Moderns...what fittings will you avoid when they are shiters.

[gordonbennet]

Funnily enough, a MB W124 coupe like mine had got involved in an accident in the middle of Stoke a few years ago close to where i unloaded at the Cit garage, in black and a perfect well cared for example, the owner must have been gutted.

 

Only the driver in the car, and only the passenger airbag deployed.

 

I was a heinous banger racer in me misspent youth, considering the bashing involved the only real damage (well mentally is open to discussion) was done when  striking the scaffold roll cage.

 

Don't recall any whiplash claims then either.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Agree with those who say Bluetooth is worth it. I got a bluetooth head unit and I love how the car's ignition switch pauses/resumes content on the phone in my pocket. 

 

It was my understanding that once FM is turned off, they can up the power on DAB and also the stations can spend a more on bandwidth to get more than the quite muddy compressed sound.

FM's not going anywhere, at least not for a generation. The DAB switch over date's been postponed indefinitely, and despite being available for almost 20 years and heavily promoted FM is still dominant. DAB radios are still energy hungry, inflexible, expensive things, and if the future really is music stations broadcasting in 64kbps mono using an audio codec that Charles Babbage dismissed as 'too old' for encoding the ringtones on his Difference Engine then we should shut down all the transmitters and hand the frequencies over to the mobile phone companies.

 

(sorry, I spent a lot of money buying into DAB before it turned out to be shite)

[gordonbennet]

I can't see FM being turned off for a long time, most commercial radio stations would have to shut up shop, no listeners equals no banal adverts, equals redundancies and loss of tax revenues, no chance IMO.

 

Buggered if i could listen to propaganda from the state broadcaster all day long.

[Richard]

Wasn't there talk of shutting down the DAB transmitters instead?

 

I like my DAB radio, but mostly for the content.

[Pillock]

Most commercial stations broadcast on DAB right now alongside FM, the only difference being they're often a national station instead of regional (Gem106 used to be east Midlands only, Planet Rock was Birmingham - both national on DAB).

 

It does however sound absolutely terrible.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

The idea of DAB is sound, and I was very keen on it when it was new. Keen enough to buy some very expensive radios! Choosing stations from a list of names is a great idea, and the potential for interesting new stations was even better. 

 

Of course, the interesting niche stations turned into more of the same. The quality decreased (seriously, Absolute 80s/90s Jazz FM, Kiss and Planet Rock are in mono LOL). The portable DAB radios are still the size of a pack of cigarettes while FM is built into everything. Internet streaming offers a better choice at higher quality in the home, and FM is still more than sufficient in the car. 

 

We should forget about digital radio and pour all that money and effort into improving 3G/4G coverage. 

[PhilA]

Instead of fighting over the terrestrial AM/FM bands, here we went to satellite. I have satellite radio in my vehicles. The quality is really very good, certainly a heck of a lot better than DAB and best of all I can drive anywhere and still be listening to the same station (tunnels notwithstanding)

 

They even saw sense and took BBC Radio 1 of their listing because driving to work in the morning, listening to a live broadcast of jelly-chops blathering on to prep-school-kid wasn't what I wanted to wake up to.

 

I like my variable intermittent wipers also.

 

Phil

[Junkman]

I am of the opinion that the digital radio is a necessity in a modern car.

 

Why?

The majority of the cars I've owned over the past 30+ years usually came with a rectangular hole puking wires, and in the rare cases they actually contained a radio, I don't even know whether they worked, because I never switch them on.

 

If I'm passenger in a car with the radio switched on, the very first thing I do is switch it off.

[Cavcraft]

Don't ask me for a lift then, as the 2nd thing you'll be doing is getting straight back out again!

[Station]

Anything with that brushed aluminium plastic on the interior.

[Albert Ross]

