The shelf life of airbags in the car: it Turns out he is

Check the car safety cushion, and They are not eternal.

It is known that everything in our world has an expiration date, because nothing lasts forever. Including airbags. Have you ever wondered what the airbag in your car can pose a threat to the driver and passengers? Here’s what you need to know about the durability of the airbag.

Typically car owners don’t think about the airbags as long as they don’t get into an accident. But did you know that the airbags need to be careful just like you follow other systems (brake, steering, tyres, wheels, suspension, engine, gearbox, etc.).

Do you know that every automobile airbag is a certain shelf life, after which the owner of the car to replace them with new ones?

But how do you know whether came in disrepair airbags? Here’s what you need to know.

A airbags have the date of substitution

The service life of the airbags depends on the age and brand of your car. Usually the life of the airbag can be obtained from the manual to the car. If you don’t have this book you can find online user manual, and find out where the expiration date of all of the airbags in your car.

But this applies to mostly older vehicles manufactured before 1992, which put the old system Arbekov. For example, if you own an old Mercedes car that was released before 1992, then you have to change the airbag according to the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer, every 15 years.

Yes, many vehicles may not have the required dates for the planned replacement of the airbag (usually in the manuals to these machines you will not find the exact service life of the airbags).

But this does not mean that you should forget about the pillows forever. In most cases, scheduled inspection and diagnosis of security has not been canceled.

You just have from time to time to diagnose the airbag to make sure that the pillows are working correctly.

For example, in older cars the Acura or Honda (especially those released prior to 1990-ies) manufacturers recommend carry out a comprehensive diagnosis of the airbag every 10 years and in case of detection of any problems it is recommended to replace the cushions on a new one.

So keep that in mind when you are buying an older used car. That’s why it’s important before buying, to carry out comprehensive diagnostics of the car.

Also note the massive factory recall of cars many brands, which completed their products with Takata airbags.

Recall that around the world many companies have long been carried out the factory car reviews, in connection with the identified defective air bags company Takata, which was completed with a cars built from 2002 to 2015. These defective airbags pose a threat to drivers and passengers, because of an error in the design.

The fact is that, when triggered, defective Takata airbags are small pieces of metal caps fly at high speed through the cabin, posing a threat to all those in the time of the accident is in the car. The worst thing in the world, there are many cases of death due to fragments of such defective pillows.

So anyone who owns the cars that were released between 2002 and 2015, not the superfluous will check your car in the list that are revoked in connection with the defective airbags. You can do this online or consult your dealer to verify via VIN number, are there in your machine threat the pillows need replacement.

Is there a shelf life of airbags in modern cars?

Since the mid-1990s, many automakers began to use airbags with a lifetime service life. That is, pillows can serve the whole lifetime of the car (which, incidentally, is not eternal).

In other words, in more modern cars is the airbag without problems serve the whole life of the vehicle. However, this does not mean that this period lasts. Remember that nothing eternal can be. Even our star, the Sun, sooner or later will go out.

Fortunately modern vehicles are equipped with self diagnosis of the airbag when the engine is started. Also, the electronic system continues to control the airbag during the movement. If there is a problem with the pillow, the dashboard light will light up (Error of the airbag).

However, be careful. Today on the used market, there are many cars, been in an accident, if the restoration of which “craftsmen” do not put new airbags.

To sell broken stuff in the car and recovered for sale, the sellers resort to cunning, by disassembling the light bulb which illuminates the icon of the airbag on the dashboard. Some in order to hide from the customers the fault indication the airbag is removed the tidy and put the icon pillow opaque tape.

Thus outbid and dishonest sellers rarely sell to unsuspecting buyers, broken previously restored a car without airbags.

Therefore, before buying a car, don’t forget to bring the car to the car wash and it completely to check. Also note the self test of the airbag when you turn the key in the ignition to start the engine. Remember that lamp airbag must first illuminate. Then after starting the engine the lamp should go out Arbekov.