Air bag in a Golf

HotRodDub

Just been onto a VW dealer there to get the passenager side air bag in our 1999 Golf disabled as our baby has came along.

65 euro to get it hooked up to a computer to switch it off, and if it cant be done this way, another 60ish euro to disable it another way plus 60/70 euro for time taken.

Can't understand why they can't tell if it can be switched off by computer in the first place without having to try it first. So 190ish euro worse case, 120ish euro best case.

Anyone got any experience of this kind of thing?

Regards

Kimbot

Don't go to a main dealer!!

My uncle has one of those computers to do that in his garage, he is out in Deerpark C+F Motors, look him up in the golden pages and you should get a better price!!

crosstownk

DO NOT just get the airbag switched off by the diagnostic computer alone. There have been at least two instances (one in California and another in Germany) where the airbag detonated even though it was disabled via software. In both cases the infants in were killed.

The correct VW procedure is to disconnect the passenger airbag physically and plug the airbag cable into a resistance which fools the airbag control unit into thinking that the passenger airbag is still connected. Then it can be disabled by software.

Please go to a main dealer for this - do not take a chance with your babys life just to save a few euros. One of my previous jobs was service manager in a VW main dealer and this information came directly from VW.

colm_mcm

I hate this perception that main dealers are just out to rob people.

maidhc

colm_mcm wrote:

I hate this perception that main dealers are just out to rob people.

Charging €200 to turn off an airbag doesn't help change it much i'm afraid.

Nor does charging upwards of €70/hr for labour when a teenager is working on your car.

pokerwidow

Hope you do not mind me butting in here, but we have a '01 Mondeo. It has airbags in the seats and we are trying to get covers to fit them.
Can I ask:
1. Anybody know where we can get covers?
2. Can we turn the airbags off and still be fully insured?

Thanks

unkel

HotRodDub wrote:

to get the passenager side air bag in our 1999 Golf disabled as our baby has came along

Do not put the baby in the front. Safer in the back! Problem solved and money saved

FX Meister

colm_mcm wrote:

I hate this perception that main dealers are just out to rob people.

Because in the vast majority of cases it's true.

colm_mcm

maidhc wrote:

Charging €200 to turn off an airbag doesn't help change it much i'm afraid.

Nor does charging upwards of €70/hr for labour when a teenager is working on your car.

Labour charge covers a lot more than the mechanic's time, If you expext the main dealer to have the approved equipment, and do the job properly, someone has to pay for it.

bazz26

HotRodDub wrote:

Just been onto a VW dealer there to get the passenager side air bag in our 1999 Golf disabled as our baby has came along.

65 euro to get it hooked up to a computer to switch it off, and if it cant be done this way, another 60ish euro to disable it another way plus 60/70 euro for time taken.

Can't understand why they can't tell if it can be switched off by computer in the first place without having to try it first. So 190ish euro worse case, 120ish euro best case.

Anyone got any experience of this kind of thing?

Regards

You also need to inform your insurance company that this safety device has been disabled. They more than likely will require some sort of letter from the dealer in question that the job has been carried out as per the manufacturer's instructions.

Personnally we put the infant in the back seat, would not entertain the idea of the front seat for one moment.

Santa Claus

I was under the impression that the safest place for an infant was the middle of the back seat (provide there was a 3 point belt instaled for the middle seat and not just a lap belt).
The reasoning behind this argument was that in the event of a side impact accident, the door would buckle in hitting the child seat whereas it would need to be a very bad impact to hit anything in the middle of the rear seat.

crosstownk

^^^^Yep - makes sense to me. I'd like to hear more opinions on what people feel is the safest place for a young child in the car.

Anybody...............?

colm_mcm

I reckon the back is better, also less distracting for the driver

crosstownk

colm_mcm wrote:

I reckon the back is better, also less distracting for the driver

Can you be more specific i.e. driver side, pass side or centre?

colm_mcm

The boot.


or in the middle in the back seat, makes getting child in/out a bit more difficult though. I reckon the centre of the car is the safest.

crosstownk

colm_mcm wrote:

The boot.


or in the middle in the back seat, makes getting child in/out a bit more difficult though. I reckon the centre of the car is the safest.

