Front Passenger Airbag

[CiaranMcKeown]

Am i missing something or is there no way to turn the front passenger airbag off in the w203?

Ive heard of a mercedes baby seat carrying a code to electronically turn it off but is this true and if i dont have an official Mercedes seat, can i turn it off so that i can carry my child in the front where i can see and reach him at all times while driving? 90% of the time to push his soother back in but....just incase.???

 

[television]

There are the car child seats that disable this function, Mothercare used to do them.

 

[Dragon]

There are the car child seats that disable this function, Mothercare used to do them.

I have a push button to disable the passenger airbag in my 2001 W170, I am sure it in your W203, what year is it?

 

[CiaranMcKeown]

Its a 2002, see i have no handbook or i would look there but i cant see anything obvious to turn it off.
There is a thing in the centre of the dash under the hazard warning lights that says..."airbag off" and it has a light which lights for a second upon starting the car but it is not a button.
I would accept that when this light is illuminated the passenger airbag is indeed switched off, but without one of these decoders is there another way?

 

[television]

Its a 2002, see i have no handbook or i would look there but i cant see anything obvious to turn it off.
There is a thing in the centre of the dash under the hazard warning lights that says..."airbag off" and it has a light which lights for a second upon starting the car but it is not a button.
I would accept that when this light is illuminated the passenger airbag is indeed switched off, but without one of these decoders is there another way?

Only by unplugging the bag and inserting a 3.6 Ω resistor

 

[Dragon]

Its a 2002, see i have no handbook or i would look there but i cant see anything obvious to turn it off.
There is a thing in the centre of the dash under the hazard warning lights that says..."airbag off" and it has a light which lights for a second upon starting the car but it is not a button.
I would accept that when this light is illuminated the passenger airbag is indeed switched off, but without one of these decoders is there another way?

That the one. Get seconded opinion from Malcom. I am definite it is.

 

[CiaranMcKeown]

sorry it is definatley not a button, it is fixed to the dash

 

[Dragon]

sorry it is definatley not a button, it is fixed to the dash

It a standard Merc push button. If you push the upper part it will disable the airbag, if you push the lower part it will re-enable the airbag similar to the rear head restraint but if you push the lower part the head restraint will not revert back to the upright position.

 

[BTB 500]

so that i can carry my child in the front where i can see and reach him at all times while driving?

How old is he? AFAIK they're ok in the front once they're in a forward-facing baby seat, provided you move the passenger seat right back. That's what my R129 handbook says anyway (no easy way to disable the passenger airbag on that either - it has a weight sensor in the seat).

 

[DansSlk]

No button to switch it off so you have a few options really -

Use a seat that's compatible with the MB transponder system.
Use Malcolm's airbag disconnection trick.
Run the seat way back like Bill said.
Ask your dealer really nicely but you will probably be stonewalled.

I'd be inclined to take a look on eBay for the transponder's they turn up quite a bit and even if the seat is trashed you can normally recover them and install on a non-MB seat, just get L and R right.

 

[CiaranMcKeown]

Cheers DansSlk,
I'll keep ma eyes peeled on Fleabay for one of those, i think its ridiculous that there is no option to turn it off, every other car ive had there is a way if you choose to do so. Even if it requires using the key to turn it off.

Dragon....there is no such button in the w203. I know thye buttons you are talking about but i'll try and post a picture of what the "thing" im talking about looks like. Cheers anyway.