No yo, he oviously wants to use the space for a 6" LCD screen for a madz ICE hookup.
Evryone knows that if your not watching ****, or playing halo 2 while driving youre not pimpin yo'z

Seriously, I 'm all for modyfying/customizing, But if you don't want the airbag get an FC back then they weren't mandatory, so the car is legal without it.

 

get a momo steering wheel!

 

Guys, it's not about space! He's not talking about taking the airbag *out*, he suggested he'd be quite happy with a fuse he could pull to disable it. He just wants it to not work.

The only conclusion I can draw is that he's not planning to make this little modification on his *own* car....

 

remove your bumper... and to the lower right there is this sensor... ... now.... cut that wire..

 

Maybe he's just scared of having an explosive device right in front of his face.

I've never really gotten comfortable with the concept. Especially considering that the "evidence" presented by airbag proponents in favor of the regs was pretty much a pack of lies and misrepresentations.

Ken

 

They reduce fatalities, but they are not the soft pillows shown in slow motion.

 

Maybe he wants to use it as a track car, but then he would remove it.

Wait I got it, he wants to use his face to honk the horn.

 

Or get the Mazda logo imprinted on his forehead.

 

haha, I saw a woman do that once. She tried to pull forward out of her parking spot forgetting there was a curb in front of her. She put it in drive, went forward, hit the curb, stopped abruptly and there was a curt 'beep' as she was thrown into her horn.

 

Driving a Camry eh?

 

They've also killed people. There was a period with early air bags when they had actually killed more people than they saved.

They pose a danger to the driver's hands when the steering wheel is gripped in a proper 9-3 (or 10-2) position. So much so that for a while AAA and other organizations were advocating not holding the wheel properly.

A friend hit a deer with his van. The only exterior damage was a broken headlight. But the air bags went off, giving him some burns and abrasions.

I know the current generation of air bags have a lot of development behind them, and probably do some good. But it's still scary having an explosive device in front of your face. And one cannot forget the perjured testimony before congress by their advocates.

Ken

 

It is my understanding the RX-8 has this feature!

 

Legally I'm not sure you can. Why do you want to disable it? Another steering wheel?

 

I think I read around somewhere that you CAN disable the driver's seat, if there is a reason to do so that's legitimate. Some of them might include being really short (you can't sit back far enough that the wheel cover won't whack you in the head if you crash), really big (the bag would just blow up into you), or needing to fit extra equipment on the wheel to drive (extra hand controls).

I can't see anyone, however, with any of those requirements fitting or being able to drive an 8. Sports cars aren't usual fodder for those requiring extra devices, mostly because of access issues and the impact they make on drivability.

 

I don't know, I'm really short... now you've got me wondering if I should disable my own...

 

ive posted the air bag removal instructions around here before. i can get them again if you want. they are in the shop manual somewhere. i handed them out back when the brits were installing the Cruise Control buttons onto their wheels when it was discovered the programming for it was "turned on" in the european PCMs even tho they couldnt get it from mazda as an option.

 

2006 - RX-8 - Workshop Manual - Restraints
DRIVER-SIDE AIR BAG MODULE REMOVAL/INSTALLATION

WARNING:

*

Handling the air bag module improperly can accidentally deploy the air bag module, which may seriously injure you. Read the service warnings and cautions before handling the air bag module. (See SERVICE WARNINGS.) (See SERVICE CAUTIONS.)

1. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position.

2. Disconnect the negative battery cable and wait for 1 min or more.

3. Remove in the order indicated in the table.



1


Cover

2


Bolt

3


Connector

(See Connector Removal Note.)

4


Driver-side air bag module

4. Install in the reverse order of removal.

5. Turn the ignition switch to the ON position.

6. Verify that the air bag system warning light illuminates for approx. 6 s and goes out.

*

If the air bag system warning light does not operate normally, refer to the on-board diagnostic system (air bag system) and perform inspection of the system.

Connector Removal Note

1. Using a flathead screwdriver, pry out the connector stopper plate.

 

You are quite right, Ken...but that was 10 years ago. Today, airbags are subjected to "Low Risk Static Deployments." These involve placing an instrumented dummy (child or adult sized) directly in the path of a deploying airbag...think leaning your face/chest across the steering wheel. The airbag is deployed and injury measurements of the dummy are recorded. Any airbag system that causes serious injuries is not allowed by NHTSA to remain in production.

If you are interested in this topic...feel free to go to my company's website MGA Research Corporation

The theory is that a handful of people receiving minor injuries (ie: scrapes and burns) is MUCH better than people being killed in more severe crashes. Also, I have seen enough crashes to know that AIRBAGS DO SAVE LIVES!

 

Thanks wisconsinben, you're restored my peace of mind.

 

Contemporary airbags DO some good not probably. The problem is that people sit to close to the steering wheel or airbags. One should be aroudn 10" or wrist length away.

If I am in a car where the front passenger has their feet up on the dash, I tell them I wouldn't do that. If the airbags go off, I wouldn't want my feet suddenly behind my head.

 

To clarify another issue...frontal crash tests are performed with one of two types of dummies. One is representative of a 50th percentile male (6'0" 178lbs) and the driver seat track is placed in the mid position of the total travel. The other is a 5th percentile female (4'11" 115lbs) and the driver seat track is placed in the forward-most position.

You may think that sitting this close to the steering wheel would cause problems...and it does, but only for the manufacturers that have to design these systems. The airbag will work just fine if you are so small that you have to have the seat all the way forward to reach. Yes, you may get slapped in the face with a piece of fabric as the airbag inflates...but that's still MUCH better than your face slapping the steering wheel.

Airbag systems today have millions of dollars worth of research and (luckily for the company I work for) testing behind them. They are no longer the dangerous explosive devices they once were.

In conclusion...DON'T DISABLE YOUR AIRBAGS. Unless you know for a fact that you will never be involved in a crash.

 

Thanks for the link and info.

I guess I did know that air bags today are more than "probably do some good." They've been in the hands of engineers and manufacturers for a long time, and away from the likes of Nader, Claybrook and Ditlow.

That deer strike test looked pretty cool. I'll have to send that link to my friend who hit the deer. That was close to 10 years ago, and his van would have been a few years old on top of that.

Ken

 

No problem, Ken. The government and auto manufacturers haven't been doing all that great of a job getting this type of information out to the public. Here are some more links to crash data. Very helpful when selecting a vehicle based on safety.

NCAP Star Ratings
IIHS Ratings
NHTSA Testing

 

It ain't fun - I left a tooth in an old Hornet once. Bit straight through my lip. Looked in the rearview mirror, and there it was hanging in two pieces, blood pouring out everywhere. I believe my exact words were, "Oh, sh*t..." Found my tooth when we got the car back - a canine got driven almost into my sinus cavity.

What's the matter with this guy, anyway?

 

If the front passenger has their feet up on my dash they lose their legs....and the airbag has nothing to do with that!