156 Airbag recharge
 

My '99 vintage 156 TS is now 11 years old, coming up for an (expensive) 280
000Km service! Have to change cambelt once again.

A while ago, I noticed a sticker on the doorframe stating that the airbags
should have had the gas cylinder(s) recharged by 2009. I'll get that checked
at the service, but has anyone had that done? Presumably this would be one
of your MoT check items (which we don't have here)?

Malcolm Osborne
Sedgefield, South Africa

156 Airbag recharge
 

"Malcolm Osborne" > wrote in message
...
> My '99 vintage 156 TS is now 11 years old, coming up for an (expensive)
> 280 000Km service! Have to change cambelt once again.
>
> A while ago, I noticed a sticker on the doorframe stating that the airbags
> should have had the gas cylinder(s) recharged by 2009. I'll get that
> checked at the service, but has anyone had that done? Presumably this
> would be one of your MoT check items (which we don't have here)?

After 10 years, they take the airbag out and fit a large spike. That is a
much safer option - nobody speeds, nobody crashes, everybody pays 100%
attention to the road etc etc..

;-)

156 Airbag recharge
 

Malcolm Osborne wrote:
> My '99 vintage 156 TS is now 11 years old, coming up for an (expensive) 280
> 000Km service! Have to change cambelt once again.
>
> A while ago, I noticed a sticker on the doorframe stating that the airbags
> should have had the gas cylinder(s) recharged by 2009. I'll get that checked
> at the service, but has anyone had that done? Presumably this would be one
> of your MoT check items (which we don't have here)?

Not an MOT item. I spoke to my tame expert, whose reaction was basically
'no one *ever* changes the generator'

BTW it's not a cylinder, it's a gas *generator* which is a euphemism for
'bomb'


--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 GTV TS GT 3.2 V6
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

156 Airbag recharge
 

Malcolm Osborne > wrote:

> My '99 vintage 156 TS is now 11 years old, coming up for an (expensive) 280
> 000Km service! Have to change cambelt once again.
>
> A while ago, I noticed a sticker on the doorframe stating that the airbags
> should have had the gas cylinder(s) recharged by 2009. I'll get that checked
> at the service, but has anyone had that done? Presumably this would be one
> of your MoT check items (which we don't have here)?

My 4 year old car hasn't had working airbags for at least 2 years.

I'm working on the assumption that I won't crash it!


--
SteveH

156 Airbag recharge
 

SteveH wrote:
> Malcolm Osborne > wrote:
>
>> My '99 vintage 156 TS is now 11 years old, coming up for an (expensive) 280
>> 000Km service! Have to change cambelt once again.
>>
>> A while ago, I noticed a sticker on the doorframe stating that the airbags
>> should have had the gas cylinder(s) recharged by 2009. I'll get that checked
>> at the service, but has anyone had that done? Presumably this would be one
>> of your MoT check items (which we don't have here)?
>
> My 4 year old car hasn't had working airbags for at least 2 years.

Serious question, how do you know?

>
> I'm working on the assumption that I won't crash it!
>

Spoken like a true biker :)


--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 GTV TS GT 3.2 V6
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

156 Airbag recharge
 

Catman > wrote:

> > My 4 year old car hasn't had working airbags for at least 2 years.
>
> Serious question, how do you know?

The airbag light has been on since before I bought it, and Alfa Diag is
telling me about a couple of errors it can't clear.
--
SteveH

156 Airbag recharge
 

Catman > wrote:

> SteveH wrote:
> > Catman > wrote:
> >
> >>> My 4 year old car hasn't had working airbags for at least 2 years.
> >> Serious question, how do you know?
> >
> > The airbag light has been on since before I bought it, and Alfa Diag is
> > telling me about a couple of errors it can't clear.
>
> Ahh. I thought that was an MOT fail.

No - airbags aren't a testable item.

If they were, I'd be removing the wiring from the lamp and fitting a
delay timer to it. ;-)
--
SteveH

156 Airbag recharge
 

In alt.autos.alfa-romeo,
Catman > wrote:
> Malcolm Osborne wrote:
>> My '99 vintage 156 TS is now 11 years old, coming up for an (expensive) 280
>> 000Km service! Have to change cambelt once again.
>>
>> A while ago, I noticed a sticker on the doorframe stating that the airbags
>> should have had the gas cylinder(s) recharged by 2009. I'll get that checked
>> at the service, but has anyone had that done? Presumably this would be one
>> of your MoT check items (which we don't have here)?
>
> Not an MOT item. I spoke to my tame expert, whose reaction was basically
> 'no one *ever* changes the generator'

No one, ever? Anyone here perhaps? :-)

The sticker on my 156 says to replace them in 2011 and I was just
wondering on how to replace those things. Haven't looked in the
on-line catalogs yet, but I have a suspicion that those 'bombs' are
not on sale just everywhere. And that replacing them might be
considered hazardous job only to be carried out by qualified
personell.


--
Stef (remove caps, dashes and .invalid from e-mail address to reply by mail)

The party adjourned to a hot tub, yes. Fully clothed, I might add.
-- IBM employee, testifying in California State Supreme Court

156 Airbag recharge
 

Stef wrote:
> In alt.autos.alfa-romeo,
> Catman > wrote:
>> Malcolm Osborne wrote:
>>> My '99 vintage 156 TS is now 11 years old, coming up for an (expensive) 280
>>> 000Km service! Have to change cambelt once again.
>>>
>>> A while ago, I noticed a sticker on the doorframe stating that the airbags
>>> should have had the gas cylinder(s) recharged by 2009. I'll get that checked
>>> at the service, but has anyone had that done? Presumably this would be one
>>> of your MoT check items (which we don't have here)?
>> Not an MOT item. I spoke to my tame expert, whose reaction was basically
>> 'no one *ever* changes the generator'
>
> No one, ever? Anyone here perhaps? :-)
>

Or no one that Jamie Porter has ever done business with, which is
probably a rather larger sample :)

> The sticker on my 156 says to replace them in 2011 and I was just
> wondering on how to replace those things. Haven't looked in the
> on-line catalogs yet, but I have a suspicion that those 'bombs' are
> not on sale just everywhere. And that replacing them might be
> considered hazardous job only to be carried out by qualified
> personell.


I set off a seatbelt pre-tensioner in SWMBO's 145 a couple of years
back. I still recall looking repeatedly at my hands and counting as I
simply could not believe my luck. Don't mess with them is my advice. YMMV.


--
Catman MIB#14 SKoGA#6 TEAR#4 BOTAFOF#38 Apostle#21 COSOC#3
Tyger, Tyger Burning Bright (Remove rust to reply)
116 Giulietta 3.0l Sprint 1.7 GTV TS GT 3.2 V6
Triumph Sprint ST 1050: It's blue, see.
www.cuore-sportivo.co.uk

156 Airbag recharge
 

Catman > wrote:

> Stef wrote:
> > In alt.autos.alfa-romeo,
> > Catman > wrote:
> >> I set off a seatbelt pre-tensioner in SWMBO's 145 a couple of years
> >> back. I still recall looking repeatedly at my hands and counting as I
> >> simply could not believe my luck. Don't mess with them is my advice. YMMV.
> >
> > That would be my advice as well, but the sticker say otherwise. ;-)
> >
>
> Pretty sure the manual advises one to give it to a professional.

The most sensible advice is don't worry about it - but most of all,
don't crash.
--
SteveH