Can the dealer update the bag with a fresh bag
I have seen 85 euro w123 with an airbag in it,i wonder if its as bad and old as a
87 w124 airbag.

I would not advocate breaking a federal law either.

However... if one accidentally installs an EGR kit first, then one has already violated federal law by disabling emissions components, and therefore one is entitled to proceed to further modifications on the old "In for a penny, in for a pound" justification

__________________


~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Get a child seat for her, put her in the back.

jeff

I went through the on/off switch procedure for my 98lb wife last time she was pregnant, PITA, next time I'll pull the airbag plug.

The NHTSA under Diane Steed decided for our own protection, that airbags should be required to protect un-belted occupants, and these early airbags at least were designed with enough power to protect that un-belted driver/occupant. I prefer to wear a seat belt. I've been around the development of the airbag since the mid-'70s, they aren't all good. The German "face bag" made more sense, designed to protect a properly belted occupant, but that wasn't good enough for Diane Steed, ... now you got me started, ...

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I tried this, and unless I got hold of an early w123 wheel by mistake instead of a w126, I could not get the center hole on the wheel to connect with the spindle coming out of the steering column.

__________________


~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

But I reckon here intentions were probably noble... Get it?

__________________
-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Argh, that's awful. People need to stop horsing around.

__________________


~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

Geeze guys....just have her move her seat all the way back. The government has documented the majority of issues from the older car/airbags is the lack of compensation for the seat location and the size of the passenger. The further you are away, the less impact from the bag, and it still does its designed function.

__________________
87 300SDL - 215K Miles !!
99 F-350CC Dually PSD - 190K
86 300SDL - 189K
All on B-100

5'2"... seat all the way back......

__________________


~Michael S.~
Past cars:

1986 300SDL
1987 300SDL
1982 240D
1982 300SD


Current:

1987 300SDL

A vendor I deal with used to have a BMW coupe convertible, I think an M3. He drove onto the shoulder of the road to avoid an accident and the airbag went off. The steering wheel cover hit him on the right side of his face, blacked his eye and broke vessels in it so his eyeball was blood red, ripped his right nostril where it attaches above the lip and tore his earlobe. Then he drove off the road and came to a stop in a field. He was told it did the damage to him because he was sitting too close to the steering wheel.

__________________
Chad
2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
1998 Acura 3.0 CL
OBK#44
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

SOLD
1985 300TD - Red Dragon
1986 300SDL - Coda
1991 - 300TE
1995 - E320
1985 300CD - Gladys

I'm 6'1", like the long-reach to the steering wheel, keep the seat back. I hit a deer and the airbag went off on my wife's Ford, burns and bruises on my chest and arms. She's 5'3", she couldn't have reached the wheel or pedals from there. If your position is one that will cause you to compromise control of the car such as holding the bottom of the wheel because the armrests won't support outstretched arms, you're increasing your risk of an accident, ditto with increasing fatigue.

Not everyone can safely drive (or at all) with the seat waaay back, the airbag is designed for the 90th percentile male.

BTW, when my '91 was about 4-5years old Mercedes sent me a letter that the re-certification date on the airbags (dual/optional) was extended. I believe it was 10years?

__________________

Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

I can't imagine this conversation ending well:

"Angie, bad news. If you need to drive yourself or our kid to the hospital, you'll need to move the seat all the way back and strap this set of phone books to your feet so you can reach the pedals."

__________________
2003 E320 wagon, ~80k, "Sputnik"
1987 300 SDL, ~160k, "The Pimp Daddy" (sold April 2010)
1984 300 TD, ~200k, "Das Boot" (Demised March 2008)

OK, now we have the car, and I'm checking out possibilities. Pulling the passenger carpet back, I see this notice:

Attention: The vehicle is equipped with airbag and seat belt tensioner. Separate or connect red 10-pole plug connector only after ignition key has been set to O position and negative line has been disconnected from battery, otherwise risk of malfunctioning and injury.

So (and forgive the question, I don't have the service manuals for this beast yet) does that mean that disconnecting the airbag will also disconnect the seatbelt tensioners? That would be Bad, I think.

I'll continue investigating; any advice greatly appreciated. (And FWIW this thread is now the #1 hit in Google for "300SDL airbag" ).

__________________
2003 E320 wagon, ~80k, "Sputnik"
1987 300 SDL, ~160k, "The Pimp Daddy" (sold April 2010)
1984 300 TD, ~200k, "Das Boot" (Demised March 2008)

You can disconnect the trigger wire right at the airbag. There are small holes on the back side of the steering wheel. Send in a 4 or 5mm hex key, undo both screws and the airbag should come off the steering wheel. Pull off the wire in the middle of the airbag. Voila! No trigger. Those who know say to first disconnect the red connector just downstream of the steering column. There shouldn't be any need to disconnect the airbag at the steering wheel with the red connector apart.

I don't think that would disable the seatbelt tensioners. SRS logic should be smart enough to know that you need seatbelt tensioners more than ever if the airbag fails the POST.

Sixto
87 300D

That is talking about pyrotechnic pretensioners, which reel up any slack immediately before airbag deployment; it's another one-use device like an air bag. It is not talking about the spring reels.