16 replies to this topic

[BlueIn2Red]

Hi all, what is the best way to do this please? I've just bought a Cooper Sport 500; my wife is only 4 feet 9 inches tall so has to sit very close (too close to be safe with an airbag) to the wheel.

 

Thanks,

Andy

[Alex_B]

I would imagine unplugging the SRS unit is the only option, 

A few things to consider, the MOT, it will fail if the SRS light stays on ( but will only get an advisory if it doesnt light up in the first place) and obvious safety considerations, but in this case I would agree its likely to be safer having it disconnected. 

I would wait for more opinions but I believe to disconnect the SRS system you have to disconnect the battery and leave it for 30 mins unplugged* (lets the capacitors in the SRS unit discharge) then the SRS unit can be unplugged, its under the rear seat on the floor I believe. 

* Double check the amount of time just to be sure

and I would wait for more experienced opinions as I have little experience of the later minis and the new fangled air bag things ;) 

[M J W J]

I'd be careful about doing it as you may possibly invalidate your insurance as your car won't be road worthy.

 

To be honest. Sitting too close to the steering wheel with the airbag going off would be the least of my worries. I would be more worried about getting in an accident in a mini to begin with.

[BlueIn2Red]

Not road worthy because it doesn't have a working air bag?!? I take it all older Minis aren't road worthy then!

 

There have been numerous cases of very short drivers being killed or seriously injured in relatively minor collisions because of the airbag impact (breaking necks etc) ... we have looked into this extensively with other cars (our Alfa 159 even has an airbag disable switch as standard for precisely these sort of scenarios), I'm not just doing it on a whim :)

[M J W J]

Your warning light for the airbag has to work if you car had an airbag fitted from the factory. Cars that did not have them fitted from the factory, like both of my minis, are exempt. If you disconnect your airbag then your warning light will most likely come on. If you remove the bulb and it doesn't come on when you first put the ignition on then the car will also fail (my dad was going to try this trick with his focus but the MOT guy pointed out his car would still fail).

 

The thing about inoperative warning lights only being an advisory was for vehicles who's MOT expired between the date the new rules came in and the 1st of April 2012. Obviously we are long past that now so they are a fail now.

 

Again I would still be more concerned about having an accident in a mini to begin with. If you really are concerned about it I would do like modern cars have and fit a switch in to the system somewhere to deactivate it. You can then set it so the system will work for the MOT but can disable it for shorter drivers.

[Alex_B]

Your warning light for the airbag has to work if you car had an airbag fitted from the factory. Cars that did not have them fitted from the factory, like both of my minis, are exempt. If you disconnect your airbag then your warning light will most likely come on. If you remove the bulb and it doesn't come on when you first put the ignition on then the car will also fail (my dad was going to try this trick with his focus but the MOT guy pointed out his car would still fail).

 

The thing about inoperative warning lights only being an advisory was for vehicles who's MOT expired between the date the new rules came in and the 1st of April 2012. Obviously we are long past that now so they are a fail now.

 

Again I would still be more concerned about having an accident in a mini to begin with. If you really are concerned about it I would do like modern cars have and fit a switch in to the system somewhere to deactivate it. You can then set it so the system will work for the MOT but can disable it for shorter drivers.

Ahh I stand corrected! 
 

[sirjakethebrit]

Just take out all the srs system.

[davidgrantsail]

i have a cooper signature wheel to go on to my mpi. i was going to take my airbag wheel off, replace it wit the non-airbag wheel, take the srs bulb out and place a dash coloured sticker over where the warning light used to be.

 

this means there is no evidence of the airbag or srs system

 

this might work when it comes to mot.

 

ideas?

[SportspackWeb]

O.K - I have looked into this quite closely and had a E mail exchange with the "powers at be " on this one. Even though it seems rather bizarre, the airbag enabled Mini's have been caught up in the latest EEC rulings on SRS systems - irrespective as to whether the Mini was made for 20 odd years before the airbag was fitted to the car as standard. If a car was manufactured with an SRS system as standard, it must be present and working when the car is tested - otherwise the car will fail and will be rendered unroadworthy. Ignore any other ramblings on this matter (please    ). So - what to do? Well - of course the only thing a tester can check is whether the light goes on and off as it should, at the appropriate time. I understand  that if the SRS ECU is working O.K. then if you insert a (Maplins? )resistor in the airbag wiring loop, then the light will act as normal. Now I haven't tried this so I'm just passing on information that I picked up from a specialist Mini restorer - if any one has more information then please let me know,( but be careful!!).  I am taking a different approach - I have already bought two spare Rotary Couplers and am building a pile of spares for the system. (I suspect any late Minis that have already passed the test with a faulty SRS system will be because the tester has ignored it or can't believe a mini has the SRS system! Who knows, but replacing the system with a wooden steering wheel is not the official remedy)) Phew - a bit of speech and I don't mean to sound "gobby"  on this one but it is important for the late Mini owners.

[BlueIn2Red]

Is a proper switch a fail though? The airbag would still work fine, just only for drivers it is safe to use one for. My Alfa 159 has a switch installed as standard, and it passes MOTs fine.

[sirjakethebrit]

My pcb board at the back of my speedo died and I couldn't get hold of a direct replacement so it has an older style pcb with no srs light. My car also has a cage and harnesses so all the srs crap is removed.

[L400RAS]

Your warning light for the airbag has to work if you car had an airbag fitted from the factory.

 

According to samsfern (who is a MOT Tester) on this thread, you are wrong.  It will only fail if the light is on.  If the light never comes on during its test procedure (bulb removed...), there is no option available on the system to fail the car - only advise:

 

 

 

Edited by L400RAS, 23 March 2014 - 09:18 AM.

[Shep76S]

Is a proper switch a fail though? The airbag would still work fine, just only for drivers it is safe to use one for. My Alfa 159 has a switch installed as standard, and it passes MOTs fine.

The only difference I can see is that Fiat would have spent hundreds of millions developing their range and you are going to spend a pound

[BlueIn2Red]

Strange answer imo. It's a switch ... how much do you think Fiat pay for a switch? :)

[dennismini93]

an mot is only 30 mins every year