, etcx etc etc what he is asking is will his car TRY set it off if he crashes even tho the pretensioners disconnected

    yeh sorry, i thought that was clear!
12. Euphoria Frequent Poster Joined: Oct 2006 Essex - Harlow Posts: 889 106 GTi

    #12 19th December 2006, 16:41

    lol im not too sure then , altho i would think so ask dealer?
13. saunders Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: May 2006 Kent Posts: 3669 Fiat Seicento, MK2 Furio 2000 X, Pug 206

    #13 19th December 2006, 16:46

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Euphoria lol im not too sure then , altho i would think so ask dealer?

    i wouldn't ask the dealer as there likely to lie n rip u off, imsure someone must know.
    
    
    But if ur gonna fit another sterring wheel i wouldn't worry till u get it fitted back on mate
14. Flimbo Regular Poster Joined: Feb 2003 United Kingdom (England) Posts: 417 '98 saxo. '96 mx5 gleneagles

    #14 19th December 2006, 16:48

    thats the thing saunders.
    
    i'd like a new wheel, but the thing about the airbag is what is influencing me. if it still works, i may be persuaded to keep the standard wheel.
    
    if the airbag doesn't still work, there is no need to keep the standard wheel.
15. Euphoria Frequent Poster Joined: Oct 2006 Essex - Harlow Posts: 889 106 GTi

    #15 19th December 2006, 16:51

    lets be honest if u crash a saxo at a fast enough speed for the airbag to go off ur already dead...
16. l1ukeRS Saxperience Forum Bum Joined: Oct 2005 Telford United Kingdom (England) Posts: 3962 Focus RS Saxo Vtr

    #16 19th December 2006, 16:56

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Beat Me Too It
17. craig180p Yorkshire Joined: Dec 2005 West Yorkshire Posts: 31079 1989 Golf GTi Clipper

    #17 19th December 2006, 17:02

    You won't need an airbag if you have decent harnesses! The seatbelt pretensioners will omly go off if they are connected (ie to the airbag ecu under the dash)
    
    What happens is the ecu had a decelerometer in it and if it detects your car stopping too quickly (ie into a wall or another car) it sends an electrical charge to the airbag and pretensioners setting them off.
    
    Buy a wheel without an airbag and you can take out the ecu and all the wiring and save a bit of weight at the same time!
18. Flimbo Regular Poster Joined: Feb 2003 United Kingdom (England) Posts: 417 '98 saxo. '96 mx5 gleneagles

    #18 19th December 2006, 17:06

    hmmm interesting point about the harness and airbag combination.
    
    looks like the aftermarket wheel is gettin closer!