Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

I would have expected an airbag deployment even with an oblique hit like that; but perhaps the damage looks worse than what the sensor detected as a sudden stop.

5 years ago, the father of one of our pharmacy shopgirls Greg, had a head-on in his E46 BMW 325i and the airbag never went off! He was in hospital for weeks after being nearly scalped. He bought an Audi after that.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/286289-airbags/#findComment-4804443
Share on other sites

how would you check an airbag though? hit the front of the car really hard and if it goes off you know it is in good working order. if it doesn't go off try hitting it harder. if it goes off then it works, if it doesn't you know it's shot.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/286289-airbags/#findComment-4809202
Share on other sites

I was thinking of something slightly more scientific. Check continuity of circuits, impedence as is done with tail lights etc on modern vehicles.

There must be a test apart from the obvious. BOOM!

eg. I left a car stored at a friend's farm for a week. Picked it up and no right indicator. Eventually removed the plastic inner guard and found rats had built a home in there, eaten the wire's insulation and shorted out the indicator. They could just as easily have eaten airbag wires.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/286289-airbags/#findComment-4809660
Share on other sites

I was thinking of something slightly more scientific. Check continuity of circuits, impedence as is done with tail lights etc on modern vehicles.

There must be a test apart from the obvious. BOOM!

eg. I left a car stored at a friend's farm for a week. Picked it up and no right indicator. Eventually removed the plastic inner guard and found rats had built a home in there, eaten the wire's insulation and shorted out the indicator. They could just as easily have eaten airbag wires.

Rats?

I only knew about ants...

and hunstmen spiders if parked under gum trees...

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/286289-airbags/#findComment-4809786
Share on other sites

Found a shredded Jap. newspaper mice nest in the spare wheel well of a 33. They'd got in via the flow-through vent valve mounted in the lower right rear inner mudguard. There was still some bits of newspaper stuck in the vent holding it open.

Must have happened while the car sat on the docks back in Japan.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/286289-airbags/#findComment-4810265
Share on other sites

I was thinking of something slightly more scientific. Check continuity of circuits, impedence as is done with tail lights etc on modern vehicles.

There must be a test apart from the obvious. BOOM!

eg. I left a car stored at a friend's farm for a week. Picked it up and no right indicator. Eventually removed the plastic inner guard and found rats had built a home in there, eaten the wire's insulation and shorted out the indicator. They could just as easily have eaten airbag wires.

yes you could check the wires and all that, but it isn't going to tell you if the explosives are still good or not......

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/286289-airbags/#findComment-4812078
Share on other sites

i'm suprised they didn't go off, mind you in saying that. I wrote my mums barina off leaving the bruce highway (with about a 1m drop off the side) i landed on all 4's but my front hit the ground 1st (naturally), it shifted the entire contents of the engine bay back 2 inches. and the airbags still didn't deploy at time of impact i was prob travelling 70-80

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/286289-airbags/#findComment-4818334
Share on other sites

airbags need a sequence of events to go off.

i remember watching an option dvd where they got one of the usual race guys (the one they get to do outrageous stunts) and drive his own car at speed into a parked car to activate an airbag.

first attempt did not work as he stopped accelerating and hit the brakes prior impact

2nd attempt worked as he hit the car with the accelerator planted

i guess it comes back to if the driver is hard on the brakes, the car is at full lean under brakes, the car is slowing rapidly. the airbag may trigger a seatbelt pretensioner rather than a full blown airbag deplayment as it is pre programmed that at this stage the driver is unger full tension of the belt and body prepared for impact due to the predicted g rating of that level of deacceleration

airbags are really a last resort - if one went off under a small impact, rather than some bruisng from the seat belt, sore neck and ankle injuries - you would end up with a broken nose fronm the airbag deployment.

airbags are designed only prevent fatal injuries not general.

i'm also fairly sure that airbags are not just 2 wires cut into a powered loom, left exposed and hooked up to some light explosives, instead the wiring is heavily insulated and built to a standard that would nearly eliminate failure if needed.

kind of like screws made for the aerospace industry compares to parts you would find at bunnings - the aerospace parts would be to a specified grade, size shape, weight. the Bunnings, one out of 30 will, cross thread, sheer, be denatured etc...

and if a rat or something ate the wires - wouldnt the airbag light or something be on? - then if the driver ignored the light and ran his car into something - stiff shit i say...

