Beyond Alcoholic
aftermarket steering wheel and airbag removal?
i'm looking into getting a aftermarket steering wheel with no airbag. would it be illegal to remove the airbag since the stock steering wheel has a built in airbag? someone told me its legal but if i get into a accident its my own fault... i plan to get a momo hub so the passenger airbag still works.
Banned
im pretty sureits illegal...iknow it is for sure in the states but im not sure about canada......
Registered User
Roland,
I talked to Alberta govt about this last year, and from what they told me, I was able to get this. Also Try emailing them/calling them yourself and tell them what your up to. They are usually pretty helpful.
I don't beleive its directly illegal. More of a grey area. You need to do the work yourself though. No shop will touch this. You normally need special permission and papers to get airbags fully legally removed (like your too short).
If you remove your driver side airbag, your passenger airbag will ALSO be disabled. It triggers the SRS light, and according to subaru service manual, whenever the SRS light is lit the complete SRS is disabled. I think this is a requirement to prevent accidiental detonation when the SRS is broken.
If you do get in an accidient, your insurance is based on assumption you have working airbags. I dont know what this means, but they may be able to refuse to pay out or only pay out a certain amount.
In short, its probably not worth it to look cool. Good idea for a track only car maybe, but a bad idea for a street car?
22B wannabe
your also gonna have a stinking CEL don't do it... but if you plan on rally crossing and track days all the time... DO IT@!! feel like an idiot going around a corner as fast as you can and BEEP.... BEEP...
Beyond Alcoholic
i've been asking around today. from what i gather its legal to remove the airbag but don't know how insurance will take this.
also the airbag light will come on but i've been told there are different sensors for each airbag. even with the light on the passenger side airbag will still come out.
i will also lose the horn and criuse control.....
Wannabe Whipped
I think it also depends on different cars (as of the airbag deployment issue). You can also rewire the Horn / Cruise control if you need it. Somebody on the 403h forum has done a few. Might want to ask him too.
http://www.403honda.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=856
Registered User
I talked to my insurance company about this last year.
Removing an airbag from a car that was equipt with one from the factory is illegal. It is considered removal of a safety device. But that's not the bad part.
They said if you were in an accident, they can void your policy on the spot, because you removed a safety device from the car.
Not worth it, in my opinion. Too many risks.
Wannabe Whipped
Beyond Alcoholic
tulit if your reading this. do you still have the e-mail you gave me a few months back? i remember you gave it to me but lost it
i was talking to one of the guys at autozeal. he siad 95 and up cars, you might crap about it from the cops.
also told me a story of a guy with a prelude getting in crap with a aftermarket steering wheel in edmonton. had to put the stock one back on and get his car inspected or something like that....
Registered User
Roland, I probably dont, sorry
About the airbag deployment, I guarantee you it will disable both (at least on 2000 Impreza). Even if you read the user manual that came with the car it says whenever the SRS light is lit the whole system is disabled.
I dont know if youll get in trouble with the cops. I think the big question mark is getting in trouble with the insurance company.
Moderator
in the states its legal to take out the air bag and change to aftermarket steering wheel, but its just dumb....i saw this one race which a civic ended up hitting a spectator car, and the driver hit his head on his steering wheel getting hurt prettty bad......if he didn't replace the steering wheel, the air bag would of prevented his injuries....
Wannabe Whipped
Moderator
Originally posted by Superesc
what if he had a racing seat with 4 pt harness???
id guess that can prevent it, but not a lot of people have racing seats with those kinds of harnesses. here in the states of u take the air bags off i heard the insurance goes up as well...
Wannabe Whipped
hmm so basically, if you take out your airbag, its better u have aftermarket seats and harness
I love convicing myself to buy things hahahahaha
Moderator
i was following a civic from behind on the freeway, and it blew a tire and flipped over, i almost ran right into it...man it was crushed on the roof...we were going like 80 mph...Originally posted by szw
Then he'd be safe, unless he rolled the car and survived, in which case he'd probably be crushed to death!
Registered User
You can only disable the airbag for safety reasons. If you are too short, or too fat, or for some other reasons you are too close to the steering wheel while driving you can have the airbag disabled because in the event of an accident the airbag might kill you.
If you disable the airbag with no good reason and get into an accident, your insurance company might decide not to pay, and the cops might decide to give you a ticket just has if you were not wearing your seatbelt.
Funny thing is that a recent study of high speed accidents showed that the survial rate is 65% with the seatbelts and 68% with seatbelts and airbag... Seems like the airbag is a marginal improvement.
MH
On a clear disk, you can seek forever...
Beyond Alcoholic
to think about it..... i do have very bad chest and back problems. i had to go through physical therapy for months.... so if anything was to happen i can get a doctors note no problem.
can't go for the thing about being too short. i'm 5'10". maybe a bit taller. haha.
Registered User
I forgot to mention that on all cars equipped with airbags, the seat belts are designed to work in conjunction with the airbag. Instead of keeping you tight in your seat, those seat belts will let you slowly hit the airbag. So, if the airbag is removed, the seat belts will not provide adequate protection by themselves and usually needs to be replaced.
MH
On a clear disk, you can seek forever...
Registered User
Well, I came across this same dilemma about a month ago. I HATED the factory 4-spoke steering wheel w/ Airbag. I went and bought a 3-spoke OEM BMW steering without the airbag. Installing it wasn't so bad. You have to remove the airbag FUSE or else the airbag will deploy on removal. Also, when you remove the fuse, BOTH airbags are now disabled. (!!!) Really sucks, in my opinion, cause I want my passengers to have their airbag working!
In terms of legality, I'm not too sure. I spoke with the dudes at BMW Calgary, and they didn't mention a thing. I'm sure alot of people do it.
...but since someone brought up the Insurance Company, now I'm a bit worried. Yikes!
Beyond Alcoholic
finally someone thats done this!!! if i do this i'll probably unplug the battery altogether... don't want any chance of the airbag blowing in my face.
manhunter i'm pretty sure the seatbelts has not changed at all since the impreza came out back in 93. same part numbers still.
still debating about the steering wheel......
its not the fact i hate how the stock steering wheel looks its just its so big.
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