To airbag or not to airbag. Volvo was about the first, typical obsession with safety. I have found many cars in junkyards with apparently 20+ year old airbags that have deployed. My information is that as long as the system is not indicating a fault, the sensor will trigger the detonator and the bag will indeed inflate. As to whether or not the bag is a good idea, I think Jorrell hit it on the head: There was a time when many said that seatbelts were more likely to kill you too, but that passed. I would certainly prefer my kids drive airbagged cars (of course my son wants the 82 turbo wagon--sheesh!). I also agree with the torn cover scenario. The cover is RF (high frequency) heat sealed in certain areas to assure that the bag deploys evenly. I don't doubt for a minute that a crack could cause the bag to inflate "directionally", possibly negating proper operation.

I'd like to comment/question on the ABS issues further down in the post. I know that 7-series cars got ABS before 2s did. 91 SE is the first 2 to have ABS offered. 92 and up it was standard. Well before the norm, again, in typical Volvo fashion. 7-fans, wasn't 90 the first year for ABS in the 7s? Or earlier?

Why the specific cutoff at '88? Is there something wrong with 1987 wiring harnesses?

Im not going to get into the airbag or not arguement, but if insistant on having a car with one, make darn sure that it actually has one. Most if not all of the professional rebuilders that re-assemble these cars after wrecks don't replace teh airbag if it had deployed, they install a dummy cover that has no airbag in it. So even if the side of the car says that it has one inspect the "airbag " cover carefully. Many states issue a new title on reuild and so they don't get a salvage title, which makes it even harder to tell what has what.
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-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '86 740 GLE turbo diesel, '92 Ford F350 diesel dually

I have a crack starting in the center steering wheel cover on my '91 244, probably from Florida heat! do I need to worry about this?

The last I heard from Volvo, as long as the air bag cover is not torn or cracked, the airbag is good. The airbag system does self diagnostics, if the SRS light comes on, there is a problem (except for a few seconds when you start the car). If the light is off (except for a few seconds at start up) the system is functional. My only advice is to ensure the driver is wearing a seatbelt as these are first generation systems that pack a punch.

For a no airbag crash example, my wife crashed our 89 244 in 2002, 55MPH into a creek bank after a tire was cut. She suffered a hangman's fracture of the C2 vertebrae in her neck. By miracle of miracles and against all odds she survived and recovered fully after six months despite the clinical probability of recovering fully being at 3%. Her Neurosurgeon said that if the Volvo 240 would have had an airbag, she would have been able to walk away from the crash and avoid the broken neck and near lethal brain swelling.

After that accident, while she was recovering, I built her a 90 244 with air bag. After that, we moved up to a 92 245 with airbag. All of our vehicles now have airbags.

I liken the airbag/no airbag argument to wearing or not wearing a seatbelt, when I was young and "stupid" I refused to wear a seatbelt. It took two accidents for the "young, stupid, and "immortal me" to learn my lesson. Once I got out of the Hospital, I have always worn a seatbelt without exception. On a regular basis, my body reminds me in painful ways how stupid I was back then, roughly 28 years ago.

jorrell


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92 245 299.3K miles, IPD'd to the hilt, 06 XC70, 00 Eclipse custom Turbo setup...currently taking names and kicking reputations!

I wouldn't be worried about the airbags not working. Volvo originally said "replace your airbags every 10 years" but then rescinded that after more testing.

With the 90+ cars you get nice LH2.4 OBD1 outputs. I think 90 was the first year for that.
Airbags are always good, and even if they fail, you have the same safety structure as a 240 without airbags.

Even if the engine wiring harness is replaced, the whole rest of the harness is unreliable. My 84's reverse lights and doorlocks don't work, and I know the doorlocks have a bad harness.
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1990 740 Turbo, on its way to stock specs, maybe beyond

Well with that kind of thinking ... you wouldn't be at a disadvantage in a newer car now would you?

(say a 93- with the bag not working same as 88 with no bag!!!!!)