OK, those thinking I'm mad to consider replacing all my airbags at 10 years old as part of the service schedule. You go out at night, and on the journey home, in an 11 year old Minicab, there is a collision, and your personal airbag does NOT deploy, and you (during your Solicitor's findings being revealed) discover that the airbags are the originals, which should have been replaced 1 year ago. You are badly injured, enough to put you off work, but not life changing. It is deemed that the airbag NOT deploying has contributed to your injuries, and that you should have been protected. Do you sue the Taxi firm? The owner driver? Do you think "Ah, that's fine, Ill put up with the limp and 6 months sick pay"..... ??? Do you sue the Council, for not checking that the vehicle had been maintained correctly, prior to issuing an operating licence? It is the DUTY of the vehicle owner to ensure the vehicle is maintained correctly. It is the duty of the driver, to verify with the owner, that maintenance has been carried out, and the vehicle is roadworthy prior to using it (including a quick lights/tyre check before use ideally) If the owner is the driver, then that's a simple case of an Annual service and MOT. If the garage carrying out the service fails to inform you of the need to replace the airbags, is that THEIR fault? Likely, even IF the information required to have knowledge of the schedule is stuck all over the door pillars (Volvo I'm looking at you here) Wait for this one to happen.... because the necessary structure to support any claim in the (non) event of an airbag being defunct is already in place... Anyone who removes fuses/wiring/bulbs to get them through MOT should also take notice... Think of the repercussions of any skulduggery prior to acting. I might come across as rather anal, but it's in my nature to be that way. That's why I make a good MOT Tester. I go by the book. Minimum standard for MOT, best standard for servicing and tyres.

[PhilA]

Also goes for explosive-charge seatbelt pre-tensioners, I think.

 

After ten years, are the spares still carried by the dealership? And have those ones been sat on the shelf for ten years also?

 

Phil

[Albert Ross]

Never sat on a shelf at a dealer, normally "to-order" only. All such items are time sensitive, and if ordered, must have prior permission to return them, unopened, for partial credit generally, (called a handling charge) Timing belts are also a time sensitive part, but a relatively fast mover in comparison. I shall be enquiring with Volvo in the next 3-6 months as to the cost of "re-bagging" my V50, seeing as the first ones are now approaching 10 years old.

[Asimo]

Are airbags really lifed at ten years? If so, why is the "best before date" not part of the MOT?

 

Nothing in my car's handbook to tell me that. Nothing in the service schedule. No stickers. Nothing in the brochure describing what the original purchaser was buying or in the bill of sale.

 

It will be ten years old in a few months. Will I get notified by the recall system that my car has time expired?

[r.welfare]

I seem to recall Danny Hopkins from Practical Classics having a prang in his XJ6 and finding that Jag recommended (in 1994) that the 'bags should be replaced after 15 years. I believe he then asked other manufacturers, of which most stated they are 'designed to last the life of the vehicle' - which is about seven years if you listen to Honest John.

[alf892]

OK, those thinking I'm mad to consider replacing all my airbags at 10 years old as part of the service schedule. You go out at night, and on the journey home, in an 11 year old Minicab, there is a collision, and your personal airbag does NOT deploy, and you (during your Solicitor's findings being revealed) discover that the airbags are the originals, which should have been replaced 1 year ago. You are badly injured, enough to put you off work, but not life changing. It is deemed that the airbag NOT deploying has contributed to your injuries, and that you should have been protected. Do you sue the Taxi firm? The owner driver? Do you think "Ah, that's fine, Ill put up with the limp and 6 months sick pay"..... ??? Do you sue the Council, for not checking that the vehicle had been maintained correctly, prior to issuing an operating licence? It is the DUTY of the vehicle owner to ensure the vehicle is maintained correctly. It is the duty of the driver, to verify with the owner, that maintenance has been carried out, and the vehicle is roadworthy prior to using it (including a quick lights/tyre check before use ideally) If the owner is the driver, then that's a simple case of an Annual service and MOT. If the garage carrying out the service fails to inform you of the need to replace the airbags, is that THEIR fault? Likely, even IF the information required to have knowledge of the schedule is stuck all over the door pillars (Volvo I'm looking at you here) Wait for this one to happen.... because the necessary structure to support any claim in the (non) event of an airbag being defunct is already in place... Anyone who removes fuses/wiring/bulbs to get them through MOT should also take notice... Think of the repercussions of any skulduggery prior to acting. I might come across as rather anal, but it's in my nature to be that way. That's why I make a good MOT Tester. I go by the book. Minimum standard for MOT, best standard for servicing and tyres.

[Richard]

I've definitely seen an airbag expiry date sticker in one of my cars, either the first Xantia or the 940 I think.

[alf892]

dunno what happened there!

 

All i wanted to put was i have seen stcker on mrs alf's aldi about replace after ten years.........obvs the dealers are going to sing the same song.

[dollywobbler]

Stuff that.

The MicraShed is 15 years old now with one solitary airbag and no fault light, the C8 is 8 years old with shitloads of air bags and they aint getting replaced in 2 years.

The only two things on the C8 that are problematic or will be if they go FUBAR are the rear automatic sliding doors and the EGR valve.

