turning off airbag

I have a 2010 Jeep JK. Is it possible for me to turn off the passenger side airbag? or is that something the dealer has to do?

 

Not sure of the specifics for that vehicle but advanced systems will deactivate the passenger air bag via a sensor in the seat when nobody is present.

A dealer will not disconnect a functional air bag, can you imagine the liability of doing that?

 

I know pickups can have the passenger airbag turned off. Our grandson's fiance is going back to school so we will be watching the kids including picking up the 6 yr old at school. No problem using my wife's car during good weather but if it gets bad I'll need to take my jeep. Between the backseat not locking in properly and my poor mobility the passenger seat is the only realistic option in my jeep.

 

If the airbag can be turned off there will be a switch on the dash to do so. It is located on the right hand side of the dash and usually requires something like the key to turn the switch. Turning off the airbag activates a warning light that the airbag is deactivated. If there is no switch, then there may be a automatic seat switch. Since your asking I assume you don't have a manual switch. Older vehicles had a manual switch on the dash but I've not seen one on newer vehicles.

If you want to manually disconnect the airbag that can be done without the dealer. Read up to make sure you understand how to do it. Most important is to leave the car OFF and no key in the ignition or near the car. As an added safety measure you can also remove the airbag fuse. Then, just unplug the airbag. Sounds simple... getting to the connector is why you may want to take it to a mechanic.

 

You can't just disconnect the airbag. The computer will see it as an SRS problem. It will put the airbag system in trouble. Warning light will come on. That vehicle has dash airbag and knee airbag. Controlled by seatbelt lock and position of seat in track. Looking at the owners manual I don't see any way to manually disconnect the bag(s). There is an EDR (recording module) that records the vehicle SRS data in event of a crash. I wouldn't want to see any disconnected items in that list in the event of an accident.

 

As one who tore down around 100 steering columns with air bags, if you do anything with the airbags:

1. Disconnect the battery,
2. Wait double the time the manufacture recommends before touching anything.

The alternative can be expen$$$ive.

 

I guess I'm just going to let it ride as is. In decent weather I can transport her in my wife's car. Just not sure what the solution will be if/when 4 wheel drive is needed. I have my old 4x4 truck [no air bags] but it's not half the vehicle in the snow/ice my jeep is.

 

Back when airbags were (relatively) new, you could get an on / off switch installed at the dealer. I investigated this when we bought our first car with airbags (a 1999 Odyssey) because my wife is 4' 10" tall and she sat very close to the airbag, closer than recommended. Those early airbags were designed to hold back an unbelted 95% male and had no provisions for seat position or if there was someone in the seat or not. It just went off at full force all the time. Newer airbags are smarter and use lighter force if the seat is closer and turn off if there's no one in the seat. I unplugged that airbag, but everything we've owned since has had smart airbags.

I think your Jeep is too new for a switch, but it likely has seat position sensors and seat occupant sensors. If it does it'll have a light on the dash showing that the passenger airbag is off when the seat is empty. But, because it has a back seat, it likely is NOT designed to have a car seat installed in the front.

I'd take a look at your owner's manual, it should cover where you can safely put a car seat.

The safest route is probably to get that back seat latch repaired so you can properly install the car seat in the back seat.

 

Mark, if the snow is that bad, will school be in session?

 

I don't worry about snow on the paved roads but I have a 1/4+ mile long driveway on the north side of the hill. The odds are if it snowed enough to close school early my driveway would already be 4x4 only. I guess if it comes to it I'll just buckle her in the passenger seat. Her mother said she rides in her stepdad's front seat all the time.

I tried 7-8 yrs ago to repair the back seat mechanism [replaced one of the cables] but it won't always latch and doesn't like to unlatch if it does. Plus it would be difficult for me to get into the backseat.

School lets out at 3:40, I'm usually in line by 3:15 .... about 4 blocks from the school. At least the line does move fairly quick once it gets started. Not sure I'd want to know what time the first cars get in line.