Air Bag Disconnect?

[Guest greenfly]

Does anyone know if you can disconnect the passenger airbag on a 1999 Gal? New baby on the way real soon and the baby seat needs to be in the front.

[Ivor_E_Tower]

AFAIK, the safety system is not designed to operate with the passenger airbag turned off or disconnected - there is no switch with which it can be de-activated. Do not attempt to drive with a baby seat on the front passenger seat with the passenger airbag operated - it can result in death in the event of a crash where this airbag is deployed.

 

Sorry but it looks as if your baby seat will have to go in the middle row (or the back row).

[Guest pnwheels]

If you have access to VAG-COM , it can be de-activated.

[Masked Marauder]

If you have access to VAG-COM , it can be de-activated.

No, it can be unplugged and a resistor pack fitted to the plug, but it can not be turned off.

 

VW/SEAT part number is 1H0 998 521 B and contains a resistor pack and a sticker.

 

You disconnect the battery, wait 25 minutes, remove the glove-box, release the airbag multiplug and plug in the resistor pack. You then put it all back together, re-connect the battery and Bob's your uncle. You then apply the sticker saying it is disconnected.

[Guest greenfly]

Thanks for the feedback guys - really helpful. I'll check out the VW kit. Interestingly, when I asked the Ford dealer, they said "no, but there'll be some private outfits could do it for you" which I felt was a wee bit irresponsible.

[Guest greenfly]

Got the VW kit - anyone got any more detailed instructions?? In the kit is a connector with a wire and an eye connector, a nut (presumably to fasten the eye to something), a grey connector on its own, and a small orange plastic tab.

Appreciate any advice - don't fancy getting this wrong!

[Guest vr6galaxy]

When you get the airbag out of the dash you will see how it all fits into place! the wire with the plug and eyelet on it is a grounding strap for the airbag when it's unplugged, the nut is as you said for holding the eyelet in place, IIRC the grey connector is the shorting resistor, this plugs into the loom once the airbag is unplugged, the orange tag?

you will also need part number 1H0 010 076E these are stickers to tell others that the airbag is disconnected, one for the dash the other for the diagnostic plug

[s2will]

Does the wee one have to be in the front? We always put ours (when in a rear facing maxi-cosi) in the seat behind the passenger with a big mirror velcro attached to the centre headrest. She was then easily visible through the rear view mirror. On the very few occasions that we needed to sort anything we just pulled over, sorted the problem and moved on.

Dont know where the wife got the mirror from though, probably 'Innovations' or similar quality journal..........

[Guest greenfly]

Thanks for the advice - the good lady remains unmoved by the "innovations catalogue" argument, remaining adamant that having the babe in the front alongside is best (given this is our third she's set in her ways....).

 

Thanks to vr6galaxy for the details, I'll have a go at the weekend. The orange tag is an inch long T shaped piece of plastic which has "ATTENTION resistance plug installed" written on it - presume it is meant to go into something as a warning, so probably not a critical part I guess?

[Guest vr6galaxy]

The orange tag is an inch long T shaped piece of plastic which has "ATTENTION resistance plug installed" written on it - presume it is meant to go into something as a warning, so probably not a critical part I guess?

This could be for fitting into the diagnostic socket as a warning to anyone working on the car! saving them the time and you the money trying to fix the faulty airbag :blink: