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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / May 2006Airbags Deployed
My son ran his '93 Honda Prelude over the curb because someone came in his lane ( so he said ) and his airbags deployed. I am wondering: 1) do I have to get the dealer to fix this, and 2) what kind of an impact would have to be felt to deploy the air bags? I'm putting the car up on a lift tomorrow to ck it out underneath, but there is no noticeable front end damage. Comments? Mike > My son ran his '93 Honda Prelude over the curb because someone came in > his lane ( so he said ) and his airbags deployed. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > 1) do I have to get the dealer to fix this, and > 2) what kind of an impact would have to be felt to deploy the air bags? More than running over the curb, I would imagine. Take the front bumper cover off and see if the supports under it are mangled. If so, he ran into something. -THAT- will set them off. The bumper cover can appear almost perfect but the supports and whatnot under it could be wrecked. Add to the the front subframe area, typical deployment issue on the old style sirs. >> My son ran his '93 Honda Prelude over the curb because someone came in >> his lane ( so he said ) and his airbags deployed. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > The bumper cover can appear almost perfect but the supports and whatnot > under it could be wrecked. > My son ran his '93 Honda Prelude over the curb because someone came in > his lane ( so he said ) and his airbags deployed. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Mike If you don't see ANY damage whatsoever, none, then the story makes sense. It may not have been a curb exactly though. It could have been one of those parking stops. It sure sounds like you are suspicious of alternative scenarios. Air bags are deployed by rate of deceleration . We have seen some bags set off the same way at our shop. It is very possible that your son was fully on the brakes and then hitting the curb stopped him abruptly was enough to set the bags off. Could be some suspension damage. Be glad he had airbags to protect him. Scott > My son ran his '93 Honda Prelude over the curb because someone came in > his lane ( so he said ) and his airbags deployed. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Comments? I would have the air bags replaced by a competent shop. Persoanaly I'd use the dealer. If you have collision coverage, I believe your insurance should cover this (minus the deductible). A collison with the curb is still a collision. Air bag replacement will not be cheap! Ed > > My son ran his '93 Honda Prelude over the curb because someone came in > > his lane ( so he said ) and his airbags deployed. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > cover this (minus the deductible). A collison with the curb is still a > collision. Air bag replacement will not be cheap! Collision is for fixing the other guys car, you are talking comprehensive, not collision. And on a 93 most people if they still were carrying comprehensive, they would probably have it set at $1000 deductible. In any case, since this would be an accident chargable to you, your insurance company could raise your rates. You can get perfectly good air bags from any wrecker or off Ebay, there's tons of them for sale there. They get them from cars that break down and are towed into wreckers, not from smashed-up cars. An undeployed air bag that's been sitting in a wrecking yard for 3 or 4 years in an old, dead '93 Prelude is absolutely no different from an undeployed air bag that has been sitting in a live '93 Prelude that someone's been driving. I've replaced air bags in my van before, when I bought it, it had been in a front end collision and the previous owner decided to save some money by having the front end pulled out and not replacing the air bags, just removing the warning light. A couple years ago the aftermarket manufacturers got together and tried petitioning the NHTSA to ban the sale of so-called "used" airbags, meaning air bags that were not deployed but came out of scrapped cars. They didn't like competing in price against all the people selling "used" airbags. NHTSA looked into it and decided the complete opposite - that it was actually safer for people in the long run to -encourage- sales of so-called "used" airbags. The reason was that having ready and cheap availability of "used" airbags was greatly increasing the chances that they would, in fact, be replaced in salvaged cars, plus the thought was that it would be safer to have an original equipment airbag from the vehicle manufacturer, rather than an aftermarket one that was made by who-knows-who. . The only airbags that everyone is in general agreement should not be touched are airbags that have been deployed, then "remanufactured" by having the explosive charge replaced, and the bag re-folded and put back into the housing. It's incredible to imagine that some company would actually take on the liability to do something like this, but apparently they exist. Ted The Ted Mittelstaedt entity posted thusly: >> I would have the air bags replaced by a competent shop. Persoanaly I'd use >> the dealer. If you have collision coverage, I believe your insurance [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >Collision is for fixing the other guys car, you are talking comprehensive, >not collision. I guess it depends on the terminology where you happen to buy insurance. In any place I've bought insurance (Canada), they are basically: PL&PD (Public Liability & Property Damage, AKA Basic insurance) - covers the other fellow's person & property. Collision - covers your own property (car), regardless of whether it's a single or multiple vehicle accident. Comprehensive - covers such things as fire & theft, glass, vandalism, etc. I agree with all your other comments about used airbags. ============== A fellow walks into an insurance office and states that he wants to file a claim. The agent asks the nature of the loss. The fellow says his house was broken into and $5000 worth of electronics was taken. Agent, looking at his file, asks "And what policy were you wanting to claim this under?" Customer: "Fire & Theft". Agent, pausing for a moment, says "Ahh! I see the problem. The policy you wanted is 'Fire _OR_ Theft'." Ted, Yes, very good points. I found a drivers side one on Ebay and bought it! I'm still looking for the passenger side one though. Yep, I'd hate for his girlfriend to get hurt .... good point on that one. He's a good looking boy and has a bunch of them. Thanks again for the advise. Mike > My son ran his '93 Honda Prelude over the curb because someone came in > his lane ( so he said ) and his airbags deployed. