Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 14:11:23 +0100 From: "JD" <jonathonnopsameditch_AUNTY_SPAM_.com> Subject: Re: 9-5 and front airbags
"Robert Brown" <rjbnopsamnet.se.nospam> wrote in message news:3D3F33FA.99813B18nopsamnet.se.nospam... > > > JD wrote: > > > Hi, > > I have a 2000 9-5. I wanted to know what happens about disabling the front > > passenger airbag. I want to use a rear-facing baby car seat and I need it > > disabled. Presumably this is something that a dealer has to do ? > > This is done here (Sweden) quite often. Dealer must do it. Don't know whether > this entails removing the bag, disconnecting wires, or reprogramming. Dealer > will know. May be a small charge. You can probably insist on the bag and > explosive being removed completely from the car. > > > Is it then > > easy to re-arm the bag when I want to put a normal sized adult in the front > > seat ? Or do I have to go back to the dealer when i want it armed again ? > > Dealer only, again (programming, explosives, etc.). > > OTOH I now drive an Audi, which interestingly enough comes with an option to > enable/disable the passenger airbag via a key lock in the glove box. I didn't > take that option but am entitled to two changes to the airbag settings free of > charge - presumably to disable the bag when the kid arrives, then later on to > enable it again when he/she grows up a bit and is promoted to the back seat > ;-) But I don't think either Swedish car maker has a key activation option, > probably due to the risks and consequences of setting it wrongly. > > My wife drives a 9-3 which she ordered specifically without passenger bag so we > avoid the problem that way. Not sure if the Saabs can be ordered without > passenger airbags in all markets though. It's an option in Sweden due to many > people's fear of a botched disconnection job resulting in an airbag detonating > in a crash, with a rear-facing front-seat child passenger. Some poor kid got > killed in Germany this way, about three years back, and that attracted a lot of > press here. > > > > > Also (but slightly OT) can anyone recommend a rear facing baby car seat > > available in the UK. > > You may find Britax and Akta available in your market. We use both in our cars > and are happy with them. Thankfully have not had them subjected to an ultimate > test, knock on wood . . . Britax have a seat known as "two-way" which is > placeable facing either forward or backwards as the name suggests ;-) We own > one because of that feature. > > Best to chase up and read the consumer report magazines to get a better idea. > Check a good library for back issues - that's where I found the info I needed. > > > There seem to be lots of options like travel systems > > etc but being my first one (baby that is) I'm slightly at sea without a > > paddle. > > TIA > > JD > > Yeah, we who raise kids all go through that one huh ;-) You'll find some people > that are really phobic about putting rear-facing kid seats in the front. But > it's very common in Scandinavia, especially with Saab, Volvo, BMW, Mercedes, > Audi owners (and Swedes tend to drive these cars a bit more than other > nationalities do), since they're pretty good at protecting front-seat > passengers in a crash. > > Some people have suggested that having a kid in the front seat is a traffic > safety risk because the driver can be distracted. Other people will argue that > having the rear-facing kid in the back seat causes the driver to turn his/her > head, which is just as dangerous. My wife puts our youngest (2 yrs) in the > front seat of the Saab facing backwards, and I put him in facing backwards in > the middle *rear* seat of the Audi. I have full confidence, safetywise, for my > wife's decision. > > I think I was a safer driver having my hand on my infant son or daughter in the > front seat of my wife's car, rather than having the kid scream his arse off in > the back of *my* car, where I could do nothing to comfort him. I probably > should've disabled the front bag on my car and had the kid ride up front. > > If you travel around Europe by car, it may be good to know that kids under 12 > years old may not travel in the front seat (even with a child seat facing > either forward or back) in Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech > Republic, Liechtenstein, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Yugoslavia > (Serbia-Montenegro). The age limit is 10 for France, Greece, and Monaco. All > other European countries permit kids in the front seat (albeit using a proper > child seat for many countries) so in the UK you have no problems, legally. N.B. > This info is from 1999, so check to see if there are any late changes to the > rules. > > Hope all this might be of help. > > Regards, > Robert > Gothenburg Sweden (2001 A4, 1999 9-3, 1983 900 GL R.I.P, 1983 99 GL R.I.P.) > All, thanks for the posts. Looks like I have some more research to do. Thanks JD
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