My airbag just went off and i didnt crash WTF?

[Harry_manback]

f**king 172's been s**t since day 1.

driving home tonight straight road then BANG.
im f**king deaf, engines stopped, hazards are on.
the cars full of smoke, i stop.
i look underneither thinking i've hit a rock or something...no.
i check the wheels for buckles.....no.
i drive home with no damage other than my left ear being fucked.

this might be a straw to far for the old clio.

i often wondered if the airbags would actually work if i crashed, i never thought theyd just go off for the crack like.

*edit* passenger seat airbag went off**

 

[f0xy]

wow, wierd as f**k.....makes me wonder are mine gona go off now :S

 

[Ben.]

wtf...so the airbags deployed?

 

[Harry_manback]

wtf...so the airbags deployed?

passenger seat only. sorry. but yeh just popped.

 

[Iridium]

Ah, don't you just love the french...

Dan

 

[Middo]

unfortunate i'd be on the phone to renault uk in the morning. who gives a flying fook about warranties as thats going to cost a fortune to get fixed, unless of cause youve got protected no claims on your insurance.

 

[Marky_]

Damn. This is gonna make everyone paranoid now.
So it cut your engine and put your hazards on or did you do those?

 

[fUbAr]

unfortunate i'd be on the phone to renault uk in the morning. who gives a flying fook about warranties as thats going to cost a fortune to get fixed, unless of cause youve got protected no claims on your insurance.

indeed... file a complaint to Renault, hopefully they'll stump up the £1000+ its going to cost for the new airbag and seat cover.

 

[Harry_manback]

Damn. This is gonna make everyone paranoid now.
So it cut your engine and put your hazards on or did you do those?

car did that.
initially i thought i had taken then sump off again, the car filled with smoke after a big bang, i looked down the every light on the dash was flashing.
i then realised the engine had stopped so i pulled over, go out, looked around the car b4 realising the smoke was only in the cabin.

so went to the passenger side and saw the bag handing out.

 

[Marky_]

I should bloody well hope that they cover the cost!
Nightmare mate. Unlucky.

 

[Harry_manback]

anyone know what sets them off, is there a crash detector somwhere?

 

[Middo]

yeah its in the centre console. but the biggest question is was the car driveable afterwards? as otherwise the ecu will need to be unlocked which caused adamhodg a load of problems when he attempted it on his.

 

[fUbAr]

anyone know what sets them off, is there a crash detector somwhere?

surely that would need an impact to be triggered?

 

[f0xy]

theres a sensor under the trim isnt there, a white block? sure i saw it when i swapped seats

 

[172.com]

Bloody hell, that's a bit of a shitter. I s'pose the only good thing is that it wasn't the steering wheel one!

 

[Ben.]

anyone know what sets them off, is there a crash detector somwhere?

surely that would need an impact to be triggered?

and for somebody to be sitting in the seat

 

[Harry_manback]

i drove home with the serivce light and the airbag lights on.

theres also some gray plastic in the footwell, no idea where thats come from.

 

[fUbAr]

i drove home with the serivce light and the airbag lights on.

theres also some gray plastic in the footwell, no idea where thats come from.

probably part of the airbag unit inside the seat.

 

[Graham Gooch]

This is terrible. Personally I'd be onto Renault first thing about this.

 

[Harry_manback]

thought this bag was for side impacts anyway?
i've never had any joy with renault customer service, is it worth me even bothering ringing up?

 

[Graham Gooch]

Yeah, if they refuse to play ball take it to the citizens advice bureau.

Can't be dealing with explosions happening in your car. What if you had a passenger!

 

[Rob]

^^ yea as above for sure, not a case of the car being a little s**t as in most complaints they would get. Its a case of them actually building something extremely dangerous. What would have happened if you had been on the motorway and it had scared you s**tless and you'd had a 70 mph crash...

 

[Bloooor]

omg how did it not s**t you up Dave?! I would of Cacked it lol Stupid French and their Wiring.

 

[Marky_]

You HAVE to make some sort of complaint to them! What happened was just downright dangerous. It could just as easily have been the drivers side airbag going off.

