1994 XJS steering wheel airbag replacement source
 

Hi!
Does anyone have a source for the 1994 XJS steering wheel airbag?
I gather that an airbag older than 15 years should be replaced or
Maybe be removed.
I see some posts where the steering wheel was replaced with a newer
Steering wheel from a XJ8. How does the airbag work or is it removed ?
I wonder if it affects any U.S. Laws to drive with a disabled airbags?
How about the car insurance?

Regards and P O R - Press Or Regardless

Hi scarbro2011

I'm not sure an XJ8 steering wheel will be compatible with the XJS as the XJS uses a mechanical trigger mechanism where as (as far as I'm aware) later cars use an electric trigger. There are no sensors on the XJS to connect the later steering wheel to.

If you do find a source for replacement air bag mechanism for the XJS let me know!

Thanks
Rob

Good luck. I think they were discontiued years ago. I would have thought that Jaguar legally should be made to keep stocking them while the cars are still on the road. But would hate to think what replacement bags would cost. I hope l never have to use it and then l hope it will work if l have to....

There's a mechanical trigger on the back of the steering wheel you have to disarm. There is mucho info on this and other Jaguar web sites on the procedure. As far as I know the air bags are NLA. I may very well remove the air bags in my '95 convertible. My car will be 22 years old this October and I'm concerned about the age of the air bags. Moreover, my wife is a person of the physical stature more likely to be injured by an air bag than saved.

Yeah, with the latest news on bad bags, one wonders!!!


Do they prevent injury or actually cause injury???


NASCAR doesn't use them?? Perhaps, they are smarter???


My 94 Grand Cherokee Jeep has only one. Classic in the steering wheel. Replace, most likely not. Disable? Same answer. Leave it as is. Best answer. I'll do that.


But, thanks for causing us to "think". Always a good thing.


Carl

That is an asinine argument. Nascar doesn't use airbags because drivers are wearing a helmet in a car with a full cage in it, strapped in with a 6 point harness and a HANS device. We would all be safer this way, but who the hell wants to climb into a cage and put a 6 point on to drive to the store? They would never sell.

Do airbags cause injuries? Yes, but they prevent fatalities. The statistics overwhelming support airbags, as well as 3 point seatbelts as opposed to lap belts.

Go watch 2 videos on youtube, one of a new car in a crash test and one of a car from the 60s.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with liking the aesthetic of non-airbag steering wheels, but clamoring to false statements about them being un-safe is entirely unnecessary and ignorant.

Anyways OP, MOST car manufacturers recommend changing the airbags and seatbelts ever 7-10 years, though no one does this. Most old airbags are more likely to not function than to go off accidentally. Old airbags are nearly impossible to place, but belts aren't that
difficult and you can get them made. I wouldn't disconnect the existing system, but there isn't anything you can really do to update it.

I'm not sure about the legislation, but just the way you can't guarantee the cars brakes will work for 100 years, you can expect the manufacturer to replace the cars airbags for 100 years. The warranty covers any of those safety issues, unless they are related to a defect causing issues. Simply telling the owner the bags should be replaced every 7 years should be enough to cover them legally, they wouldn't be expect to provide them and I can't see anything forcing them to manufacturer them for sale the same way they aren't forced to make brake pads for a 100 year old car.

I wouldn't go that far.

1st generation airbags, which the XJS has, are only effective for someone dumb enough not to wear their seat belt. You are less likely to sustain a fatality or severe injury if you are wearing your seat belt, than the protection from a first gen steering wheel airbag. In the case where the driver is wearing a seat belt, the airbag does actually cause more injury than it prevents in nearly all case scenarios.

Or put another way, the airbag was definitely better than nothing, but not better than wearing a 3 point seat belt.

When the statistics started to overwhelming tilt in favor of airbags, it was both improvements in the airbags themselves, and the deployment of them in multiple locations.

The argument IS asinine, he makes it sound like airbags cause more problems than they solve and that professional racing doesn't use them as safety equipment, therefore normal people shouldn't either.

The argument isn't whether airbags or seatbelts are more effective. The argument also isn't whether airbags cause more injuries than non-airbags. The important statistic is fatalities. Of course airbags now have better sensor technology than back in the day, but even with more injuries than without bags, the fatality point is still significant.
Would you rather have your arm broken twice, or not broken the first time, then the second time you are dead? They also still play a significant role past seatbelts, a report from 1998 ( using an old one on purpose) showed a 26% reduction in fatalities because of airbags, and a reduction of 32% if they weren't wearing a seatbelt. Even back then the NHTS estimated that reduction in serious head injury was 85% with belts and bags combined as opposed to 60% with belts alone.

