Do all cars have airbags?
- Thread starter northernchappy
- Start date
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I had a steering wheel air bag go off whilst driving, caused by a faulty sensor. It was loud, but not unbearable. It cant remember having any temporary hearing loss. It filled the car with powder though and made me cough a bit!
Seat belts also need correctly adjusted head restraints!
Ha I only serviced and repaired it, mate.....minimum is a 3* hotel for me theses days!
John
John
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Sorry, not been on here for a while and am a bit late to the party!
1. NO there's no legal requirement for a car to have an airbag. The legal requirement is for it to pass the crash test (which you pass or fail by how badly "injured" the dummy is afterwards) and in almost all cars, that's easier to achieve with an airbag. Most cars made in the last 5-10 years will meet the bare legal minimum requirements without the airbag deployed but to get their EuroNCAP 5 star rating (which is NOT a legal requirement, by the way!) they definitely DO need their airbags!
2. YES your head and arms DO tend to hit the steering wheel, even with a correctly worn seat belt. This is especially true of modern cars where the seat belt was designed to work with an airbag. Many of them have "peak load limiters". These are features which, once the tension in the belt reaches a certain level, start to "yield". This limits the load going into your sholder and collar bone, but of course, it means you move further forward too. The airbag is intended to "share" the load of restraining you, along with the belt. Basically, they get the belt to do as much as it can without seriously injuring you, and then they try to get the airbag(s) to do the rest. If you look at the approval label on your seat belt, it will be something like "Ar4mp". There might be an "e" or a "t" in there - the "e" being an energy reducing device and the "t" being a tension reducing device.
3. You can disable airbags (it happens quite often when a disabled person is using the car). Some place sell "dummy resistors" which you plug into the airbag socket when you remove the airbag, to make the ECU think there is still an airbag attached and working. However, in my experience they're a bit hit-and-miss in the way they work. I think that's because some of the cleverer ECUs are now not only looking for the right resistance but also the right inductance!
4. I'd put up with the hearing damage rather than the life-changing injuries! Chances are, NEITHER will happen in the rest of your driving career.
1. NO there's no legal requirement for a car to have an airbag. The legal requirement is for it to pass the crash test (which you pass or fail by how badly "injured" the dummy is afterwards) and in almost all cars, that's easier to achieve with an airbag. Most cars made in the last 5-10 years will meet the bare legal minimum requirements without the airbag deployed but to get their EuroNCAP 5 star rating (which is NOT a legal requirement, by the way!) they definitely DO need their airbags!
2. YES your head and arms DO tend to hit the steering wheel, even with a correctly worn seat belt. This is especially true of modern cars where the seat belt was designed to work with an airbag. Many of them have "peak load limiters". These are features which, once the tension in the belt reaches a certain level, start to "yield". This limits the load going into your sholder and collar bone, but of course, it means you move further forward too. The airbag is intended to "share" the load of restraining you, along with the belt. Basically, they get the belt to do as much as it can without seriously injuring you, and then they try to get the airbag(s) to do the rest. If you look at the approval label on your seat belt, it will be something like "Ar4mp". There might be an "e" or a "t" in there - the "e" being an energy reducing device and the "t" being a tension reducing device.
3. You can disable airbags (it happens quite often when a disabled person is using the car). Some place sell "dummy resistors" which you plug into the airbag socket when you remove the airbag, to make the ECU think there is still an airbag attached and working. However, in my experience they're a bit hit-and-miss in the way they work. I think that's because some of the cleverer ECUs are now not only looking for the right resistance but also the right inductance!
4. I'd put up with the hearing damage rather than the life-changing injuries! Chances are, NEITHER will happen in the rest of your driving career.
D
Doggit
Apparently, it's a know phenomenon called NIHL, noise induced hearing loss. It's a 165db noise that lasts for 200ms, and in some people, can cause hearing loss for a short and sometimes and extended period. And I agree with you - it's the lesser of the two evils.
So you take out the air bag, have a crash, and you can hear what the nurse is saying to you whilst you're in hospital; or you leave the airbag well alone, and can then walk down to the hearing aid centre to get a more powerful one. Dammit, on reflection, I just can't make up my mind on this one.
four years ago i was recovering at home after bowel cancer removal
i mention to my neighbour that i had lost my sense off taste and smell
she said how awful and i laughed so much i cried
she looked quite shocked until i explained i would rather be alive with no smell and taste than dead with it
i mention to my neighbour that i had lost my sense off taste and smell
she said how awful and i laughed so much i cried
she looked quite shocked until i explained i would rather be alive with no smell and taste than dead with it
D
Doggit
Each to his own Big-all. I may have it, and I'll happily pull the plug when the time comes. Did it come back though.
gradually possibly 30-40% back
i have been noticing occasionally i get a hot chilli burn and the the oatie chocolate bickies that i started eating for the feel and texture i noticed last week i i got a hit off sweetness and chocolate "richness" taste coming through
and my poo stinks again
i have been noticing occasionally i get a hot chilli burn and the the oatie chocolate bickies that i started eating for the feel and texture i noticed last week i i got a hit off sweetness and chocolate "richness" taste coming through
and my poo stinks again
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D
Doggit
Glad to hear it Big-all; odd how we relate some instances; my poo stinks, so things must be getting better. I like that view of the world.
One of my customers that I haven't seen for a while came in a few weeks ago. He's also had an operation for bowel cancer.
They got him in the same week as diagnosing it (he went in due to noticing bood in his poo).
As you say it puts things into perspective..
They got him in the same week as diagnosing it (he went in due to noticing bood in his poo).
As you say it puts things into perspective..
I was rear ending by a 38 ton lorry in 1993. Wearing a seat belt but no air bags fitted. My head hit the steering wheel and raised an egg sized lump on my forehead which I didn't feel at the time. With an airbag I would have been saved the pain of this even if I had been a bit deaf for a few hours.
As it is, I'm losing my hearing slowly but at least I'm alive and wearing hearing aids helps me to lead a normal life.
As it is, I'm losing my hearing slowly but at least I'm alive and wearing hearing aids helps me to lead a normal life.
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