Curious airbag

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
Sturdybloke
Posts: 191
Joined: 04 Dec 2005, 01:19
Location:
My Cars:

Curious airbag

Post by Sturdybloke »

Afternoon all. Im hoping that a Citroen guru will know the answer to my problem. Recently I have been fitting a Turbo boost gauge to my Xantia and fiddling with other little problems when I realised that something was not quite right. To fit the boost gauge the dash had to be lifted foreward and that meant removing the airbag, and thats the problem.
I thought that the Xantia had a airbag as standard across the range from its launch in 1993 - as mine is a 1993 on a L it has a airbag fitted but I was talking to a local bloke who is not a mechanic but is a Citroen man of many years and he informed me that my car should not have a airbag fitted as standard as they only came in on the 1995 M reg cars? I noticed that a lot of the cabling on the steering wheel controls for the radio and the airbag connections are soldered connections has somebody been fiddling with this before? Ive looked a K + L reg cars and they dont have airbags but the M reg cars do. It was registered in October 1993 if annyone knows when the airbags came into production I would be very gratefull. The car is off the road at the moment with no T&T so I can remove the airbag if its not meant to be there.
PowerLee
Posts: 1260
Joined: 01 May 2004, 19:49
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: Current - Slightly modified 2016 Pug 308 Puretech 130 Allure
Past:
2003 - 206 GLX TU3JP & 206 SE ET3JP4
1995 - 405 Executive XU10J2
1996 - 406 GLX XU10J4R
1994 - 405 GTX XU10J2
x 1

Post by PowerLee »

I remember the early Xantias didn't have a standard drivers airbag fitted.

I know PSA Peugeot / Citroen started to fit airbags around August 1994.

Also the early airbag system that PSA used housed the sensor inside the steering wheel, So in theory you just need a 12 volt supply, with 2 wires & the rotary switch to put the airbag on the car.

Now does your car also have the pyrotechnic seatbelt pretensioners fitted?

Have a look at your seatbelt buckles on the front seats, Is it attached on a kind of thick cable or is it on a fixed metal strip?
Sturdybloke
Posts: 191
Joined: 04 Dec 2005, 01:19
Location:
My Cars:

Post by Sturdybloke »

Yes its on the thick cable, so when the airbag is tripped the seatbelt buckle is pulled inwards.

Also forgot to mention that its got the small airbag light fitted to the dashboard (that works as its supose to).
PowerLee
Posts: 1260
Joined: 01 May 2004, 19:49
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: Current - Slightly modified 2016 Pug 308 Puretech 130 Allure
Past:
2003 - 206 GLX TU3JP & 206 SE ET3JP4
1995 - 405 Executive XU10J2
1996 - 406 GLX XU10J4R
1994 - 405 GTX XU10J2
x 1

Post by PowerLee »

Well, you have the pyrotechnic pretensioner fitted then.

If the warning light is working as it should be then I would personally leave it as it is & keep the SRS system.

You could always ask Citroen if the car left the factory with the SRS system.

SRS could have been an optional extra at time of production, No idea though.
Sturdybloke
Posts: 191
Joined: 04 Dec 2005, 01:19
Location:
My Cars:

Post by Sturdybloke »

Thanks for that PowerLee. Any other opinions on it?
PowerLee
Posts: 1260
Joined: 01 May 2004, 19:49
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: Current - Slightly modified 2016 Pug 308 Puretech 130 Allure
Past:
2003 - 206 GLX TU3JP & 206 SE ET3JP4
1995 - 405 Executive XU10J2
1996 - 406 GLX XU10J4R
1994 - 405 GTX XU10J2
x 1

Post by PowerLee »

Just had a look at the Xantia parts cd rom & from what I can see the RP number of 06963 was the last Xantia NOT to have a drivers airbag fitted at the factory.
Sturdybloke
Posts: 191
Joined: 04 Dec 2005, 01:19
Location:
My Cars:

Post by Sturdybloke »

Whats the RP number?
PowerLee
Posts: 1260
Joined: 01 May 2004, 19:49
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: Current - Slightly modified 2016 Pug 308 Puretech 130 Allure
Past:
2003 - 206 GLX TU3JP & 206 SE ET3JP4
1995 - 405 Executive XU10J2
1996 - 406 GLX XU10J4R
1994 - 405 GTX XU10J2
x 1

Post by PowerLee »

RP = Replacement Parts number.

