Airbag Questions - 1993 940T

H2Only · Jul 31, 2003

I'm about to take delivery of the above, and it will be my first
experience with airbags. I'm wondering how the setup on these is -
are they highly sensitive like early types, or have they been
'detuned'?
TIA,
H2Only

Rob Guenther · Jul 31, 2003

Do you mean if they are the reduced speed airbags, then no (too old, those
are pretty new... these ones will slam you good if you aren't wearing a
seatbelt, new bags deploy slower if the belt isn't buckled, and the only way
to disable these ones if to pull the fuse, some modern cars have a
switch)... if you mean for the sensors on the car and how they respond to
accidents.... I would like to know this as well, as my family has a 1993
965, so I would imagine the sensors are the exact same.

Personally I don't concern myself with frontal airbags, I figure if my
seatbelt is doing its job it wont make a difference if there is something in
from of me... side impact and head airbags are a GREAT idea tho, I wish the
Volvo we have had those... it does have SIPS tho, but it is just extra metal
bars I think... my Golf TDI has the side bags.

H2Only · Aug 1, 2003

"Rob Guenther" spake thusly:

Do you mean if they are the reduced speed airbags, then no (too old, those
are pretty new... these ones will slam you good if you aren't wearing a
seatbelt,

no problems there; I insist on everyone strapping in . . . I feel
naked without a belt.

new bags deploy slower if the belt isn't buckled, and the only way

to disable these ones if to pull the fuse, some modern cars have a
switch)... if you mean for the sensors on the car and how they respond to
accidents.... I would like to know this as well, as my family has a 1993
965, so I would imagine the sensors are the exact same.

That's what I was interested in - i.e., can they be set off by someone
hitting the bumper with a baseball bet, for instance.

H2Only
BTW, where are you located? We also have VW in common . . .

Rob Guenther · Aug 1, 2003

Yes, you are in the watercooled VW group as well aren't you... I am in
Ontario Canada (near Toronto).

Well I can tell you that our 960 has hit some stuff at low speed... I backed
into a low post (couldn't see it, thought I was fine and had enough room to
pull into the space more) once at about 2-5kph, nothing, my mom backed into
a wall at about 2-5kph.... she isn't good with backing in... nothing on the
front bumper so far. Nothing that set off anything. Friends of ours had a
1994 850 sedan, hit someone at about 30-40 kph, and the airbags didn't
deploy (weren't suppose to according to Volvo) so I think they work fine.