turning off vw beetle passenger airbag

frankie2shoes

just been blessed with a baby girl and want to install a car seat in the front passenger seat of my wife's 00 vw beetle. but i need to disconnect the airbag to do this. can i do this myself?
really don't want to pay the dealership for the priviledge of disconnecting it and then pay them again to reconnect it when i sell the car in a few months.

January

frankie2shoes wrote: »

just been blessed with a baby girl and want to install a car seat in the front passenger seat of my wife's 00 vw beetle. but i need to disconnect the airbag to do this. can i do this myself?
really don't want to pay the dealership for the priviledge of disconnecting it and then pay them again to reconnect it when i sell the car in a few months.

The babyseat is much safer in the back, behind the passenger seat so your wife can kinda see it if she glances back. There should be a warning sign on the maybe the window shade, saying that you shouldn't put a car seat in the front seat because of safety fears.

Avns1s

frankie2shoes wrote: »

just been blessed with a baby girl and want to install a car seat in the front passenger seat of my wife's 00 vw beetle. but i need to disconnect the airbag to do this. can i do this myself?
really don't want to pay the dealership for the priviledge of disconnecting it and then pay them again to reconnect it when i sell the car in a few months.

Is there not a switch in the glove compartment which is turned on and off with the ignition key to do this?

January

Just an additon, I heard that your warranty and your insurance is compromised if you turn off the passenger airbag. I'd check both before I even think about this, but would avoid against it still, read up on where to position the baby seat in the car.

bazz26

I think this topic has been covered before.

If there is no button or switch built into the car to disable the passenger air bag then it is a dealer job. Most dealers will not touch it as there are just too many possible implications involved.

Just note though that your insurance company will have to be notified that a safety device in the vehicle is being disabled. They will most likely insist that this is done as per the manufacturer's instructions by an authorised dealer if at all. They will also more than likely get you to sign some sort of legal disclaimer stating that in the event of the vehicle being in an accident and a passenger was injured or killed due to the device being disabled, they would not be liable. Check with your insurance company first but most are very sensitive about interfering with safety devices designed to protect life.

Best advice is to put the baby seat in the rear of the car.

frankie2shoes

thanks for the advice guys, unfortunately putting a rear facing baby seat in the back seat of a two door car is just not a practical solution. guess the bug will have to go!!

Guy:Incognito

frankie2shoes wrote: »

thanks for the advice guys, unfortunately putting a rear facing baby seat in the back seat of a two door car is just not a practical solution. guess the bug will have to go!!

Surely changing the baby seat would be easier and cheaper?

milltown

Don't do it!
I heard of one case where a customer got the dealer to deactivate the passenger airbag in a VAG car. The car was involved in an accident later, thankfully with no child installed, and the airbag went off.
Much safer in the back. Also keeps mum's eyes on the road when she's not cooing at her pride and joy in the passenger seat.

crosstownk

milltown wrote: »

Don't do it!
I heard of one case where a customer got the dealer to deactivate the passenger airbag in a VAG car. The car was involved in an accident later, thankfully with no child installed, and the airbag went off.
Much safer in the back. Also keeps mum's eyes on the road when she's not cooing at her pride and joy in the passenger seat.

I know of two cases like this and in both cases the infants were killed - one in California and another in Germany. In each case, the airbag was turned off via VW software. Since then VW recommend that a resistor is put in place to fool the airbag control unit that an airbag is present. A 2000 Beetle doesn't have the key switch in the glove box to deactivate the airbag.

Personally, I agree with others - put the child seat in the rear. This way the child will be safer, as will any adults that travel in the front passenger seat.

L-M

From what i know, in most volkswagens, up the top right corner of the glove box, or under ur handbrake u should just be able to turn it off...

Táck

ask your local dealership can you install the airbag cutoff switch? instead of having to go back and forth to the garage to do it...

craichoe

Limerick-man wrote: »

From what i know, in most volkswagens, up the top right corner of the glove box, or under ur handbrake u should just be able to turn it off...

Its an optional extra from the factory on all VAG cars and its not standard.

Seth Brundle

frankie2shoes wrote: »

thanks for the advice guys, unfortunately putting a rear facing baby seat in the back seat of a two door car is just not a practical solution. guess the bug will have to go!!

Putting the child seat may not be practical but it is far safer. Is it that difficult to decide?

L-M

craichoe wrote: »

Its an optional extra from the factory on all VAG cars and its not standard.

We've two near new volkswagen at home and both have this. And the "Passenger Airbag Deactivation Switch" is standard all nearly all Volkwagens.

crosstownk

Limerick-man wrote: »

We've two near new volkswagen at home and both have this. And the "Passenger Airbag Deactivation Switch" is standard all nearly all Volkwagens.

Correct - it's only standard in more recent models. OP's Beetle is 2000 - the deactivation switch was not standard at that time.

zilog_jones

I thought it was only rear-facing baby seats that couldn't be used with airbags?

crosstownk

frankie2shoes wrote: »

just been blessed with a baby girl

I take that the OP has had a new arrival (Congrats by the way )

zilog_jones wrote: »

I thought it was only rear-facing baby seats that couldn't be used with airbags?

Newborn babies (up to 9 months +/- depending on weight) should only ever be rear facing.

frankie2shoes

all your advice is exactly what i was thinking. had a look and there is no switch on a 00 beetle.
as to buying a forward facing seat i can't. you're right, it has to be rear facing for an infant.
if anybody is familiar with the beetle they'll know that there's feck all room in them and the boot barely fits the pram. am amazed that it has the same platform as the golf and half the space
so the bug is to go.... will post it soon in adverts
great excuse for me to offload me old car on herself and treat meself to a new(to me at least) motor.:D

SouperComputer

Getting the wee one in the back with the seat isnt too bad as you say, but forget about bringing a buggy with you.

Anyway, a Volvo V70 T-5 or an Audi S4 Avant is a good way to go hehe.