Off with a bang

[j77hrn]

I was driving along the M80 yesterday, sitting at a leisurely 70 and all of a sudden there was a huge bang and after the ringing in my ear stopped I realised it was the passenger airbag that had randomly gone off!

Anyone got any ideas what's caused this?

And secondly does anyone have a spare seat for a 3 door 306?

[Toms306]

I take it you mean passenger seat airbag?

I've never seen one accidentally go off. I guess you didn't hit a massive bump in the road or anything? Wonder if there was a short in the system somewhere.

Only time I've seen airbags go off without being crashed is on top gear when they did the estate challenge over properly rough roads!

[WiNgNuTz]

Lol Tom, I only watched that episode again the other day!

[j77hrn]

Never hit a bump or anything! Just cruising along and it went off! Gave me a fair fright and my girlfriend and even bigger one (along with a sore arm)

[Toms306]

And probably a brown stain on the seat I'd imagine as well.

Seriously though, I don't even expect them to still work after ~15 years! There is a sensor on the floor by each door that detects side impacts to set off the seat airbags so there shouldn't be any accidental way of triggering that. Only thing I can think of is a short somewhere, but usually the airbag system should 'see' that and disable itself, putting the light on the dash.

Cully might have a better idea when he see's this thread...

[j77hrn]

I don't understand how it happened at all! The side restraint warning light came on a week or so ago for maybe 10 minutes and then it's been off since. Mind it's back on now since it blew my poor seat apart!

[RetroPug]

Possibly the plug connecting and disconnecting with vibrations and then a sudden boltage spike in the circuit from it connecting itself?

[Toms306]

Ah, there was a dodgy connection there somewhere then! The wires under the seat become loose to cause that usually, but I haven't heard of them actually setting the airbag off.

[Niall]

The airbag system has shorting protection built in. Even if you had a air bag disconnected and shorted the pins on it, the chance of it going off are incredibly slim. We are just told to be careful of this as it is possible but like i say, incredibly slim.
Most i can think is a faulty side impact sensor. Its not uncommon for air bags to just randomly go off. A guy at work had his drivers one go off on a 4 day old Cee'd lol.

[j77hrn]

I'd never heard of it either! I'm scared driving incase another one decides to just randomly go off!

[Niall]

It won't now. Now that the system has activated, you will need a new airbag ecu and if it was the side impact sensor that set it off, chances are that will need replacing as well.

[j77hrn]

Is there any way I can just do away with the side impact airbags by getting seats that don't have them and not have the light on on the dash the whole time?

[Niall]

You could probably buy a air bag ecu from a non side airbag 306 and then unplug the seats but not sure if the connections are the same

[j77hrn]

I'll have a look I bet they are different connections though! Also is there anyway my account could be unrestricted? I'm not a spammer and wouldn't mind posting in the wanted section!

[Niall]

Tbh i would just leave it all as is. They don't just go off randomly 99% of the time and although they are bloody loud, they won't hurt you unless you're not wearing you're belt or doing something silly in which case you deserve it lol.

Sorry, if we removed you're restrictions then would have to do it for everyone. You are very almost there anyway

[Toms306]

Wont hurt you? If you're wearing short sleeves they'll burn your arm!

You could just use a resistor on the side airbag wiring under the seats... No side airbags and no flashing light then...

[j77hrn]

Yeah I had one go off before on a punto just after I hit a bollard and the car stopped and it burnt my arm! The resistor idea sounds like a good one...is it easy to do? Also are 106 and 306 rails the same for the seats to sit on?

[Niall]

Wont hurt you? If you're wearing short sleeves they'll burn your arm!

You could just use a resistor on the side airbag wiring under the seats... No side airbags and no flashing light then...

Id rather have a slight burn (never seen one to leave scarring) than smash my skull in on a nice steering wheel lol

[Toms306]

Resistor is easy if you can do basic electrics. 106 seats are much smaller, only 306 seats fit, and only 3 door ones for 3 door models...

Wont hurt you? If you're wearing short sleeves they'll burn your arm!

You could just use a resistor on the side airbag wiring under the seats... No side airbags and no flashing light then...

Id rather have a slight burn (never seen one to leave scarring) than smash my skull in on a nice steering wheel lol

Yeah, but this is the side airbag lol, likely to hit your head on a nice soft window instead. I wouldnt suggest removing the wheel airbag. Then again, the wheel airbags probably wont go off these days anyway!

[j77hrn]

I wouldn't like to find out if they do work or not! Yeah I recon I could get my head around wiring one up, I would just need told what I needed and what to do!

[MisterGTR]

I'll now be driving around in my car expecting this to happen! Especially on the M80!
Hope you get it sorted!

[rikky]

i've never had an airbag go off in the car, but i've detonated them myself outside of the car purposely (link) and i wouldn't want one anywhere near me. they get extremely hot and make a lot of mess. i read something not long ago about someone who had an airbag impression left on their eyeball after having vision problems. they went for a scan, and a distinct airbag mesh pattern was on their actual eyeball

the other day my side airbag warning light came on on my 306 randomly and then went off after about 20 mins. at first it looked like a seatbelt warning light. my airbag circuit is faulty anyway as i've put gti6 seats into mine, and the wiring has gone kaput somewhere so the main airbag light flashed continuously so i removed the bulb

[Eeyore]

Ive got 2 sets of 5 door half leathers with no side airbags if that helps you out mate.

With the dished wheel and buckets the only airbag left is the passenger one. Not sure if it works or not as the Air Bag light is on but if I removed it and had a crash and the passenger died im not sure i could live with myself... so its left in for that reason.

[rikky]

if your airbag light is on the circuit should be inoperative, so it wouldn't work anyway. i had a head on smash in my gti6 and no airbag went off as the circuit was inoperative (different seats)

[Mike]

my airbag circuit is faulty anyway as i've put gti6 seats into mine, and the wiring has gone kaput somewhere so the main airbag light flashed continuously so i removed the bulb

[Ruan]

Remember you now need the lights to come on AND go of in the MOT, not good enough to just remove the bulb.

I've got exactly the same problem currently, once the airbag sensor has activated, it's then dead, you require a new sensor AND main airbag unit to make the light go out.

Mine went off when I hit a kerb to avoid a bus pulling out on me - friend in the passenger seat and the vent in the top caught his tshirt and burnt all up his arm, made a right mess...

[Toms306]

i've never had an airbag go off in the car, but i've detonated them myself outside of the car purposely (link) and i wouldn't want one anywhere near me.

Seeing that reminded me of this, you've probably already seen it, but it's still amazing the amount of force in these things!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPolRUz3_qo

[j77hrn]

My airbag light has been flashing for ages so I'm guessing the seat airbags are possibly running on a separate circuit! I think I might just sow the seat up, find out about the resistor trick for the side airbags and then fix the seatbelt thing so the dash and steering wheel airbags will still work!

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Where abouts are you from MisterGTR? I doubt I'll be using the m80 in a rush that's for sure!

[Slam Wagon]

With the dished wheel and buckets the only airbag left is the passenger one. Not sure if it works or not as the Air Bag light is on but if I removed it and had a crash and the passenger died im not sure i could live with myself... so its left in for that reason.

Id get rid, i did, your got harnesses both sides dont you?

[Frosty]

Remember you now need the lights to come on AND go of in the MOT, not good enough to just remove the bulb

No air bag light coming on is an advisory