On the later cars its on the sticker with the tyre pressures & paint code.

On the earlier cars ive no idea where it is.
Sturdybloke
Posts: 191
Joined: 04 Dec 2005, 01:19
Location:
My Cars:

Post by Sturdybloke »

Anybody got any ideas or pointers on the topic? Should I leave it well alone or remove it?
User avatar
AndersDK
Posts: 6060
Joined: 21 Feb 2003, 04:56
Location: Denmark
My Cars:
x 1

Post by AndersDK »

Obviously your Xantia has been retrofitted with airbag by a previous owner. I'd certainly leave it in as it is an extra protection provided you miss your luck some day ...

The fact that the connections are soldered simply means the person who did this job had in mind the connections should be secure and lasting - so I would not dis-trust this job.
It would be a lot easier - but certainly no better - using a bunch of standard crimp connectors.
Anders (DK) - '90 BX16Image
PowerLee
Posts: 1260
Joined: 01 May 2004, 19:49
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: Current - Slightly modified 2016 Pug 308 Puretech 130 Allure
Past:
2003 - 206 GLX TU3JP & 206 SE ET3JP4
1995 - 405 Executive XU10J2
1996 - 406 GLX XU10J4R
1994 - 405 GTX XU10J2
x 1

Post by PowerLee »

AndersDK wrote:Obviously your Xantia has been retrofitted with airbag by a previous owner. I'd certainly leave it in as it is an extra protection provided you miss your luck some day ...

The fact that the connections are soldered simply means the person who did this job had in mind the connections should be secure and lasting - so I would not dis-trust this job.
It would be a lot easier - but certainly no better - using a bunch of standard crimp connectors.
After just looking at the Xantia Euro NCAP crash test result I wouldn't be worrying about running out of luck!

Then again I would shudder to think what a non SRS equipped Xantia would get from Euro NCAP :shock:
Sturdybloke
Posts: 191
Joined: 04 Dec 2005, 01:19
Location:
My Cars:

Post by Sturdybloke »

Thanks for that guys. After reading your posts I have made the decision that as it seems to be working correctly and the car has passed MOT tests without any faults on the airbag I will leave it in, as its nice to know that its there should it ever be needed........Many thanks once again.
PowerLee
Posts: 1260
Joined: 01 May 2004, 19:49
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: Current - Slightly modified 2016 Pug 308 Puretech 130 Allure
Past:
2003 - 206 GLX TU3JP & 206 SE ET3JP4
1995 - 405 Executive XU10J2
1996 - 406 GLX XU10J4R
1994 - 405 GTX XU10J2
x 1

Post by PowerLee »

Airbags are not MOT testable :wink:
User avatar
AndersDK
Posts: 6060
Joined: 21 Feb 2003, 04:56
Location: Denmark
My Cars:
x 1

Post by AndersDK »

PowerLee wrote:Airbags are not MOT testable :wink:
Are you dead sure ?
You have never tested a fuse ?
:lol:
Anders (DK) - '90 BX16Image
PowerLee
Posts: 1260
Joined: 01 May 2004, 19:49
Location: United Kingdom
My Cars: Current - Slightly modified 2016 Pug 308 Puretech 130 Allure
Past:
2003 - 206 GLX TU3JP & 206 SE ET3JP4
1995 - 405 Executive XU10J2
1996 - 406 GLX XU10J4R
1994 - 405 GTX XU10J2
x 1

Post by PowerLee »

Airbags are not MOT testable in the U.K.

They might be in the years ahead of us but at the moment they are not.

Same as front fog lights, They are not testable items either in the U.K.
Post Reply