Airbag Lifespan

I have a car that was built in ’89 and the air bag is original. Do airbags go bad after a number of years? Do you think it will still work? Would the car be safer without it?

Thank. RS

1: cool, 2: not really, 3: yes, 4: no, 5: you're welcome

6: what ^ he said.

what is it if an air bag was OPTIONAL back then?

I was recently wondering about this myself. If there's no maintenance required, why do my various manuals give checkup dates like after 10 years and every two years thereafter? Anyone know what the dealer actually does? Just an OBD check for airbag faults? Test fire and repack? :) or what?

I would hate to try a repack. Dig it a part, replace the gas charge, refold the bag, and then install a new cover.

I saw a show on this 5+ years ago and they went out and grabbed really old 80s airbagged cars and hit them, guess what they still worked just fine. At some point it's the sensor more than anything that you have to worry about, the charge should be good as long as it doesn't leak...

Unofficially, my experiences have been...

In the early years airbags said that they should be checked in 10 years. My guess is that they were just unsure about them. Here it is 18 years later and they no longer place that warning. I guess thye are a bit more sure now.

Volvo used to say they should be checked after ten years. They later revised that to 15 years. At some point, some component will be compromised, but I guess they are proving to be pretty durable. The gold-coated connections seem to have resolved the primary failure mode (corroding electrical connections.)

If there is a fault in any part of the system, the air bag light will come on. If your light isn't on, everything should be fine.

Unless the bulb went out.

J

The bag itself may be good, but what about the sensors? I was involved in a front impact accident (idiot going wrong way on a one way), which totalled my car and the bag never went off. It was a 93 Saturn. Wait - I think I answered my own question.....