There is no logical argument against airbags. The common counter that they cause more harm than could good is always speculation because the person doesn't actual know the numbers.

Not to waste too much time quarreling over the point, but many of the early airbag studies were full of correlation/causation fallacies, and somewhat biased assumptions or analysis to support a predetermined or preferred conclusion.

I will concede however, that today, with much improved airbag technology, there is no argument that they are an overall improvement statistically, even with seat belt use.

scarbro2011,

If you want a US drivers airbag (no passenger available),just go and buy it from Jaguar. They have a few left. (Probably after this post, they'll sell out!)

Remember that it won't be a "2016" airbag. Is suspect that it will have been made around 2005. So is it really worth buying one? If you're concerned, ask Jaguar what is the manufacture date on the box. I bought one a few years ago in preparation of fitting my US-spec wood-&--leather wheel. I think it's an early-mid 2000s date on my box.

I spoke with a few technical people at Jaguar about their view on the efficacy of old airbags some years ago. The general view was that the worst that would happen is that they wouldn't fire due to a deterioration, rather than accidentally go off. So I believe that you're just better leaving them alone rather than removing them. Just my view.

Hope that helps

Paul

I would be astounded if they even entertained the inquiry. Technically they should fix my seatbelts, but I'm sure they would laugh at me if I drove in and asked them to fix my passenger automatic belt.

I have had hours of training on air bags and there is a reason that they are marked S.R.S.-Supplemental Restraint System. This means that they are to be used in conjunction with seat belts as an aide to help cut down injuries in the event of a catastrophic impact.

As was mentioned in a prior post just take a few minutes and watch on youtube what happens in test impacts that are filmed in slow motion-you will clearly see the benefits of having an air bag as part of your Supplemental Restraint System.

That being said, if you are a very short person it can be an issue if you have to sit super close to the steering wheel on a first generation system. My thought is as an adult it is still preferable in most situations to have a first generation air bag possibly give you black eyes or cuts vs. having your head smack the wheel, dash or windshield.

My understanding is some of the current problems with air bags causing injuries is due to poor design of newer systems that is allowing metal from the air bag inflators to come out with the air bag when deployed causing serious injuries and even death. This is a different issue than concerns from first generation air bags deploying with too much force.

As someone who has personally been in a head on accident on the freeway I will take and use any device that is designed to help keep me safe-I tell everyone to wear your seat belts all the time because when things go wrong you will not have time to think about it.

sidescrollin,

Then you'll be astounded! It only takes 30 seconds of searching on their wesbite, as I did, to see that they've got US drivers airbags. So just ring your local dealer or pop in and order one. But be quick, I checked this morning and it seems they only have 10 left.

Paul

Sidescrollin!!!! Asinine, my behind. I don't care f you agree with me or nt. But, don't insult me. I don't take that well....


OUT!!!!


Carl

Disposal of old airbag?
 

Ok, what is the correct disposal method of old airbags?
With most politicians we just vote them out of office until
They run for President. Then they just become bigger airbags.

There is a procedure in the manual to safely detonate them and then you can dispose of them. I doubt the junkyards here do that I think they just go into the crusher. Occasionally there is a satisfying boom sound that comes out of the crusher, but it doesn't seem to make any difference to the machine, it keeps on going.

Did you asks them for a date of manufacture? I'm curious to see if these are NOS from 20 years ago?

Vee,

They'd have to check each box. They will definitely be after 1996 as they were making bags for some years after end of production. I remember that the one I've got is dd somewhere in the 2000s, I think 2004. I'll go and dig it out tomorrow and report back.

Paul

If I recall correctly, the workshop manual merely describes how to lock the firing pin on the passenger bag, not how to detonate it.

Paul

Hmmm. I wonder if the Jag dealer will take the old airbag.
I have to acquire that airbag locking tool to remove it.
Or maybe I should just lock it up and just leave it in the steering wheel.
I'll just get new seat belts and make sure the attachment points are in good shape.
Seat belt replacement in the 1994 convertible is a "real fun" task. Not !

Oh well, thanks for the discussion and the pointers.
P O R - Press On Regardless