15 yrs for air bag?

[euronatura]

Sorry to bring this up again, I have read through various threads, especially this one:

Do I need a new airbag?

And have not found the answer to my question. Obviously, the reliability issue on air bags over 15 yrs come up. And from what I have read is that they can fail or not inflate fast enough or properly. That is one thing but my question is:

After 15 yrs, can these bags just infalte all by themselves without warning or accident? In other words, can this bag open up when I am just driving down the street at 40mph ?

My car is an 1988 190e, 2.3L and it has only one airbag for the driver.

Thanks,

Iggy

[G-Benz]

I would guess that the main issue is that the sensor contacts corrode with time, so that in an impact, the sensors may not not make complete electrical contact, which potentially results in delayed deployment, or none at all.

Random deployment would indicate a defect due to a faulty system, not an aged one.

So I would rest easy that you won't just be driving along one minute and the next minute, your eating an air bag...

[euronatura]

G-benz

Thanks for the response. Thank god since I just had breakfast a little while ago.... Not that hungry..........

Iggy

Anything can happen given the right sense of circumstances. I don't think your car is any mnore likely than a newer car to have the bags deploy inadvertantly. The propellant in the airbag system still need to be ignited. But with crazy things like human spontaneous combustion, I guess anything can happen.

If you want to be sure that it won't go off, remove the system. But that goes for newer cars too.

[Kestas]

The system is designed to measure resistance in the circuit, such as corroded terminals. Once resistance reaches a threshhold, the air bag light goes on.