Renault Scenic - Deactivating Front passenger airbag?

caprilicious

Hi,

Could anyone please tell me if they know how to deactivate the front airbags in a Megane Scenic?

I need to move the baby car seat to the front of the car, but obviously can't with the air bag in situ.

If anyone has done it could they please advise if its a big job?

Thanks :pac:

gofaster_s13

Just because an airbag is switched off doesnt mean it won't go of in the event of an accident, but the baby seat in the back seat where it belongs.

Guy:Incognito

Which Scenic is it? The Scenic I (97-03) , II (03-09) or III (09-) . Cant remember off hand with the Scenic I but the Scenic II has the switch on the panel on the side of the dash that meets the door on the driver side (you have to open the door to see it).

caprilicious

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

Just because an airbag is switched off doesnt mean it won't go of in the event of an accident, but the baby seat in the back seat where it belongs.

I want to remove them so they can't go off. I have a half hour commute each way with a baby that get's upset being alone in the back of the car.

I already looked into it & came across an interesting article about it here;
http://www.carseat.se/are-car-seats-in-front-seat-safe/

Research has shown ages ago that front seat is an excellent place for a child. Safety conscious brands such as Volvo also state very clearly that front seat is just as safe as the rear seat for car seats. Research and theory is one thing, how does rear facing in front seat work in real life? It works amazingly well.
Swedish fatality rates for children in traffic accidents aged 0-6 years are close to zero each year largely thanks to keeping children rear facing until age 4 or longer. Sweden started keeping children rear facing in 1965, a large percentage of Swedish children today sit rear facing in the front seat with airbag deactivated with fantastic results.
Using the front seat for a rear facing child is practical and very safe, this has been shown by research and real life experiences. Please remember to always deactivate airbag with key, switch or service center! Next time someone tells you front seat is "dangerous" you know it’s just fiction:-)

SteKelly - Thanks for the reply, its a Scenic I, I can't see a key switch on it.

The Renault garage have told me it can be done & will let me know how Monday, I was just chancing my arm to see if anyone here knew how to do it so I could get my husband to do it over the weekend

slimjimmc

You want to physically remove the airbag? That ain't no minor job... it probably involves removing the entire front console/dashboard which is no small feat, stripping out the airbag and refitting the dash. I'd say that would take a mechanic and helper a couple of days at best.
I don't know how the airbag ECU would react to a missing airbag but I suspect it would need re-programming to extinguish a warning light otherwise you'll fail your next NCT.

If you're only doing this to keep your child settled surely you can do something else to make it more enjoyable for him/her in the back seat. I'm sure the loneliness is only a phase that will wear off in no time.

If you do proceed, make sure you keep the airbag somewhere safe. Those things are worth small fortunes but also quite dangerous if mishandled.

caprilicious

Slimjimmc - sorry you're right I think I need to stick to deactivating rather than removing once it can be completely & safely done, won't consider it otherwise.

Believe me I've tried everything to settle her in the back but it just doesn't work. It probably is a phase only, but its making it difficult to go anywhere with her at the moment in the car.
I don't live within walking distance of anything so my minimum journey time is normally about 15 mins.
I just think it'd be a lot safer if I didn't have the distraction of her crying in the back seat, (provided of course it can be done safely).

I wouldn't mind if it was just a bit of a moan that I could ignore, but she goes into all out melt down mode for some journeys!
Have checked her seat to ensure its comfy, restraints aren't too tight, no sun light on her face etc all to no avail. Have even changed car seats.

CiniO

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

Just because an airbag is switched off doesnt mean it won't go of in the event of an accident

What do you mean?
How can airbag go off, if it's switched off.

CiniO

caprilicious wrote: »

I want to remove them so they can't go off. I have a half hour commute each way with a baby that get's upset being alone in the back of the car.

How does the baby get upset?
Just to make sure you are aware of one thing - if you put baby in the front, you will always spend some time while driving to look at the baby and make sure he/she is allright. It will take some of your attention from the road to the baby, which might finish tragically for both of you and maybe someone else as well.
Better leave baby in the back, let him/her get a bit upset, and let him/her learn to manage this half an hour on his/her own, while you can focus on driving.

It's been too many accidents so far, when a parent which was driving tried to pay attention to the baby, and crashed.
Just in short words - while you are driving, pay 100% of your attention to the road. If baby needs atention, then pull over and stop. But then it won't make a diffenece for you if the baby is in the front or back.