Anyone with a ten year old car taken the makers suggestions that the car must be taken back for a check of the air bag at 10 year old ?
what are the dealers supposed to do ?
just interested
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Not necessary.
Airbag manufacturers have recently been lobying for the airbag change at 10yrs to be an MoT requirement. When asked to produce evidence they started buying 10 yr old cars and deploying the airbags to prove that the performance had fallen off. What they actually found was that the bags performance was as good as new. So they are now stating a 15yr life and are no longer asking for it to be in the MoT. Haven't you seen this plastered all over the motoring pages? no? neither have I - funny eh?
Don't know what a dealer would say if you were to ask - I might try it just to see, might be good for a laugh.
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What do they do, get a YTS kid to run it into a wall and say 'yes mate, your airbag seems to work ok!'
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>>What they actuallyfound was that the bags performance was as good as new. So they are now stating a 15yr life and are no longer asking for it to be in the MoT.
Who is they? When and where and by whom were these tests done? Where were the results published? Can you please point us to where this statement can be found? Or is this just another urban myth?
How about this urban myth: I have heard rumours that all modern new braking/steering/skid systems (ABS, BAS, etc.) will require a complete overhaul of hydraulics/electronics at 10 years or less. The cost is estimated to be £1000 minimum per car!
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You'll have to trust me on this one. I cannot answer your where, when , whom questions because I quite like my job! I could be traced quite easily from my profile.
Your ABS overhaul story IS urban myth though.
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I could be traced quite easily from my profile.
Sorry for doubting you Cyd. Just checked your profile, and will therefore believe you.
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A truck driver kindly helped me test my 12 year old ABS last year, and it works fine.... As I understand it, the latest combined ABS/stability systems don't really have any new technology, other than the electronic control box, which is solid state and should last the life of the car, provided it doesn't get wet. As for the hydraulic side, if people change the brake fluid every two years as they are supposed to, that should hold together as well. But then, be honest, how many people on this forum actually get their brake fluid changed every two years, never mind the mechanically illiterate general public?
I suspect the main problem of these systems will be wiring deterioration and dodgy connectors - one area where cars don't seem to have improved at all over the last twenty years.
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
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You're very harsh, Richard. Waterproof connectors are now standard fair underbonnet. Critical systems like ABS get especially good ones. Anyway, this is off-topic; moderator will be along soon.
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But then, be honest, how many people on this forum actually get their brake fluid changed every two years...
Main dealer Vauxhall agent always asks when I book in for a service. Given the price is only £15 for the oil and labour, its a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Vauxhall actually used to recomend changing yearly - however they now suggest every 2 yrs.
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S-reg Audi A4 service book said 'bags must be changed after 14 years; Laguna II says 'bags and tensioners must be changed after 10 years. What do other manufacturers state?
This may not be necessary - but what will be insurance companies say if a bag that should have been replaced according to the manufacturer's recommendation malfunctions?
If airbag replacement did become part of the mot, it will effectively scrap cars at that point (having just had to fork out a small fortune to replace a single faulty seat airbag, the cost of replacing 2 to 8 airbags at current prices would be astronomical...)
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Replacing airbags will not become part of the MoT in the foreseeable future - there is no evidence that it is necessary.
Manufacturers are merely erring on the side of safety in the absence of evidence to the contrary (there aren't many very old airbags about) - this is brought about largely by the letigious world we now inhabit whereby anything and everything that goes wrong MUST be someone (elses) fault.
Don't worry about it.
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My R reg Rover States that I have to change my airbag every 10 years.
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