Disabling the Airbag?

[TowDawg]

I searched, but all I seemed to find were threads in the RT10/GTS section.

I know I can turn the passenger airbag off with the key, but can you disable the driver's side aribag?
I read through my shop manual, and I know you are supposed to disconnect the negative cable on the battery for at least two minutes before doing anything with the airbag so that it drains all of the reserve power. After doing this, is there a simple fuse I can pull to disable it? I know the light will be on and that's fine. I'll only do this for HPDE weekends when I will be wearing 6 points anyway. I just don't want to get into taking the whole thing out of the car, if I can just pull a fuse.

 

[Flexx91]

I personally wouldn't screw around with the airbags regardless of the supplemental restraint system I have installed. Don't see the advantage of disabling the system other than it will reduce the repair cost if there is a crash - and repair cost at this point would be irrelevant if the car is insured. Also, your family won't be too happy if you sustain injuries in a cash that could have been reduced by a functional airbag system. Your insurance company (or better yet, someone else's) will love it when you file an injury claim and find out you intentionally disabled or removed this system.

 

[mjorgensen Woodhouse]

Short answer is no you can't, if you choose to remove it and get a racing wheel then I would have a chat with your insurance agent as to the ramifications it could have on coverage.

 

[TowDawg]

Well crap!

Flex, I was wanting out when on the track for 2 reasons. One, yes it will be one less thing to pay for, especially if it's a "minor" hit that happens to be in the right place to make the bag go off. Second, with a 6 point on properly (you're not moving) and a helmet, the airbag isn't going to help and could actually end up causing more issues.

I didn't think about it making it even harder to have insurance cover anything if I swapped the wheel out. I've read every bit of wording in my poilicy (and disclosed to them that I do HPDE events), but I'm sure it will still be a fight I ever have to go that way. Maybe they would buy the reasoning that I changed out the airbag for track in the name of safety? lol

 

[mjorgensen Woodhouse]

If you can prove that you sit so close to the airbag it is a safety hazard you can get a disclaimer allowing you to remove it.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Go ahead and remove it. Put a quick disconnect in. I made an adapter to mount an original Gen I wheel.

For 100 years societies drove cars without airbags and somehow humanity survived and populations continued to increase. Interestingly, Europe, America and Asia populations are now on the decline.