Passenger side airbag off switch
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I am wanting to remove both facial explosive devices from my steed. Any future advice would be appreciated.
I now have some more info on this topic.
A company called AOI Electrical makes an airbag on-off switch that meets all safety requirements, but they obviously have no experience with an Elise. He said he tried to install one on a Ferrari and ended up disabling the entire system and having to pay the dealer to repair it-so he is not anxious to dive into the Elise!
When the switch is used to turn the passenger side bag off, it must send a signal to the computer fooling it to think that the airbag is still in line. This is so the dash warning light doesn't come on alerting you that there is a fault in the system.
What we need is the wiring diagram and the exact resistance of the airbag so the switch can be set up to duplicate it.
They said this resistance number is sometimes hard to get from the manufacturers.
Can anyone help obtain this info or know who I should talk to?
A company called AOI Electrical makes an airbag on-off switch that meets all safety requirements, but they obviously have no experience with an Elise. He said he tried to install one on a Ferrari and ended up disabling the entire system and having to pay the dealer to repair it-so he is not anxious to dive into the Elise!
When the switch is used to turn the passenger side bag off, it must send a signal to the computer fooling it to think that the airbag is still in line. This is so the dash warning light doesn't come on alerting you that there is a fault in the system.
What we need is the wiring diagram and the exact resistance of the airbag so the switch can be set up to duplicate it.
They said this resistance number is sometimes hard to get from the manufacturers.
Can anyone help obtain this info or know who I should talk to?
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2,195 Posts
Stupid question, but can't the resistance be measured with an ohmmeter? For an accurate reading around 2ohms, you might need a good one.
Does the airbag also get power, or is it just an igniter coil you're measuring?
Does the airbag also get power, or is it just an igniter coil you're measuring?
>>>Apart from installing an infant car seat, why would you want to disable the passenger air bag<<<
On a track car, you might be running with a Helmet and harnesses during an off track episode. In such cases there can be more than one bump event. And during this period, the driver may wish to be aware of what is going on so that some (possibly limited) corrections can be made to minimize the matter.
Sometimes it's safer to have an ABS off switch too. (or just run with one sensor unplugged) That way on a track with sandy/gravelly soil boundaries the car can be more easily stopped. Since on loose material ABS greatly lengthens the stopping distance. On such surfaces, a locked wheel is best as it builds up a wall of the material in front of it which increases the stopping power.
On a track car, you might be running with a Helmet and harnesses during an off track episode. In such cases there can be more than one bump event. And during this period, the driver may wish to be aware of what is going on so that some (possibly limited) corrections can be made to minimize the matter.
Sometimes it's safer to have an ABS off switch too. (or just run with one sensor unplugged) That way on a track with sandy/gravelly soil boundaries the car can be more easily stopped. Since on loose material ABS greatly lengthens the stopping distance. On such surfaces, a locked wheel is best as it builds up a wall of the material in front of it which increases the stopping power.
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Another answer to your question would be that thousands of vehicles every year are recalled for wiring faults resulting in fires, system failures, and a few years back in the case of one pony car manufacturer... the discharge of the airbags if a person happened to be slamming the door and turning the key in the ignition simultaneously.biobaggie said:Apart from installing an infant car seat, why would you want to disable the passenger air bag
When they can't get elementary wiring right after years of practice, then I personally feel extremely uncomfortable with the thought of an explosive device going off while i'm on track and use a kerb or simply driving on a road. I'm also near sighted and wear glasses , so I really look forward to having them smashed in my face.
Mercedes Benz cars are dropping down the quality ratings due to faulty/unreliable looms, admittedly complex but why use the customer for the testing.
that's my view towards this issue.
m
I guess I am strange, but I prefer to avoid having explosive devices pointed at my face.biobaggie said:Apart from installing an infant car seat, why would you want to disable the passenger air bag
Your chances of surviving an accident while wearing a seatbelt are only marginally improved by an airbag. So the risk of having the device go off in a non-life threatening situation outweighs the increased risks of not having an airbag when wearing a seatbelt for me.
And I would like to allow my child to ride in the car at some point. The airbag precludes it.
Greg
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True. However (and there's always a however), the type and seriousness of injuries that occur with and without airbags very greatly. Without airbags, injuries tend to be more serious head injuries (concussions, neck injuries, etc). With airbags, they tend to be less serious (abrasions, broken arm, etc.).Racer X said:
The bottom line is that the odds of an airbag reducing injuries in a wreck greatly outweigh the risk of one going off when it shouldn't and causing an injury.
Tim,
If I recall correctly, you are in the medical field so I won't disagree with your statements.
It is partly a philosophical issue for me. I like choices! I don't like to be forced to do something. If I were a motorcycle rider, I would ride with a full face helmet and full "leathers", maybe with armor. That is the level of safety I am comfortable with on a motorcycle.
Airbags were originally designed to protect unrestrained passengers. I don't drive unrestrained! I would prefer wider seatbelts that cinch. That would probably reduce the injuries sustained from belts. I don't like driving with my thumbs outside the rim to keep them from getting broken by an airbag. I don't like the fact that airbag wheels geneally obstruct part of the gauge package.