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Mike Check your state and local laws. In some places, failure to replace a deployed air bag will cause the vehicle to fail the required State safety inspection. Consider that your insurance rates may go up, be terminated or have claims denied if you do not repair the vehicle. You do not have to have the air bag replaced at a Dealer, many body shops do that sort of thing. On some vehicles the deployment sensors have to be replaced or at least tested when replacing an air bag. They can be dangerous and generally should not be fooled with by inexperienced or incompetent people. On many older vehicles the replacement of deployed air bags is too expensive and results in the vehicle being declared a total loss. Even after repair in some cases, it might only be sold or titled as a salvage vehicle. My suggestion would be to get estimates from a few body shops to repair the car, then check the resale value. Consider the financial situation to determine if the car should be repaired or salvaged. Try to base your decision on good financial judgment. Good luck,  SignatureKevin Mouton Automotive Technology Instructor "If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy" Red Green Kevin, good info, in NYS when I do inspections the sirs system has be noted if the lite is on, doesn't fail. You cannot buy or install used air bags in NYS also, but can buy them out of state and install them as a private owner, not dealers. >> My son ran his '93 Honda Prelude over the curb because someone came in >> his lane ( so he said ) and his airbags deployed. [quoted text clipped - 35 lines] > > Good luck, I called around today and was told the cost was $1500 for both which makes it financially unsound to get those and other foreign parts places are not allowed to sale them. The car only has collision insurance on it so I'm out of luck there and my son said the "other guy" kept going. Good point about the inspection requirements. I'll ck them. If you have 'collision' you can claim it. Did you miss type there? He collided with a curb and the damage was done, that's exactly what collision is for. He will have to pay the deductible though, unless you find someone willing to eat it. Some shops will for some things, don't know about air bags.... Mike 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) > I called around today and was told the cost was $1500 for both which > makes it financially unsound to get those and other foreign parts [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Good point about the inspection requirements. I'll ck them. I did miss type there. In fact It shouldn't have said collision at all, I should have said the car has liability only. I called a state inspection station ( texas here ) and they said that the airbags are not an inspection issue. They are not checked whether they work or not. I am looking at installing the drivers airbag and not the passengers. Well, seeing as air bags can and do kill when they go off in minor fender benders, I wouldn't put them back at all, I would be thankful they are gone without hurting anyone. You can't even have a kid in the front seat now in Ontario Canada without getting a big ticket for putting them in harm's way because of deadly air bags. As long as you wear your seatbelt, the air bags are useless. They are designed for Darwin Award candidates that don't buckle up, not for folks that actually wear seatbelts. Just my $0.02, Mike 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page) > I did miss type there. In fact It shouldn't have said collision at all, > I should have said the car has liability only. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > They are not checked whether they work or not. I am looking at > installing the drivers airbag and not the passengers. So what would you install in the place of the empty holes there? The hole covers that used to be there? A few spots of hot glue or two sided tape or glue on velcro strips to hold them in place comes to mind. Having no air bags might be an issue if you ever went to sell the vehicle though.... Mike > So what would you install in the place of the empty holes there? Thanks for everyones help. Mike > Thanks for everyones help. > > Mike Mike, please don't listen to these morons on the air bags. Check e-bay, auction 8067381104 had a set for $50 that didn't sell, maybe the guy still has them. Auction 8067873487 has a set for $100 I would bet you could find a set in a u-pull-it wrecking yard for $25 or so. Yes, on a few cars the crash sensors are external ones mounted behind the bumper, a factory shop manual could tell you this. But in more systems, the crash sensor is -in the computer itself- after all, decelleration forces are felt all over the vehicle. You would have to smash the vehicle into a pancake to break the crash sensor. And, the airbag computer checks the crash sensor when it starts. All the crash sensor is, is basically a big spring with a switch in it. You have a young boy in your car, and they quite often forget to buckle up. If he meets another "curb" in that car sometime in the future, and the air bag was missing, and he gets killed, none of these a.sholes in this group sitting here telling you that the car is safer without air bags are going to have much to say at his funeral, eh? And if you think that's bad, then what if the person in the car that dies is his girlfriend? Are you prepared to go tell her daddy that she is dead because you were too cheap to spend the hundred bucks on a set of replacement bags? If you are really just scared spitless of the air bag exploding in your face when you connect power back on after you replace the bag, then that is real simple. Connect a test light to the air bag ignitor cable for each bag, connect a volt meter across the test light, turn off the car and turn it back on, and observe the lights and volt meter. You shouldn't see any reading or the lights turning on. Then just disconnect the car battery, put in the bags, then reconnect the battery. Once you have the system together and the SRS light on the dash is off, for your piece of mind you can take it to the dealer and have it scanned. Ted > > Thanks for everyones help. > > [quoted text clipped - 46 lines] > > Ted Excellent points Ted. Using recycled airbags sounds like a very good solution, and the cautions you mentioned are right on. Mike would do well to take your advice. SignatureKevin Mouton Automotive Technology Instructor "If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy" Red Green |
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