New NCT rules on airbags ?

Listening to 2FM earlier today, something mentioned on it about new NCT rules coming out that your car has to have airbags

Can anyone shed any light on this as to whether this is true ?

The rule is that fitted airbags must be working correctly, as in the SRS light comes on and off to indicate all is well with the airbag

alexlyons

This is due to the fact that you can permanently disable the airbag light if there was a fault. now it must come on and go off again, something which wont happen if you've disabled the light

Matt Simis

The S8 I bought failed its NCT in November as the Airbag light was disabled (a PO was trying to hide defects, as 2 Airbag seat occupancy sensors were disconnected and another one broken), so this isnt new?

Matt Simis

Matt Simis wrote: »

so this isnt new?

At least 12 months in operation now I think

RoverJames

RoverJames wrote: »

The rule is that fitted airbags must be working correctly, as in the SRS light comes on and off to indicate all is well with the airbag

So there is no new rule coming out then that your car must be fitted with airbags ?

coylemj

hellboy99 wrote: »

So there is no new rule coming out then that your car must be fitted with airbags ?

Correct, the new rule regarding the airbag light was part of a modification to the NCT in April 2010 i.e. a year ago. See the last item on the list here....

http://www.ncts.ie/images/NCT_DL.jpg

It would be prohibitively expensive if not downright impossible (especially in the case of the steering wheel) to fit airbags to a car that wasn't manufactured with them so it's highly unlikely that they will make airbags mandatory.

When seat belts became mandatory many years ago, they were only mandatory for cars registered after a certain year, this was to save people with old bangers from having to have them retrofitted, even though a lot of the exempted cars actually did have seat belt anchorage points.

BrianD3

It may be worth noting that some older cars (say 15+ years) with an airbag do not have an airbag malfunction light. We have a car without a light, it recently passed the NCT.

coylemj

BrianD3 wrote: »

It may be worth noting that some older cars (say 15+ years) with an airbag do not have an airbag malfunction light. We have a car without a light, it recently passed the NCT.

If there's no warning light then there's no issue, the stipulation is...

Vehicles will be checked to ensure that, where fitted, the malfunction indicators for Airbags,..... (other safety fittings) ..... are in correct working order.'

So if the airbag has no warning light, there's nothing to check.

Mongarra

Maybe wrong thread, but Liveline earlier had someone on saying from 1st June any cars over 10 years old must have NCT done every year so double the cost to owners.

JimmyCrackCorn

Mongarra wrote: »

Maybe wrong thread, but Liveline earlier had someone on saying from 1st June any cars over 10 years old must have NCT done every year so double the cost to owners.

That is true.

Not the end of the world though.

slimjimmc

Mongarra wrote: »

Maybe wrong thread, but Liveline earlier had someone on saying from 1st June any cars over 10 years old must have NCT done every year so double the cost to owners.

That's one way of looking at it, another view is that it could save you costs because it can catch defects earlier before they get out of control or cause excessive wear on other components. It's the cheapest detailed vehicle inspection you'll get anywhere in Ireland or UK.
Of course, that can be said of any age car, but the chances of it occurring generally rises with age.

angelfire9

What's the story if you have an airbag but have it disabled?
i.e. if the front passenger airbag was switched off ?
The light comes on and off fine but the airbag is off

slimjimmc

angelfire9 wrote: »

What's the story if you have an airbag but have it disabled?
i.e. if the front passenger airbag was switched off ?
The light comes on and off fine but the airbag is off

No problem, the system is functioning normally and the diagnostic light in the dashboard shows that. It will pass.

The check is only to confirm there are no faults in the restraint system.

JimmyCrackCorn

angelfire9 wrote: »

What's the story if you have an airbag but have it disabled?
i.e. if the front passenger airbag was switched off ?
The light comes on and off fine but the airbag is off

You fail for being special

Humans eh!

My wife has massive bewbs,
Does that suffice as airbags? :pac:

JimmyCrackCorn

Humans eh! wrote: »

My wife has massive bewbs,
Does that suffice as airbags? :pac:

Pics !!!

slimjimmc

JimmyCrackCorn wrote: »

Pics !!!

<whispers>
Just PM'd you some
</whispers>