 

[gazbenger]

one of my mates had a small crash with the drivers side front wing and the passenger side seat airbag was the only one that went off...seems alot of faulty airbags around

 

[Shindig]

how bloody danegerous was that! a malfunction of the sensor for sure!!!!
get on that blower harry

 

[Initiale]

If the car has been maintained properly and to schedule, then Renault must be liable for it as it must be a manufacturing defect? You or one of your passengers could have been seriously injured by this, so they should be paying for the repairs and any health damage you've suffered as a result.

 

[GR172]

The side impact sensors are down by the doors, but the G Force needed to set them off is at least 8 times as much force you can generate driving!

I'd guess the computer went nuts, some wiring chafed, the sensor went nuts, or the bag just went off by itself.

Must be a manufacturer error.

Get chatting to them about how much you were bricking it when it happened and how dangerous it could have been, cutting power and filling the car with smoke. The loud bang alone could have caused you to crash.

The seat cover, airbag and new computer adds up to a £££ and I wouldn't give them a penny.

Imagine if the driver's airbag had gone off in your face!

 

[Karlos182]

That's really bad! Like others have said, get on the blower to Renault. Good luck with it though - they refused to believe that their bonnets were faulty, so I find it unlikely they're going to do a great deal about this either!

 

[Harry_manback]

The side impact sensors are down by the doors, but the G Force needed to set them off is at least 8 times as much force you can generate driving!

I'd guess the computer went nuts, some wiring chafed, the sensor went nuts, or the bag just went off by itself.

Must be a manufacturer error.

Get chatting to them about how much you were bricking it when it happened and how dangerous it could have been, cutting power and filling the car with smoke. The loud bang alone could have caused you to crash.

The seat cover, airbag and new computer adds up to a £££ and I wouldn't give them a penny.

Imagine if the driver's airbag had gone off in your face!

what new computer?
is it not as simple as just fitting a new seat??

 

[GR172]

what new computer?
is it not as simple as just fitting a new seat??

You need a new airbag computer once any of the airbags have gone off.

They can be reset but not by Renault. Renault will only replace them. There's someone on ebay in Germany (I think it was) who resets them by post.

edit: think it's these guys http://www.airbagnews.com/ but the site's in German and I can't see them on ebay any more.

 

[Shindig]

i put that website through google translator

http://translate.google.com/transla...ev=/search?q=http://www.airbagnews.com/&hl=en

 

[Harry_manback]

spoke to renault.

just took a load of details.

some senior bodys gonna call me back, prolly with a price of repair.

 

[Tom]

Give watchdog a ring if they dont sort it, they love renault.

 

[mark.k@GDI]

there is a airbag recall on some cups, maybe its full fat too. Maybe its worth putting up an announcement saying to everyone to contact reno and quote there reg to see if there is a recall outstanding....

 

[jayxx83]

Unlucky mate, hope they sort it for you. In the past when the dealers have pissed me off, I have felt like driving my car through the showroom and setting it on fire. w*****s

 

[Dillsy]

Funnily enough I just had a crash in my Cup and the airbags DIDNT go off?! Yours go off when they arent supposed to and mine dont go off when they are?! Loving the build quality on these French cars!
(I am aware that I have only had my car 3 months and have already pranged it, therefore am officially a tw*t, but in fairness to myself someone did pull straight out on me at a roundabout )

 

[RichRSi]

In my youth I worked for a 'major' luxury car manufacturer who where getting recalls because the "steering lock was activating on cars doing 70 mph!!!" Imagine that!

Renault should be sorting this out for you, getting a replacement car sorted while the work is done and giving you some confidence back in your car.

 

[Harry_manback]

In my youth I worked for a 'major' luxury car manufacturer who where getting recalls because the "steering lock was activating on cars doing 70 mph!!!" Imagine that!

Renault should be sorting this out for you, getting a replacement car sorted while the work is done and giving you some confidence back in your car.

with that sort of customer friendly attitude you will get nowhere in life my friend.

the days of someone holding thier hands up and saying "bring it down and ill sort it out" have gone.
i imagine they say sorry, it was my fault they went off because i was using the car incorrectly, or some bullshit.

end of the day in my mind, theres nothing you should be able to do in a car that sets the bags off other than smashing it into a f**k off wall.

 

[theboydann]

I bumped the wheels on the passenger side of mine. The Pre-tensioner went off and there was knowone in the seat.

Has it took the pretensioner out too? That could explain the plastic bits.

I had to get a new computer and tensioner. Cost something like £400 with labour...nightmare.

Dan