[/rant]

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/286289-airbags/#findComment-4829199
Share on other sites

^^ Im not completely sure about what needs to happen for them to deploy.

I had a slight mishap in my older VTEC Prelude. I spun out on a tightish bend, and hit the passengers side into a clay/rock bank. It wasnt an overall intense impact, but i watched the airbag deploy. It just looked like a limp dick. No inflation i saw so to speak.

This was the aftermath (no idea who the person in the photo was).

Lude-CrashFront.jpg

I guess it was just a perfect situation for the airbag to go? It would have been moving at about 60-70km/h when it hit, and i was sliding more along the wall rather than into it if you know what i mean. It wasnt a head on impact.

Maybe its because of a crumble zone? The impact was solid enough for the front cross-member to sheer off the corner of the sump.. clearly :blink: But it jst didnt FEEL like it was a hard hit.

The other thing, maybe the technology between a 1992 airbag, and a 98+ Airbag, from the 34 is different to avoid writeoffs with minor damage deployments. Because as far as im aware, if an airbag deploys in NZ, the cars toast regardless.

Oh, and edit: The point is, from the post above about the airbag tests, it would be pretty safe to assume i was not hard on the throttle when i hit the wall, considering it was after stepping out to the right a good 50-60', then spinning left into the wall. And being a n00b young idiot i would have been hard on the anchors.

Edited by gotRICE?
Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/286289-airbags/#findComment-4829328
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • As far as I can tell I have everything properly set in the Haltech software for engine size, injector data, all sensors seem to be reporting proper numbers.  If I change any injector details it doesnt run right.    Changing the base map is having the biggest change in response, im not sure how people are saying it doesnt really matter.  I'm guessing under normal conditions the ECU is able to self adjust and keep everything smooth.   Right now my best performance is happening by lowering the base map just enough to where the ECU us doing short term cut of about 45% to reach the target Lambda of 14.7.  That way when I start putting load on it still has high enough fuel map to not be so lean.  After 2500 rpm I raised the base map to what would be really rich at no load, but still helps with the lean spots on load.  I figure I don't have much reason to be above 2500rpm with no load.  When watching other videos it seems their target is reached much faster than mine.  Mine takes forever to adjust and reach the target. My next few days will be spent making sure timing is good, it was running fine before doing the ECU and DBW swap, but want to verify.  I'll also probably swap in the new injectors I bought as well as a walbro 255 pump.  
    • It would be different if the sealant hadn't started to peel up with gaps in the glue about ~6cm and bigger in some areas. I would much prefer not having to do the work take them off the car . However, the filler the owner put in the roof rack mount cavities has shrunk and begun to crack on the rail delete panels. I cant trust that to hold off moisture ingress especially where I live. Not only that but I have faded paint on as well as on either side of these panels, so they would need to come off to give the roofline a proper respray. My goal is to get in there and put a healthy amount of epoxy instead of panel filler/bog and potentially skin with carbon fiber. I have 2 spare rolls from an old motorcycle fairing project from a few years back and I think it'd be a nice touch on a black stag.  I've seen some threads where people replace their roof rack delete with a welded in sheet metal part. But has anyone re-worked the roof rails themselves? It seems like there is a lot of volume there to add in some threads and maybe a keyway for a quick(er) release roof rack system. Not afraid to mill something out if I have to. It would be cool to have a cross bar only setup. That way I can keep the sleek roofline that would accept a couple bolts to gain back that extra utility  3D print some snazzy covers to hide the threaded section to be thorough and keep things covered when not using the rack. 
    • Probably not. A workshop grade scantool is my go to for proper Consult interrogation. Any workshop grade tool should do it. Just go to a workshop.
    • In my head it does make sense to be a fuel problem since that is what I touched when cleaning the system. When I was testing with the fuel pressure gauge, the pressure was constantly 2.5 bar with the FPR vacuum removed. When stalling, the pressure was going up to 3.0 bar (which is how it should be on ignition).
    • ECUtalk pages don't mention they support the ABS computer (consult port has more than one CAN), so you might just need a different scan tool. But, I would expect ABS is a different light to the brake warning/handbrake light, do you see an ABS light come on for a few seconds when you turn the key from ACC to IGN? But since you said: I'd have a look at the ABS sensors in the rear hubs to make sure they are not damaged, disconnected etc.
×
×
  • Create New...