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Hi,
My 1993 940T Wagon(218k) just got in a fender bender(<5 mph). The SRS warning light had been on for some time. For some reason, the airbag deployed, as did the front seat belt tensioners. The front seat belts now do not retract and can't be used.
Replacing the airbag, seat belts, and SRS computer is going to cost >$2000. The SRS computer is the big item.
Is it feasible to get seatbelts from a recycler and use them without hooking them up to the computer? I would not replace the airbag or the computer.
I am willing to live without the airbag(insert joke here), but not without the belts. Will the seat belts still lock in a crash and provide protection? Obviously the tensioners would never fire, but would the belts still provide the normal protection a seatbelt without tensioners would? Is this idea simply stupid?
The FAQ doesn't really address this question, and I didn't find any past threads on this subject.
Thanks for any advice. I really want to keep this car until at least a lunar unit is reached :-)
Tedd
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I just went through all of this after hitting a deer at 65mph. If you are going to replace the seat belts yourself that is the hard part. The airbag is a piece of cake. Download the manual for free on Kjet.org under Greenbooks - 900 Accessories.
I have seen airbag and clock spring go for $50.00 on ebay. You may not have to replace the computer which is under the driver's seat which is held in by two bolts. I had to unbolt the seat to make the seatbelt job easier.
The reason I say you may not have to replace the computer is that after you replace the bag and belts the computer may clear itself and reset. The procedure for doing this is spelled out in the SRS (airbag) manual. This is not rocket science,just tedious.
Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and restore your car to its original safety level.
Regards - Randy 1993 945 TI
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If I remember correctly, the seat belts and associated pyrotectic tensioners are not connected to the SRS computer on my 1993 945T. They seem to be devices that deploy on their own without a signal from the SRS computer. Check out what you have - are there any wires connected to the seat belt tensioners? The seat belts are very easy to remove (two bolts).
Steve
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Dear Steve,
May this find you well. The pyrotechnic seatbelt pre-tensions are controlled by the same sensor, that governs the airbag(s). I've disconnected them, to remove them from salvage yard cars.
By contrast, on 1996 and 1997 960s, the SIPS airbags (for in-seat, side impact protection)are mechanically activated. They will deploy, only when a striker - mounted in the outer plastic seat-side housing - is struck by a door panel, driven inwards by impact. Thus, a side collision, that might not trigger the airbags or seatbelt pre-tensioners, will cause the SIPS unit to deploy.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Hey Spook,
Thanks for the info. Mine definitely have the pretensioners (there is a warning label on the mechanism and a barrel-shaped device that holds the charge), but they weren't connected to any wires. Are you sure there weren't two designs? I don't think that there is an electrical connector on mine - I think that I would have noticed that. The PO did remove the seats and I suppose that it is possible that they never hooked it back up, but I usually notice things like that and didn't see anything funny when I replaced the seats. Where is the connector on the seat belts that you have had?
My car is a 1993 945T.
Steve
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Dear Steve,
May this find you well. The electrical connector is at the bottom of the pyrotechnic device, which is mounted above the seatbelt reel housing. The body of the pyrotechnic device is shaped like the top of a missile: it is round in cross-section and tapers to a point. On the side, there is a warning label.
At its bottom, the pyrotechnic device is attached to the seatbelt reel housing by a bracket. There is a round housing, with an opening, into which the electrical connector is inserted.
I'd have guessed that if someone disconnected these pre-tensioners, the SRS light would be on. Does the SRS light come on, when you turn the key to the "on" position?
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Spook,
The SRS light works fine (when key in the "on" position). I will check into if my belts are connected to the SRS system as soon as I have an chance and let you know what I find. I will disconnect battery as you have suggested before working on the SRS. Strange that the SRS light is not lit when the belts are unplugged. Thanks.
Steve
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Safey issue aside, yes the front belts will work without electical connection to the system. They most likely have the inertial lock which is strictly mechanical and non tensioning. It locks the belt during hard braking, sudden pulling of the strap and rollover and is separate from the pyrotechnic tensioning.
