Leather Re-trim

[Hoovie]

Hi - I am toying with the idea of getting a Leather re-trim on my 2005 RAV4.

What is the situation with the Front Seat Airbags? Will the trimmers need to create a 'weak' area that would allow the airbag to break through? It is not obvious to me how the airbags would 'appear' at the moment - it is just a side of material

I do not want to negate a key safety feature and only find that out too late!!

[anchorman]

Hoovie

This picture is of a 4.3 but it is similar in that it has a full length curtain from the "A" pillar back to the rear seat and then each front seat has a module inside the seat that sends out an addtional airbag for the lower lumbar region;

You obviously need to be very careful but I'm sure the trimmer will have done it before.

The 4.3 have proximity sensors under the seats and will deploy the bags at different rates depending how close the seat is to the dash. They also have knee airbags.

[Hoovie]

Thanks for that, anchorman

That nicely leads me onto a related question actually :-)

Had the car for nearly two years and it was only 2 weeks ago I noticed a "side airbag" sign on each C Pillar. Looking at the diagram you posted (and also bearing in mind my 4.2 may be different of course), is there just one curtain airbag each side, running along the whole length of the passenger compartment? And which gets deployed from the roof somehow?

Without tempting fate, never seen an airbag in action so it is a bit of a mystery how these side ones deploy.

[Parts-King]

This is why they don't make an air bag to sit on

Very boyish humour for a Friday

Click here for a laugh

Kingo

[anchorman]

Thanks for that, anchorman

That nicely leads me onto a related question actually :-)

Had the car for nearly two years and it was only 2 weeks ago I noticed a "side airbag" sign on each C Pillar. Looking at the diagram you posted (and also bearing in mind my 4.2 may be different of course), is there just one curtain airbag each side, running along the whole length of the passenger compartment? And which gets deployed from the roof somehow?

Without tempting fate, never seen an airbag in action so it is a bit of a mystery how these side ones deploy.

The airbag runs the whole length of the car from the "A" pillar (indicated by the SRS logo) and there are sensors at the base of the seat and in the boot side panels just behind the drivers door. If the car gets hit square on the side both the seat side and curtain airbags will deploy together. The curtain runs the whole length of the car and shields front and rear windows. If the car is hit on the rear quarter only the curtain will deploy. Sinse it is not reliable to store compressed gases for long periods of time air bags have chemical activators which are a bit like a dry rocket cell. A chemical reaction causes very rapid - almost explosive expansion. The sensors are a bit like trembler switches and can detect sudden movement in their applicable direction. However, they are not too sensitive so as to avoid false deployments but they are smart and can detect the level of impact. This enables the use of 2 stage airbags at the front and they (4.2s from 2003) do indeed have seat position sensors which will vary the force of the bag deployment.

What a lot of people don't realise about front airbags is that they are not fluffy and cosy as depicted on TV, the whole process takes about a 25th of a second from activation to lay on your knee. This is because they have to restrain some of the inertia of the head and body in an instant but then need to deflate very quickly so you can see where you are going - you may still be hurtling down the road. You are likely to see a flash, smell smoke (so don't think your car is on firs) and sometimes if bare skin is contacted by these bags they cause friction burns. There are people that fear them and have even tried to sue manufacturers for injuries caused by air bags but imagine taking a steering wheel in your hand or a whole door and hitting somebody with all your might in the face. You will come nowhere near the amount of force following even a moderate impact, never mind a good one. I think I prefer an airbag and a few minor burns!

The seat belt pre-tensioners activate at the same time as the bags. They are also pyrotechnic and retract the slack out of the seatbelt before you have time to move forward within the slack and that helps to prevent the most common injury caused by a seat belt - a broken sternum (collar bone).

All these devices go off only in the relevant direction of impact.

[Hoovie]

I have heard about some people who sue due to injuries from Airbags They should think themselves lucky they were not injured far worse

When I see these people who stick their feet on top of the dash - right above the passanger airbag, makes me imagine what would happen if it went off - bet that would hurt :o

[chatman]

I have heard about some people who sue due to injuries from Airbags They should think themselves lucky they were not injured far worse

When I see these people who stick their feet on top of the dash - right above the passanger airbag, makes me imagine what would happen if it went off - bet that would hurt :o

I hope never to put the Air Bags to test in my car our my wife's...But it's a safe thought knowing they are there...I also cant drive anywhere with out putting the seat belt on...Safety first me....

My sister was hit by a drunk driver years ago in her Fiancée old Metro..... :o :o :o luckily not going too fast but also the Metro had no air bags or seat belt pre-tensioners....the bruising she got from the seat belt lasted ages....