airbag disable?

random

05 140" SHC 2500 Cargo
Reading the dog thread in the adventure forum got me thinking about the passenger airbag again.(airbags can mess up pooches)
I have researched before when my gf's kiddo needed to ride in my van but drew a blank. Can the passemger airbag Ina cargo Sprinter be disabled?
Thanks!
 

random

05 140" SHC 2500 Cargo
Thanks for the link. Short answer: no, you can't disable it. Though pulling fuse may do it.
 

MercedesGenIn

Mercedes-Benz Resource
There is always a possibility in doing that, that the ABS fault lamp would remain lit even when reinserting the fuse - Its detected a fault and you would have to clear this with an appropriate code reader - fine if you have one - inconvenient if you don't!

All the best Steve
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
WARNING: i do NOT recommend doing this. You can severely damage yourself if the bag blows when you're playing with it (fully disconnect vehicle batteries and wait 5 minutes before proceeding,etc). If you simply "disable" it (versus adding an illuminated switch), you're putting any passenger at severe risk (the seat belt system assumes there's an airbag helping).
The following answer is an untested "exercise in engineering".... :professor:

Reading the dog thread in the adventure forum got me thinking about the passenger airbag again.(airbags can mess up pooches)
I have researched before when my gf's kiddo needed to ride in my van but drew a blank. Can the passenger airbag Ina cargo Sprinter be disabled?
Googling "airbag resistance mercedes" found many answers.
But my translation of your *particular* request ("add a switch?") adds a layer or two of complexity.

First: to simply disable the airbag without bothering the rest of the Sprinter, you can (choose one):
(a) buy a "substitute" such as: http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321487461917?lpid=82
(which is simply (but perhaps with a connector pre-added))
(b) unplug airbag (see WARNING, disconnect battery), push a 2.7 ohm resistor into cable socket, securely tape it and tie it down so it doesn't flap about and disconnect or short against something embarrassing.

If i were going to try to add a switch (so it can be selectively disabled), i would use a complicated "make before break" switch (so the airbag control module never sees an "open" line, and so there's no chance of "accumulated charge" being given to the airbag)
Since you can't guarantee that a random passenger (or pooch) might flip the switch while you're driving, you really want to nail the circuit down.
The use of the make-before-break means that the added resistor will "snub" any unwanted voltages/currents. The (at least) 5-watt resistor rating is to avoid preventing the other airbags and seat belt retractors from firing.

airbagdefeat.jpg


--dick ("you didn't hear this from me")
p.s. thinking further on it... i'd be severely tempted to make the switch four pole, so that a second resistor can be left across the airbag's (open in the above diagram) wires, to prevent the wires acting as "antennae" and picking up stray "signals". When getting into the multi-pole make-before-break switch arena, you quickly end up using rotary switches as the "easy" option.
 
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random

05 140" SHC 2500 Cargo
Oh man that is way too complicated. I will resign myself to only adult humans in the shotgun seat.
 

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