--
David Hunter
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Dear David,
May this find you well. You're correct: a seatbelt unit will lock, with the pyrotechnic pre-tensioner disconnected. To test this, grasp the belt and pull sharply.
When the pre-tensioner unit fires, it takes-up any slack in the belt, holding the seat occupant firmly into the seat.
Without the pre-tensioner, as the occupant starts to move forward, the belt extends a few inches, until the occupant exerts enough force on the belt - and quickly enough - to engage the mechanical lock.
In some cases, the pre-tensioner will make the difference between the seat occupant moving forward enough, to be hurt by a deploying airbag or - if there is no airbag - to hit the steering wheel. In the 1994 and 1995 cars - which have a passenger-side airbag - the pre-tensioner could keep the occupant from hitting the dashboard.
In sum, the pre-tensioner adds to an occupant's safety margin.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Dear Tedd,
May this find You well. Restore the SRS system to factory-fresh condition. You should prowl salvage yards to find replacement parts. Take notes as You remove them, as that will guide You, when You install them.
Try to take all parts from a single car. That should be possible, unless an item has been damaged, by someone removing nearby parts. The sensor and the airbag should be a "matched pair". Do not use a sensor from a 1993 car with an airbag from a 1995 car, etc.
Be sure to take the wiring harnesses, as those in your car should not be re-used. If need be, you can get new ones from a Volvo dealer. The wiring harnesses are easily identified: they are "safety orange".
As the car is a 1993, there is no passenger airbag. That eases the task: the wiring harness to the passenger airbag runs behind the front center console air vents. That harness is hard to access: there's a cable tie that must be cut, but no way to get a cutter on it. I made one by cutting a hook shape into the end of a hacksaw blade, with a "blade" on the inside of the hook. I hooked the cable tie and cut it, by pulling on it.
You should also buy (www.volvotechinfo.com) the manual covering the SRS system.
Once you have everything in place, before you re-connect the negative battery cable clamp to the battery, turn the key to "on". There is no need to start the engine. Make sure no one is in or near the car. Then, re-connect the negative battery cable clamp to the battery. That will energize the SRS system. If nothing deploys, that's a good sign.
Start the car. If the SRS light goes out, the system is working properly. If the SRS light stays on, while the engine is running, disconnect the negative cable clamp from the battery, wait 30 minutes, and re-connect. That should allow the system to re-set.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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Hi,
Thanks to everyone for your advice.
I am a little leery of working with unexploded grenades, and wasn't sure I wanted to tackle replacing the airbag myself. I would love to leave it to someone with the proper experience, but that is prohibitively expensive.
I'll update the thread with whatever happens!
Thanks,
Tedd
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Dear Tedd,
May this find you well. Your caution is proper. An airbag deployment at close range can be lethal. That is why having the Volvo Technical Manual (TP32231/1) is necessary. It costs about $30.
The risk drops almost to "zero", if one adheres to the precautions in the Tech Manual. The main precaution: don't be near any airbag, when the system is re-energized, i.e., when you reconnect the negative battery cable clamp to the negative battery terminal.
That is why I stated that before energizing the re-built system, turn the ignition key to "on", and THEN put the negative battery cable clamp onto the battery terminal. Even if the airbag deploys, you'll be several feet away, with the hood between you and the airbag.
That is also why I noted that the airbag wiring harnesses should be replaced. In short, if sound used components are installed - and proper precautions taken - you should be able to put the car back as it was.
Hope this helps.
Yours faithfully,
Spook
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You should be able to get all the parts you need from a junkyard for less than $200. Barring that, you can just get the belts and use them--before airbags Volvos were still pretty safe... Weird that the airbag deployed with the SRS light ON--supposed the system is not armed if the light is on...
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Most of us that drive Volvo's have bought into the safety concept. What you are asking is whether or not you can cheat the system and go without the Airbag and Seatbelt Tensioner. Don't do it! I had a wreck last year in a Mitsubishi without seatbelt tensioners. I ended up in the backseat with the seatbelt around my legs! The Highway Patrolman said, "It's a shame you didn't have seatbelt tensioners on that vehicle!
Find a junkyard for the computer, airbag and seatbelt and Drive Safely!
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