Disabling an air bag on an SLK

[Eskie]

We have recently had a baby girl and my wife would like to use a baby seat in the passenger seat of her SLk occassionally but to do this we would need to disable the airbag and Mercedes service centres won't do this and even tried calling the Mercedes head office, but still no joy.
Does anyone know how to disable the airbag on a 1997 SLK?
or know of a garage/mechanic in/near North-West London that could do this?
Many thanks.

 

[lynall]

Bloke i bought my car from had this done for the same reason, and reset for me to take away never been any trouble since.

I am pretty sure he told me mercs did this for him.



Lynall

 

[Diesel Benz]

Was the child seat recognition option not available for 1997 cars yet? They might have retrofitted one, then they would not be afraid of any liability issue.

 

[richard]

My 1997 SLK had it (coz I had a daughter in 1998 so I remember)

What that means, is Mercedes sell car seats that the car recognise and it turns of the airbag and lights up a little airbag off lamp (that most people think is a button to turn airbag off) that is often near the glovebox opening button.

MB dealers know this as AKSE, make sure you get the seat with it rather than the ones without it.

AKSE has been standard on UK spec for most of the time it exists (with a couple of models missed out, such as the 2007 ML) but not in some other markets

R

 

[miro]

My 1997 SLK had it (coz I had a daughter in 1998 so I remember)

What that means, is Mercedes sell car seats that the car recognise and it turns of the airbag and lights up a little airbag off lamp (that most people think is a button to turn airbag off) that is often near the glovebox opening button.

MB dealers know this as AKSE, make sure you get the seat with it rather than the ones without it.

AKSE has been standard on UK spec for most of the time it exists (with a couple of models missed out, such as the 2007 ML) but not in some other markets

R

In Australia they got rid of it in the A-Class.

 

[Koolvin]

I have seen transponder type devices available to disable the airbag so you don't have to use a MB car seat.

 

[richard]

I have seen transponder type devices available to disable the airbag so you don't have to use a MB car seat.

They worry me - because *if* the airbag goes off into child's face as they are coming forward they get broken neck. Rather have well tested MB solution.

In about 2007 AKSE stopped being 'standard' on some models, and it took MB UK about 6 months to work that out and put it back on for UK spec. To confuse further it looks like it is there - for instance on my 07 ML the indicator was there, it lit up when you turned on the ignition to test the lamp etc, the way you knew it wasnt there (apart from it didnt work) was that the sticker on the end of the dashboard was different.

Dealers can't retrofit it without changing the airbag controller because (as miro said in a recent thread on airbag modules) they are 'locked' - so its not as easy as just changing the seat recognition pad. And I suspect independants may not want to take the liability risk.

R

 

[miro]

They worry me - because *if* the airbag goes off into child's face as they are coming forward they get broken neck. Rather have well tested MB solution.

In about 2007 AKSE stopped being 'standard' on some models, and it took MB UK about 6 months to work that out and put it back on for UK spec. To confuse further it looks like it is there - for instance on my 07 ML the indicator was there, it lit up when you turned on the ignition to test the lamp etc, the way you knew it wasnt there (apart from it didnt work) was that the sticker on the end of the dashboard was different.

Dealers can't retrofit it without changing the airbag controller because (as miro said in a recent thread on airbag modules) they are 'locked' - so its not as easy as just changing the seat recognition pad. And I suspect independants may not want to take the liability risk.

R

The ASKE is a variant of the occupancy detector. What it does is that ASKE tells the aibag unit that NO PERSON is there. In an accident the airbags for empty seats do not go off.

All you really do is replace the occupancy sensor with a higher spec version. That is why front passenger seats have 2 airbag connections and driver seats only have 1 (buckle).

 

[wemorgan]

I thought the issue of child safety was primarily only for the rear facing seats that were too close to the airbag, but front facing child seats were OK with airbags?

 

[richard]

An airbag *must* hit you in the chest, that way it decelerates your body and your neck only has to deal with decelerating the weight of your head, which it is mostly designed to do.

If an airbag hits you in the face, then your neck has to deal with the weight of decelerating your body (ok, so seatbelt helps) but it is not designed to do that.

If you're not wearing seatbelt (or child has tucked it behind them, or sitting so its half off them) you can imagine the consequences on their neck

R

 

[BTB 500]

My 1997 SL just has an occupancy (weight) sensor in the passenger seat. No child seat recognition.

Baby BTB goes in OK in a forward-facing seat. Passenger seat is moved fully back, as per the handbook.

 

[Eskie]

My 1997 SL just has an occupancy (weight) sensor in the passenger seat. No child seat recognition.

Baby BTB goes in OK in a forward-facing seat. Passenger seat is moved fully back, as per the handbook.

Many thanks for all the replies on this.
Bill, where might I get hold of an occupancy (weight) sensor?

I have been to a couple of Mercedes dealers in NW London, both of them suggested the Merc rear-facing child seat, but neither had 1 in stock and didn't know when they would be in stock, added to this we already have a Maxi Cosi car seat and finances are tight we would prefer to disable to air bag somehow and use the car seat we have if it is at all possible.
But it has proved fruitless in trying to track down a garage/mechanic that will do this!

 

[BTB 500]

Bill, where might I get hold of an occupancy (weight) sensor?

It's built into the seat - it makes the airbag live if there's a weight on the seat. No help for you.

What does your handbook say about baby seats? It's covered in my SL one.

I'm not surprised you can't find a garage that will deactivate the airbag, they would be scared of being sued if you (or a subsequent owner of the car) had an accident.

 

[lynall]

Item 11 Êàòàëîã


Lynall

 

[christinameyers]

Hi, does anyone know where these transponders are located in the Mercedes Duo Plus Toddler Car Seat? I purchased the toddler car seat, but my little one is not quite ready to be forward facing. I would like to remove and transfer the responders to her rear-facing seat in the interim.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Howard]

I don't think that rear facing seats are recommended to be fitted in front seats ?

I have the Duo Plus , but no idea where the transponder is and i'd be extremely dubious about removing it.

I recently broke one of the locking handles on the back ( they are held on with two screws ) and Britax ( who make it ) wouldn't sell me them seperately , insisting that the seat was returned to them to be done in case there was an accident , so they would not be liable if something happened.

If you removed a transponder and god forbid something happened because you had retrofitted it to another seat , could you live with yourself ?