A friend bought a second hand car a few months ago and has just found out that one of the airbags is missing. Presumably been set off and not replaced.
The dealer doesn't want to know. Is it illegal to sell a car without its standard safety kit?
{car details added to subject header}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 03/09/2008 at 11:20
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I would have thought a big YES.
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passenger or driver airbag?
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What happens with the airbag warning light? Isn't it an MoT failure if it doesn't function correctly?
If the airbag warning light does not come on at all then perhaps it has been tampered with. Back to the dealer methinks.
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Ed
What car; year; model? Which bag is missing and why wasn't the hole noticed?
The airbag light isn't MOT-able; has it been "doctored?"
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Generally, airbags are held under a plastic plate which splits on inflation. The plate is an integral part of the airbag unit. Sounds like there was never an airbag fitted.
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Sorry guys, don't know about airbag warning light - will find out and post.
Sorry also don't know which side yet. Does it matter?
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I think the full story and all of the facts are needed before too much speculation is exercised in this thread.
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Sorry also don't know which side yet. Does it matter?
Yes, because not all vehicles have passenger air bags fitted.
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Airbag is on passenger side, or maybe it isn't!
It is definitely supposed to have one because it has a disable switch.
A child seat was being fitted and when the switch was turned to the off position, no warning light came on.
Also seat belt not fastened light does not work on the passenger side.
Car is a 2005 Citroen C5 Estate auto.
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If not a daft question, how does he know it's missing rather than something that comes wit the next trim level?
Airbag off in a Citroen should equal a warning light. The wiring connections under the seats are prone to being disturbed but the result is always a spurious warning rather than a missing one.
Back to the selling dealer pdq, possibly via a Cit agent or specialist for a report.
Edited by Bromptonaut on 02/09/2008 at 21:39
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A child seat was being fitted and when the switch was turned to the off position no warning light came on.
Has it been conclusively established that no airbag exists on the passenger's side? This is just as likely to be a badly-configured replacement [or worse - re-set] airbag ECU - which opens another can of worms as to why it was replaced?
The airbag ECU needs plugging-in and having it's configuration and date coding examined.
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EdHunter - if you don't know what you are doing here please learn from my own mistake - air bags go off with no warning, with a lot of force and one hell of a bang.
What ever they hit or catch hold of, as in your arm etc, will be flung and with some force away from you and that is when you suddenly realise how much 'that hurts' physically and I was also burnt (friction I was told) too.
I have no idea what I did to short out or make mine fire when it did - all I know is that I was replacing a damaged indicator arm assembly on my last Astra (on the steering column) and as I made the connection to the wire loom - well no further explanation needed.
It even threw the indicator arm assembly I was holding at the time it fired a good 3 metres outside of the car - breaking it in the process. Bummer...
I ask that if you are and before you do anything - if it involves rummaging and unplugging connections that you don't know what they connect to or do, please disconnect the vehicles battery.
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>>Wow - scary !
As a notorious coward, I never allow anything sharp or heavy to be placed, or to pass between the front of an airbag and me.
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An airbag broke three of my ribs once. They are not soft. It is like being punched in chest very very hard.
Have since tried to avoid their deployment.
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I have had people in our casualty dept who have obviously had their lives saved by airbags, but they have had ringing in the ears and friction burns. Probably an acceptable alternative to serious injury or death! Be careful out there
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Agree with the 'take care' advice.
Truck mechanic friend of mine deliberately detonated an airbag on the floor of his workshop.
The resulting hole in the roof of the building ensured we all take care around them.
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Thanks guys for the warnings.
I guess that is why they (halfords I think) would not carry on with the front seat fitting of the child seat. Fitted in back instead.
Back to the original question, is it legal to sell a car like this.
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Ed
you havent convinced us it DOESENT have a passenger airbag. HOw do you know?
Turning off the passenger airbag should light up a light somewhere else.
Airbags are dangerous things. I have scars on my arms (hot gas and friction burns) I got three broken ribs as well (from the side arbag - you get pulled back in the seat hard by the seatbelt tensioners, then the side airbag does a mike tyson to your ribs) and the curtain airbag has dumped hearing in my right ear by about 20%
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Now how on Earth could you know something like that RF?
Oh wait...
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The cars I've had with passenger airbags have all had "SRS", "airbag" or similar stamped on the dash to indicate it's presence.
No seat belt warning for passenger seat may not be a feature on the car. My last A3 had it, my present one doesn't - its a pain if you put anything on the seat and drive off.
Regardless of all this putting a child seat in the front isn't recommended.
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Don't only disconnect the battery-wait half an hour after you've disconnected it for the capacitors in the firing system to discharge.
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No,but you can look at the baby as you drive into the back of the stationary traffic.
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I have just realised its a C5 the passenger air bag is built into the dashboard and there is no outline to show its there when they go you have to replace all the dashboard.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 03/09/2008 at 13:35
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That should be bag and not back my spelling.
{corrected, but you do have your own edit button that works for 5 mins/until someone replies (which ever comes sooner) - DD}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 03/09/2008 at 13:36
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It's inconceiveable that the bag is missing, but there's clearly some fault with the airbag warning system.
The car needs to go to a Citroen dealer.
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