10year SRS Airbag Service

Ben Harris · Post by **Ben Harris** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 4:10 pm

According to my owners manual, the only maintenance needed to be performed on the SRS airbag system is that every 10 years the "airbag module" and "contact unit" need to be replaced. As my 480 is a '94 model (the first year I believe to have SRS), but was registered in late '93, that 10 years service is now due.

Has anyone had this service/replacement done and can pre-warn me of the costs? Alternativly, can I buy the parts and fit them myself (according to VADIS, there are only two part numbers required)? I'm well aware of the dangers of the compressed gas used to inflate the airbag, and also have the VADIS step-by-step instructions on how to perform the replacement (which I can make available to anyone who wants them).

Ben.

Daniel480 · Post by **Daniel480** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 8:23 pm

Hi Ben,

thatÂ´s not exactly true !

Your Volvo dealer will conect the airbag module to his computer and will
check it.

If everything is allright, it will not be replaced !!!

Regards.

Dan

levensnevel · Post by **levensnevel** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 9:03 pm

Ben,

you're a real tosser with that sig.
Exceeded .....

Sorry, just jokin'

Don't think you should fiddle with that kind of safety devices yourself.
Could easily turn out to be a "penny wise, pound foolish" excercise

daz480gt · Post by **daz480gt** » Wed Dec 24, 2003 10:05 pm

ben

ben

not sure after 10+ years

srs light should light up (bulb)

i'm thinking the same thing, with my 94 gt

i've been drinking again chaps

i'll get me coat

merry xmax all

Ben Harris · Post by **Ben Harris** » Thu Dec 25, 2003 1:20 am

levensnevel wrote:Ben,

you're a real tosser with that sig.
Exceeded .....
Sorry, just jokin'

That's a little bit harsh isn't it? It's not my fault that the forum's so popular, and I didn't know that they put a limit on the number of times they'd (the company that offer the signature service) show a signature before changing it to one of their adverts.....

Daz.... If your theory about the warning bulb lighting up (do you know for certain?) is true, then I'm sure I can find the procedure to reset will be in VADIS - assuming that Daniel is correct is saying that they wouldn't replace it anyway, unless there is a problem! I was assuming that there may be elements that could perish in there, or that the gas canister for inflating the airbag might only have a certain life span.

levensnevel wrote:Don't think you should fiddle with that kind of safety devices yourself.
Could easily turn out to be a "penny wise, pound foolish" excercise

I know what you mean Levensville, but I'm very reluctant to pay Volvo to follow exactly the same set of step-by-step instructions that I've got here, when I could do it myself (and would know that I'd done it right).

Ben.

levensnevel · Post by **levensnevel** » Thu Dec 25, 2003 5:46 am

Sorry Ben,

you're right, reread my reply after a good night's sleep and the first part isn't to polite

Hope you will accept my apologies

.
BTW I quite fancied the look of your wedge

Ben Harris · Post by **Ben Harris** » Thu Dec 25, 2003 12:48 pm

No problem Levensville

No offense taken, I'd written my repsonse after coming back from the pub last night, anyway, and was actually expecting (this morning) to have lots of "look at the smilies" kind of comments waiting!

Yeah, I'm very pleased with my new 480, but couldn't quite bring myself to sell my old one, so decided to keep both of them!

If you're interested, these are the differences I've noticed between the two of them, from a driving point of view, rather than a technical point of view, and also my general oppinons comparing the two:

The new 2.0 generally drives much smoother than my 1.7 did, but at the same time doesn't feel any quicker. Looking at the specs, there's only 1HP of difference (my 1.7: 109HP, my 2.0: 110HP), so that explains that one, but the 2.0 has much more torque which I imagine is why it's smoother. I think the similarity in HP for 300cc difference in engine size is down to the additional emmision controls that the 2.0 has.

The 2.0 also doesn't have anywhere near as nice a purr sound to it as the 1.7 has. Considering they've both got completely standard exhausts, (the 1.7 with no cat, and the 2.0 with a cat), when I bought the 1.7 my neighbor thought it had a performance exhaust fitted from the (nice) noise it made. I can't say the same for the 2.0 though - the exhaust just sounds.... well, like any other modern car. This does have the advantage that it's quiter at speed though.

Also, the 2.0 is generally more fuel efficient. For the kind of driving I do (a good mixture of motorway, B-roads (60MPH), town driving, and sitting in traffic), the 1.7 averages about 28MPG, whereas the 2.0 averages about 32MPG. This could be due to the fact it doesn't need to rev as high at comparable speeds: 70MPH in the 1.7: 3000RPM, 70MPH in the 2.0: 2600RPM. Either that, or the exhaust is more efficient (fuel wise, not performance wise).

Like I said, I'm generally very pleased with the 2.0. It's quieter, smoother (not lowered with stiffened shocks, like my 1.7), more fuel efficient, and more comfortable - but, it doesn't quite have the same 'character' that my 1.7 did. Unless I'm going on a long journey, I have to say that for general use I enjoy driving the 1.7 more..... That's why I decided to keep them both - it was the only answer!

Anyway - probably bored you enough by now, and well done if you're still reading this without falling asleep!

Ben.