Menophanes wrote:I thought I had acknowledged trem1's comprehensive identity document for my car, but the message in question seems to have dropped through a hole in the floor (very much as the handbrake lever used to do on my old Rover P4s). Belated but hearty thanks to him, then, as well as to all who have posted. I have transcribed the Service Box information onto my computer and it will shortly be added to the folder of documents that came with the car.
I am rather glad that I did not know about the PYROTECHNIC SEAT BELT before buying the car. A word meaning 'fireworks' seems a little out of place in reference to a safety device.
Apologies all round if this message proves after all to be a duplicate.
Oliver Mundy.
That's fine, there's a lot of information there but also a lot of excess information - it's interesting though nonetheless. And yes the French manufacturer had some very strange ways of describing things, you should see some of the fault codes and their descriptions!
Keep in touch Oliver, you're welcome to ask whatever you want here.
Cars in my care:
2021 Kia Spottage 1.6 Pez Turbo Dual Clutch Gearbox Trickery
2013 Renner Twingo - donkey work
Seatbelt pre-tensioners are pyrotechnic devices - a small pyrotechnic charge is detonated, forcing a piston forward which retracts the seatbelt.
As are the airbags - a very small pyrotechnic charge detonates, the hot expanding gases from which rapidly fill up the bag.
It's weird to think of it that way, but this is why you need to treat things like airbags and pretensioners with kid-gloves - they can blow up in your face. Various courier services don't like shipping these parts either, and especially shipping them internationally via airmail is a no-no for that reason.
2002 (D9) Peugeot 406 Coupe SE, 2.2 litre Petrol. Scarlet Red/Rouge Ecarlate/Rosso Scarlatto. Black Leather interior. SOLD
2008 (E60 LCI) BMW 525i M-Sport, 3.0 litre Petrol. Carbonschwarz Metallic. Black Dakota Leather and Myrtlewood interior.
When I swapped a pair of bimmer steering wheels the other day (piece of cake btw!), I made absolutely bloody certain that at no point did I have my head inside the cars, and did my best to keep my hands bonnet-side of the airbag. I held the bags at arms' length tilted sligthly away from me when carrying them too. Must have looked like a right over-cautious tool, but I ain't messing with explosives!
<steve_earwig> I think this forum is more about keeping our cars going with minimal outlay than giving our cars more reason to go bang
When I swapped a pair of bimmer steering wheels the other day (piece of cake btw!), I made absolutely bloody certain that at no point did I have my head inside the cars, and did my best to keep my hands bonnet-side of the airbag. I held the bags at arms' length tilted sligthly away from me when carrying them too. Must have looked like a right over-cautious tool, but I ain't messing with explosives!
I've never really been that nervous when dealing with airbags (although I probably should), but have always made sure that I store them well away from anything that may create any kind of electricity.
I've still got a couple of seat airbags in the shed which I'm highly unlikely to get much money for on Ebay, but I am toying with the idea of charging up the spare scooter battery, attaching some wire & having some explosive fun in the yard at work with them! Perhaps send a couple of garden gnomes to meet their maker as I'm currently in the middle of a long term wind up with my mate's OH.
2000/X Peugeot 406 110 HDi LX Family 93k to 2000/W BMW 530D SE Auto 84k to 2003/03 Peugeot Partner Hdi Escapade 98k to 2003/53 Vauxhall Zafira DTi Elegance 74k
This last turn in the discussion has revived all my old-fogeyish anxieties about airbags. Until about five years ago I was resolved never to run any car fitted with such things, on the grounds that any vehicle within my financial limits is certain to be at least twelve years old (whereas the viable life of an airbag is often quoted as ten) and to have long ago dropped out of any kind of service schedule. Tempted by various refinements and civilities (electric windows! air-conditioning!! 49mpg!!!), I have allowed myself to lose sight of my fears. Perhaps I may live, or not-live, to regret this.
Has anyone here ever heard of, or even experienced, a case where an airbag has gone off without provocation?
Oliver Mundy.
"Don't rush ahead when you can't see ahead. Ahead is the place collisions come from." (De Dion owner's manual, 1913)
Menophanes wrote:Has anyone here ever heard of, or even experienced, a case where an airbag has gone off without provocation?
I suspect nobody will have. I bet any accidental firings would be as a result of brushing against a live wire, or more likely a static discharge, and I certainly get enough of those nowadays
<steve_earwig> I think this forum is more about keeping our cars going with minimal outlay than giving our cars more reason to go bang
I've never heard of an Air Bag going off 'on its own' they're even fairly difficult to set off in a real crash; you need to hit something with great force to set them off, I've seen some fairly major car damage (at the ex-car repair centre next to my office) and the Air Bags have remained intact
This is not to say that they shouldn't be treated with care, heck, I still get twitchy pumping up tyres (since all those years ago when I was a lad and my BMX tyre exploded in my face, then I was told NOT to use the machine at the Petrol Station ).
Cars in my care:
2021 Kia Spottage 1.6 Pez Turbo Dual Clutch Gearbox Trickery
2013 Renner Twingo - donkey work
I have heard on a nother peugeot forum of a side (curtain) airbag going off whilst the car was being driven by the members wife. Car was a 307/8 and was returned to Peugeot who rightly so repaired it at no cost to the owner
2004 Iron Grey 407se 136bhp......Written Off
2006 Moonstone blue 407 se 136 bhp.....Written off
2006 silver 407 SW..........replacement
highlander wrote:As are the airbags - a very small pyrotechnic charge detonates
very small?!?!?
Comparatively speaking, yes. It's an explosive. There are many examples of larger pyrotechnic charges, none of which I'd like to have for filling up an airbag or retracting my seatbelt in the event of a crash.
2002 (D9) Peugeot 406 Coupe SE, 2.2 litre Petrol. Scarlet Red/Rouge Ecarlate/Rosso Scarlatto. Black Leather interior. SOLD
2008 (E60 LCI) BMW 525i M-Sport, 3.0 litre Petrol. Carbonschwarz Metallic. Black Dakota Leather and Myrtlewood interior.
Thank you, mjb and Welly; that is reassuring. I shall sit back (metaphorically; actually I like a bolt-upright seating position) and enjoy the still-functional radio* and the strikingly improved fuel consumption. (Yes, I have read trem1's latest message; as to this, I shall just have to consider that those nasty slant-eyed x07s belong to another caste altogether.)
"I still get twitchy pumping up tyres (since all those years ago when I was a lad and my BMX tyre exploded in my face . . . " (Welly). For my part, I feel uneasy when tuning a violin! I am convinced that the strings are going to snap and hit me in the eyes.
*Mostly; the ON/VOL knob doesn't work.
Oliver Mundy.
"Don't rush ahead when you can't see ahead. Ahead is the place collisions come from." (De Dion owner's manual, 1913)
).