Passenger side airbag disable?

[ReconH3]

I'm going to temporarily convert my H3 to a 2 seater to start prepping it for a competition in August 2015. It's still my daily driver and still need to pick my 5 year old from school. Is there any way to disable the passenger side airbag so that I can use his car seat up front? I'm familiar with many vehicles that have this feature but have no clue if its possible on the H3. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[f5moab]

H3 has a smart passenger side airbag. When you fasten the seat in place, and place your son in the seat, check to see if the passenger airbag remains off, per the idiot light in the dash. Just remember, nothing is fail safe.
The only way other way is to disconnect the airbag, but that will also kill the rest of the system.

 

[4speedfunk]

How about a custom "Johnny Jump Up" car seat suspended from the cage in the back?

 

[3rdH3]

The PS airbag is weight activated by weight. I don't know if cinching down the car seat will activate it or not. You will have to try it and see.

 

[f5moab]

The seat's gel bag is designed to register the weight in the center of the seat where a set of buttocks normally reside if there s a passenger in the seat. A correctly installed child seat applies pressure to the rear of the gel bag so in MOST (but NOT ALL) cases, the child seat, along with a small child will not turn on the passenger airbag for deployment in an accident.
Only way to know is to install the seat and the child and see if the indicator remains with the bag off light.

 

[4speedfunk]

I've considered pulling my fuse permanently. Once you reach a certain level of build...and you spend a lot of time off-roading...it sort of makes sense. Recon and myself (and squeaky too) are so highly modded that I question if airbags are even relevant. I'm sure they do their job but an accidental deployment costs thousands to repair. This coupled with the ride height makes me wonder if it's worth it. 90% of other vehicles would not even make contact with my body. Nowdays I'm more concerned about driving over other cars in an accident.

 

[ReconH3]

Thanks for the insight guys. Will give it a try and see what happens. I agree that such a tall vehicle, airbags are pretty worthless. I have left them in for legal reasons in case some passenger gets in and something happens. You already have enough issues to deal with in case of an accident. The last thing I want to deal with is someone accusing me for disabling my airbags. Especially in a roll over. Thanks again.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

 

[3Hummers]

Al,

Let us know if the off light stays on with the car seat installed and your child cinched down.

 

[ReconH3]

Will do. Have to wait till he gets out of school.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

There is another way, maybe. In my Jetta, if the passenger seat is reclined, the passenger air bag is shut off... I've yet to try it in my H3 (I'll try to remember to do so today), but that might be the solution - rewire the seat so that the switch thinks the seat is reclined... my Mastiff rides in the front, and I don't want the bag going off as he can't wear a seat belt...

 

[JGBB04]

If you have any police/emergency vehicle up fitters near by check w/ them.
http://www.adamsonindustries.com/pro-gard-aoi-plug-n-play-airbag-switch/

 

[f5moab]

Reclining the seat does nothing in the H3. There is a seat position sensor on the track that determines the position of the seat in relation to the airbag, and if the seat is consider too close for a stage 2 blow, the system will only fire off one of the detonators.
In addition, reclining the seat would make the child seat lean back against the back of the seat, and if there was a collision, cause it to rotate forward at quite a velocity, throwing the kid forward in the child seat harness and probably causing some type of neck damage.

But I am confused as to why airbags are worthless for a high vehicle? if you low vehicle or a high vehicle hit a tree, the results are the same.

The switch, as shown above MIGHT work; however, the system should keep the airbag off with a child seat installed and a small kid in the seat. I do say SHOULD, because over time the gel sensor in the seat can get a bit flaky SOMETIMES.

 

[f5moab]

I've considered pulling my fuse permanently. Once you reach a certain level of build...and you spend a lot of time off-roading...it sort of makes sense. Recon and myself (and squeaky too) are so highly modded that I question if airbags are even relevant. I'm sure they do their job but an accidental deployment costs thousands to repair. This coupled with the ride height makes me wonder if it's worth it. 90% of other vehicles would not even make contact with my body. Nowdays I'm more concerned about driving over other cars in an accident.

Just remember the front bags are not set off by the front sensors in the body, they are set off by the SDM (sensing/diagnostic module) under the console and are set off by deceleration not by an impact. Those front sensors are used only to determine the severity of a crash and help the SDM determine if it should deploy one detonator (stage 1) or both detonators (stage 2).
However the side roll over bags, yea, they can be set off due to the rollover sensor getting the idea you are rolling over so they can be a problem, but nice to have if you are ever broadsided. If broadsided, there are sensors (one in each B pillar) that are crushed and set off the bag for that side and they can keep you from hitting that hard B pillar with your head.
If I were off roading a lifted H3, I would definitely pull the air bag fuse. But on road, both front and side and can save your life, regardless of how high your vehicle is.

 

[08H3]

I've never had any issue. Not with the airbag any way. Only issue I have had is with the mother-in-law saying "Why would you every let her ride up front. TOO DANGEROUS!" I figure it's better than when I was growing up. Mom and dad let me stand up in the front seat so I could see out better.

 

[ReconH3]

Finally got to try it and it works. Airbag stays off.

F5, at what weight does it trip the airbag sensor on? This way I know at what point I have to switch him over to the booster car seat belt.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

 

[Scarsman]

Finally got to try it and it works. Airbag stays off.

F5, at what weight does it trip the airbag sensor on? This way I know at what point I have to switch him over to the booster car seat belt.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

I would bet it is the same switch/sensor system that was in my 2006 GMC Envoy, and it was 80 lbs.

 

[f5moab]

I believe the set point is about 70 lbs. But remember, when you "correctly" fasten in the child seat; most of the pressure will be placed against the back of the seat cushion, where it hits the seat back. And the sensor is primarily designed to pickup weight applied by a set of buns, in the center to rear of the seat.

 

[06 H3]

glad it worked out for you recon