I am wondering, because I have heard that the older Mercedes with airbags, from the introduction of them in Mercedes in 1984 as an option, thru the 1980s, that they have "overly strong" airbags. I am considering a 1985 500SEL with the driver airbag option and this is why I was concerned. I was wanting to know if anyone here ever owned a 80s Mercedes (particularly mid 80s) and had a frontal crash and if so, was you injured by the inflating airbag. I know that the NHTSA crash test result was not that great for a tested 1985 300SD with the airbag. Not because the cars structural integrity, as that was great, but rather that was the injury reading for the dummy in the car. The one without the airbag was less. I am assuming that the overpowered airbag was the cause for the higher injury rating on the 300SD with the airbag. If this is so, is it difficult to disconnect the airbag on a 1984-1985 Mercedes? I know it is illegal, but many cars did not even have airbags in 1984-1985, except for the 10000+ GM models that had them from 1973-1976, and a few of the 71-72 Mercury's equipped with them for testing and only the Ford Tempo/Topaz had them as an option beginning in 1986. I will probably just leave it connected, even if I do buy it and remember to keep the seat back as far as possible.

Thanks in advance.

Guess not! Either that or they didn't live to tell about it!

Oh.... I hope not.....

Unless the person behind the airbag is smaller than the 5th %ile female (ie 5'2 100lbs) I wouldn't worry about it too much. I myself am not a fan of airbags since I'm of the belief that airbags were mandated to try to protect people who wouldn't wear their seatbelts. I wear mine and if it were practical I'd wear a 4 or 5 point restraint, but I'm digressing. As long as you're wearing your seatbelt, the impact of the airbag will minimized...

Even if the airbags deploy hard (and I haven't seen the studies one way or the other), I'd rather have a broken nose and walk away from my mercedes, than be in a car with a softer deploying bag with my legs pinned needing to be cut out of what had been my car - since we're considering worse case senerios.

In a nutshell:
Leave it connected, don't worry about it. If you get in a wreck, and physical injuries sustained caused by the bag will be miniscule compared to getting to deal with "premium boy" down at the insurance office.

Thanks. Guess I am OK then. Just wondering about that. I know that ten-thousand 1974, 1975 and 1976 Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Cadillacs had dual airbags option, as well as a few hundred of the full-size 1973 Chevrolet Impala's and Caprice's. For testing, even a few early 70s Mercury's had them as well. My grandmother had a 1974 Oldsmobile that she bought new and it had the dual airbag option. I read where someone had a crash in a 1973 Impala, equipped with airbags and they were totally unharmed. I am guessing that those bags were even more powerful, so I guess all will be OK. I had forgot about that crash.

Hopefully, I will never have a crash in any car, but it is nice to know that these Mercedes are built like tanks- so even without airbags, these cars give you a secure feeling.

Thanks again.

I think you are rite to leave it on.

Just to let you know some of those old GMs had a system that used high and low speed discharg bags. Lower bag speed for lower speed impacts and higher bag speeds for higher speed impacts.

Now it seems MFGs are going that way and GM is prob. wondering why they didn't leave them that way.