I don't like side airbags! If they spent more money on the structure of the car (side intrusion, crumple zones) and DRIVER EDUCATION and TRAINING, stricter licensing, we would be safer than with the money spent on airbags.
How many cars get totalled, not because of damage to the car, but because multiple airbags deployed. How much more does it cost to dispose of a car because of the need to remove the airbags?
Of course this is not a rant at you, I just don't need the government to be my mother, I have one. I don't like paying for things I don't want.
Happy Motoring
Greg
If I recall correctly, you are in the medical field so I won't disagree with your statements.
It is partly a philosophical issue for me. I like choices! I don't like to be forced to do something. If I were a motorcycle rider, I would ride with a full face helmet and full "leathers", maybe with armor. That is the level of safety I am comfortable with on a motorcycle.
Airbags were originally designed to protect unrestrained passengers. I don't drive unrestrained! I would prefer wider seatbelts that cinch. That would probably reduce the injuries sustained from belts. I don't like driving with my thumbs outside the rim to keep them from getting broken by an airbag. I don't like the fact that airbag wheels geneally obstruct part of the gauge package.
I don't like side airbags! If they spent more money on the structure of the car (side intrusion, crumple zones) and DRIVER EDUCATION and TRAINING, stricter licensing, we would be safer than with the money spent on airbags.
How many cars get totalled, not because of damage to the car, but because multiple airbags deployed. How much more does it cost to dispose of a car because of the need to remove the airbags?
Of course this is not a rant at you, I just don't need the government to be my mother, I have one. I don't like paying for things I don't want.
Happy Motoring
Greg
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3,204 Posts
As I recall the Airbag WAS designed as a stand alone restraint system. I will be using 5 point harnesses in my car for track days and don't care to have the explosive devices pointing at my face either...
friend of my mother inlaw's was driving on a surface street in Berkeley Ca. with her left hand at 12 oclock and was involved in a relatively insignifigant fender bender. The Airbag did deploy abruptly snding her left wrist into contact with her nose resulting in her nose AND wrist being broken. DOUBLE OUCH!
friend of my mother inlaw's was driving on a surface street in Berkeley Ca. with her left hand at 12 oclock and was involved in a relatively insignifigant fender bender. The Airbag did deploy abruptly snding her left wrist into contact with her nose resulting in her nose AND wrist being broken. DOUBLE OUCH!
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Perhaps in the USA, but not in Europe where seat belt use is mandatory in all countries.perryeyges said:
All airbag systems in europe are labeled 'supplementary restraint system' only and rely completely on the occupants using their seatbelts.
These airbag(s) are only there to reduce head-trauma from hitting the steering wheel as the seat belts stretch or (in the case of side-bags/curtains) of hitting the 'B' pillar with your head.
This difference is also clear fromt he size of the (inflated) airbag. A US-design airbag is about 2 to 4 times bigger than the european version, with the bigger explosive charge to inflate it of course, which gives a whole set of additional problems for smaller people.
Bye, Arno.
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Seat belt use is mandatory in the US. Unfortunately some people don't comply. Thanks to these bozos, we have airbags that are more powerful than needed. Though several innovations have come forth in the last few years that make the bags a bit more 'smart'.
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Ok I'm in position for the screaming at I'm about to get......................
I have 5 children some of whom are still in booster seats, not to be confused with infant seats. Yes, I will take them to school, church and other activities in the Elise using a booster seat. I spoke with a source that will remain without name and was told that computer analysis was done for a senerio in which the Elise was in an accident and a child in a booster seat was in the passanger position. The result was very good. I'm not going to drive coast to coast this way with my 5 year old but for a couple of miles back and forth to a soccer game, I will. I have a hell of a lot of confidence in Lotus and their engineering.
I have 5 children some of whom are still in booster seats, not to be confused with infant seats. Yes, I will take them to school, church and other activities in the Elise using a booster seat. I spoke with a source that will remain without name and was told that computer analysis was done for a senerio in which the Elise was in an accident and a child in a booster seat was in the passanger position. The result was very good. I'm not going to drive coast to coast this way with my 5 year old but for a couple of miles back and forth to a soccer game, I will. I have a hell of a lot of confidence in Lotus and their engineering.
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Should not be an issue at all to transport kids in the Elise this way if they are on proper booster seats and wear the seatbelt in the correct way.
The passenger airbag in the Fed-Elise IMHO is more a 'token effort' than anything significant as the passenger seat is mounted so far back that any passenger will have a seriously hard time even getting in reach of the airbag (especially when the pyrotechnic belt tensioner fires and you get pulled back in the seat)
Bye, Arno.
The passenger airbag in the Fed-Elise IMHO is more a 'token effort' than anything significant as the passenger seat is mounted so far back that any passenger will have a seriously hard time even getting in reach of the airbag (especially when the pyrotechnic belt tensioner fires and you get pulled back in the seat)
Bye, Arno.
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