Somebody killed my Xantia

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 01 May 2006, 10:27

PowerLee wrote:Just drive an older Ford at about 12 mph into something & BANG it will go off.

Or in some cases, get an early mondeo, and just stand on the brakes rather hard on some of that super-grippy road surface that's installed at junctions. I've heard that under "panic" braking, some cars airbags have been known to deploy... Just what you need when you're braking hard!

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 01 May 2006, 10:35

fastandfurryous wrote:
PowerLee wrote:Just drive an older Ford at about 12 mph into something & BANG it will go off.
Or in some cases, get an early mondeo, and just stand on the brakes rather hard on some of that super-grippy road surface that's installed at junctions. I've heard that under "panic" braking, some cars airbags have been known to deploy... Just what you need when you're braking hard!

A lot of the early bubble shape Rover 200s got re called for that

A new SRS control unit was the fix for that issue.

Only ever had 2 airbags go off myself, One through an accident & one through messing about with a 9 volt battery

rossnunn · Post by **rossnunn** » 01 May 2006, 13:46

I'm told its a scary experiance having the marshmellow go off in ya face. People suffering burns to their forearms etc.
It worries me how close my mum & other women drivers sit soo lose to the steering wheel!

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 01 May 2006, 14:31

rossnunn wrote:I'm told its a scary experiance having the marshmellow go off in ya face. People suffering burns to their forearms etc.
It worries me how close my mum & other women drivers sit soo lose to the steering wheel!

Ive had an airbag save my life before & I wouldnt worry about slight burns to the arms.

All that happens & its very very quick.

SRS light comes on ( it does on a Ford system

)

Orange flash around steering wheel,

LOUD bang,

Head hits airbag & airbag then deflates,

Loads of smoke & white powder.

A lot of the newer cars with smart airbags know how close the seat is to the steering wheel & adjust the firing of the airbag to help prevent injury.

I know my parents 2004 Mondeo has this seat position sensor, My mother sits really close to the steering wheel.

Also some newer cars ( including my 206 ) have dual stage inflation airbags, First stage for smaller impacts & BOTH stages fired for heavier impacts.

Heres a N reg Vectra airbag being set off by my mate with a 9 volt battery

http://media.putfile.com/Vectra-Airbag

f00lzz · Post by **f00lzz** » 01 May 2006, 16:43

That could have been my two lads

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » 08 May 2006, 07:20

Hi Guys

Just an update on this.

I have been paid out already by the insurance company for the Xantia.
I have already bought a new car, in the end i got a 1997 Opel Omega CD Estate 2Li it has 134 HP so is also a bit more powerful than the Xantia i had, i was toying with the idea of another Xantia, but i do need a bigger car really, and i am not keen on the XM, so Citroen run out of options for me.

So thanks again to all of you that have helped me out in the past, i know more about the Xantia than any other car i have had, due to this excellent forum. so keep up the good work.

Thanks

Tony

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 08 May 2006, 07:38

bxbodger · Post by **bxbodger** » 08 May 2006, 10:57

The new mondeo that hit it, litterly fell apart. The entire front corner was destroyed, headlight, grille, bumper, front suspension, bonnet & wing. The airbag never went off in that either.

Thats what makes it so much safer to be in a new car when you hit something- generally, the more modern the better. Although a lot more damage is done to the newer car its because its got properly designed crumple zones, where the impact energy is absorbed by the front of the car being destroyed rather than transferring all the shock to the driver...in a head on smash, a new Mondeo is a MUCH safer car than the E30, and a C6 is much safer than a BX, Xantia, or C5 although in a crash the older car will be less superficially damaged.

Modern cars are designed to give integrity to the passanger cell and allow the doors to still work after quire severe impacts.

I'd imagine if I hit anything modern in my Triumph, it would probably appear fairly undamaged compared to the modern car but the whole of the impact would be transmitted to me by the two big central chassis rails, rather than being absorbed by crumple before it gets to me-thats why people used to die in car crashes in much higher numbers than they do now.