I sort of think that myself which begs the question - why do so many manufacturers not offer ISOFIX in the centre rear seat?

colm_mcm

think it's because if you fit a child seat in the middle, nobody can comfortably sit beside it, if you fit it to an outer seat you can have someone sitting on the other outer seat

crosstownk

It would still be nice to have the option.

Volvos are known for thier safety - but did you know that ISOFIX is a €35 option on a current S40?

OP - I think its safer to have the child in the back - so why bother getting the airbag disconnected at all?

colm_mcm

You are joking about the ISOFIX right. All Toyota Passenger cars have them standard (with the possible exception of the Aygo)

kvw

crosstownk wrote:

^^^^Yep - makes sense to me. I'd like to hear more opinions on what people feel is the safest place for a young child in the car.

Anybody...............?

without question, the safest place is in the back, on the passenger side in a rear-facing "rock-a-tot" that's held in place by the cars own belt or better again ISOFIX.

then #2 comes along and they go into the above position with the older child slotting in behind the driver, obviously in a seat matched to the childs size and weight.

then #3 comes along and the oldest child will have to sit in the middle on a booster seat, but realistically you're into MPV territory.

no child should travel in the front seat of any car until they are tall enough, heavy enough and old enough to wear an adult belt, and only then if there's no room for them in the back.

Volvo recommend that a child should travel in a rear-facing seat until the age of three.

Most child-seat manufacturers recommend a rear-facing seat for 0-1year olds.

PaddyFagan

crosstownk wrote:

I sort of think that myself which begs the question - why do so many manufacturers not offer ISOFIX in the centre rear seat?

I think the other concern is that the middle seat is often a different shape (no bum depression for want of a better term). I know when we were looking at baby seats in Tony Kealy's we where advised not to put it in the middle as it wouldn't fit as well given the shaping on the seats. Depends on you car I guess? I know some cars (Pug 407, most large MPVs for sure) have three ISOFIX points in the back.

For the OP: I'm commented on this before in other threads - having driven with a baby in the passanger seat and in the back, I think the back is the place for them. It's just too distracting when they're beside you.

Paddy

PS Found the other threads:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054880072
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054876560

crosstownk

colm_mcm wrote:

You are joking about the ISOFIX right. All Toyota Passenger cars have them standard (with the possible exception of the Aygo)

I'm not actually - I coulnd't believe it myself - from Volvo of all people. Now that I think of it, I had a 2003 S60 a while back and it didn't have ISOFIX either! But my wifes Bora has it as standard - as do all VWs, Opels and most others.

PaddyFagan, I see your point about the shape of the seat and it makes sense really. So to confirm I've just been down to the garage to check. A pug 307SW has the 'bum depression' (as you so eloquently put it!) and yes it has ISOFIX for that seat. But 3 others with no depression - 03 BMW320d, 01 Mazda Tribute, 04 VW Golf - all have no ISOFIX anchor points for the centre seat, and of the four cars I checked only the BMW and the Pug 307SW have inertia reel belts for the centre rear seat.

colm_mcm

another really handy feature if you have child seats is ELR with ALR seatbelts.

ELR works for adults because it moves freely and locks only when the vehicle or occupant moves suddenly.
Engaging the ALR is done by pulling webbing all the way out. Belt will automatically stay locked. Once you route the seat belt through the child seat belt path and buckle, push the child seat into the vehicle seat while pushing the seat belt back into the retractor.
I can only comment on Toyotas, but all new ones will have these fitted to the outer rear seats, and also on the middle seat on the Corolla Verso.

Guy:Incognito

PaddyFagan wrote:

I think the other concern is that the middle seat is often a different shape (no bum depression for want of a better term). I know when we were looking at baby seats in Tony Kealy's we where advised not to put it in the middle as it wouldn't fit as well given the shaping on the seats. Depends on you car I guess? I know some cars (Pug 407, most large MPVs for sure) have three ISOFIX points in the back.

For the OP: I'm commented on this before in other threads - having driven with a baby in the passanger seat and in the back, I think the back is the place for them. It's just too distracting when they're beside you.

Paddy

PS Found the other threads:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054880072
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054876560

Yeah. in most cars the middle would have the seat rocking. Mpvs with individual seats (the ex's old model scenic) has this so you could put the child seat pretty much in any of the 3 seats, whereas my saloon wont take it in the middle.