W211 How to disable passenger airbag?

[markjay]

But the transponder is going to disable the airbag.. right?

I don't know for fact how it works, but it would either tell the SRS that the seat is always occupied which will activate the airbag, or that the seat is always unoccupied which will permanently disable the airbag.

Of the two, I don't see how the former is possible, for two reasons. The first is that the seatbelt warning light and buzzer will be constantly on when the passenger seat is unoccupied... the second is that the airbag adjusts the expansion level based on the actual weight, which would not be possible to do with a transponder in place.

I would therefore imagine that the trasponder simply tells the airbag that the passenger seat is unoccupied, effectively disabling both the airbag and the seatbelt warning.

I suppose people use it to get rid of the SRS error message on the dash without actually paying for the required repair. Perhaps before MOT or before selling the car.....

If this is the case, the insurer won't be too happy I think..

 

[b1g1an]

Does your car not have a rear bench between the front seats and the boot....?

Last time I saw this seat arrangement was on an Austin 10....

I was referring to all those flimsy 7 seat MPVs and the like, always gives me a chill when I see kids in those seats on the motorway.

 

[markjay]

I was referring to all those flimsy 7 seat MPVs and the like, always gives me a chill when I see kids in those seats on the motorway.

So NOT this one, then...?

 

[andy27168]

The transponder would disable the passenger front airbag(s), what would it do to the pre-tensioners?

 

[maxima]

I am transporting cats not kids. pretensioner should work as expected.