190E Air Bag Replacement
 

My 190E 1991 2.3 has a label stating that the Air Bag needs replacing on 06/2000 (two years ago). Is it necessary? What
happens if I never replace it?, sudden deployment, or none at
all.

The life of all MB air bags was extended to 15 years, so cars built before 1988 might need replacement. YOUR local dealer can install a new date sticker on your warning label.

To M.B. Doc - E2.3 asked a question that has me curious. If you do drive a car with an out of date airbag - regardless of model - what will happen? Will it self-deploy whenever it feels like it? Will it not deploy in an accident? or - if you just leave it - will nothing happen??? Is it dangerous to drive a car with an out of date airbag?? Should an out of date airbag be disabled?? Out of ignorance - many questions.
Maurice

I know the guys over in the Miata forum often remove the air bags. It gets complicated because there are a lot of fail safes on warning lights and buzzers. I am thinking about this myself as My Miata's air bag light is going off. I makes you think you have a good running car but the air bag is more expensive than the car is worth (in the case of many 190's) what do you do? Leave it in, remove it, replace. I could not see replacing it myself, unless I really wanted the car. I would think the concern would be that the sensors might not be functional or the gas canister could have leaked. I think the fear is from the manufacturers worrying that they might not go off as designed. IMHO

So is there any fears of anything happening other than the out of date airbag not deploying in an accident? Can car insurance companies make you replace an out of date airbag???

Update: Here in my Province of Manitoba starting Monday March 18 it will be illegal to use re-packed and refurbished air bags in cars. On the news it showed an auto wrecker with hundreds of old -undeployed airbags on the shelf - which the government says can be safely used to replace airbags that have been deployed. This started me thinking again. I contacted Mercedes Canada and posed the questions I asked in this thread - they directed me to Manfred Mokry in their compliance department. He was not in but his secretary promised he would call me with an answer early next week. I will keep you posted as to his answer.

The QUESTION of what will happen to old air bags is a good one.
I have asked the same one as my son drives a 1986 190E & the air bag is now 1 year past the "good life" date.
An MB engineer told me that there isn't any way that it would go off by itself, however he said that in an accident it may not deploy completely due to the generator being OLD.

Thanks M.B.DOC - why I am wondering is because I have never heard of a "good life" date for north american cars and if our government (who is also the only one who sells auto insurance up here - that's right - no private enterprise allowed) says OK to use old ones from wrecks and they don't fully deploy - is there any liability on their part in case of injury?? Fasinating - isn't it??