fauly airbags

[aKaHAWK]

can a faulty airbag deloy some time after a collision with the ignition off?

[chas2008]

worked around cars for many years, certainly never heard of it happening....why do you ask ?

[bigboots]

Not on a modern vehicle as the air bag system is connected to the speedo, and you have to be traveling at over a certain speed for the air bag system to become active, imagine how many air bags would go off in supermarket car parks if the were not linked to the speedo

[Paul22118]

The airbag systems are not based on impact speed, i.e. big number on the clock , but are generated by inertia stats. For example if you have a head on crash at 40 mph with a car travelling the other way at 40 mph, whilst your approach speed might be 40 the key issue is the inertia produced by the impact where both cars may well fold and crumple but not move significantly forward or backward.

If it is faulty then of course anything can happen.

They are precision components and are there to operate within defined parameters.

[chas2008]

actualy they do go off in car parks, .it all down to the speed of impact and angle, determined by sensors, hence some quite hard impacts dont deploy the air bags..we work on accident damaged vehicles all day long and you would be surprised how few air bags require replacing..Having said that clip a kerb hard with a BMW and some Clios and the side air bags go off !!