 

I like your positive thinking. A friend has bought a C8 and it has so far been far from plain sailing. The word 'niggly' seems apt.

 

IIRC, Practical Classics found out that actually, airbags DON'T need replacing. They started pushing manufacturers for answers on 20-year old stuff.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I like your positive thinking. A friend has bought a C8 and it has so far been far from plain sailing. The word 'niggly' seems apt.

 

IIRC, Practical Classics found out that actually, airbags DON'T need replacing. They started pushing manufacturers for answers on 20-year old stuff.

 

I think it was always a case of arse-covering on a relatively new safety technology. 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8078919/Out-of-date-airbags-should-not-need-replacing.html

 

 

However, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has toldTelegraph Motoring that the service requirement had been "totally phased out" because airbags had stood the test of time, and were intended to last the lifetime of a car, unless damaged, without the need for servicing.

[Hendry]

Surely that's what the airbag fault like on the dash is for? So if it comes on you know there's a fault, you get it fixed, if no fault like occurs then your airbag will still work, I know from working in dealers that's what I was told by the techs, the airbag can tell if it has a fault and puts the light on to warn you it won't fire in an accident, if it stays off there's no fault and hence the bag will fire.

 

If airbags don't work after 10 years and it becomes mandatory to have working ones meaning replacement, that's surely going to be more than most cars are worth at that age meaning the definite end for autoshite in 10 years time when all the current 2014 cars with upwards of 6 airbags reach ten and need 6 new ones and at a cost of at a guess £300 each plus labour at a dealers at £75 and hour.

 

Also using Albert Ross' argument about mini cabs and airbags no firing leaving you with long term health issues, what about if the cab is say a Y reg Vectra or 406 with only 2 airbags in the steering wheel and dash, no side or curtain ones, you are going to end up in that situation anyway, what are they going to do, make all councils only plate taxis with at least side and curtain airbags, doubt that will happen. Or what if someone is a passenger in your mk3 Cav/Sierra with no airbags for protection at all, they are going to end up just as badly injured as they would in a modern (if not even more so because of no crumple zones, side impact beams, thicker doors etc) with inoperative airbags, they can't sue you for not having a car fitted with them so how will it stand up they they can sue you if one doesn't fire, as someone has already said, in some instances the airbag doesn't fire anyway so it's a complete grey area, someone drove into the side of my Astra mk5 with side and curtain airbags (7year old car) at a fair whack and I fucked my knee but the airbags didn't fire.

 

Btw, DAB is pish IMO, I drive fairly flashy cars at work e.g. audi A6/Q7, X5s etc fitted with factory DAB and always try to listen to absolute 80s or the DAB equivalents of my local FM stations (Real and Clyde 1) driving say from Carlisle to. Glasgow etc and they constantly lose signal and go silent anyway, thought the point was to be able to listen to these digital stations anywhere (obviously not tunnels etc) so not impressed

[PhilA]

All the vehicles I've owned that have been fitted with the things have had it in the manual that they have a ten-year life.

 

Even my '96 Cinquecento did.

 

On that subject, I've noticed that the handbooks that have come with my American vehicles have been much more down-to-earth, rather than the UK variants that suggest at the slightest hint of a tyre that may need air or a burned fuse that you should park the car where it is, surround it with triangles and hand your wallet to the recovery truck driver and insist on it being taken away to a dealership.

 

Here, my manual has an entire section in it on "maintenance", which includes information about wheel alignment, how to change every lightbulb including ones in the dash, hire to change the auxiliary belt, sensible information, like suggestions on how to drive it in the snow and not burn up the engine or transmission.

 

It's like they recognize it's just a machine and people still, in some cases, have a desire to fix it so they may as well include common stuff in the book that comes with it.

 

Sure, it may burn up the ECU and leave me stranded at the side of the road but I've also been stranded at the side of the road plenty more by my old snotters than I have any of my newer vehicles, usually by simple(ish) faults and failures.

 

Phil

[crapcarcollector]

OK, those thinking I'm mad to consider replacing all my airbags at 10 years old as part of the service schedule. You go out at night, and on the journey home, in an 11 year old Minicab, there is a collision, and your personal airbag does NOT deploy, and you (during your Solicitor's findings being revealed) discover that the airbags are the originals, which should have been replaced 1 year ago. You are badly injured, enough to put you off work, but not life changing. It is deemed that the airbag NOT deploying has contributed to your injuries, and that you should have been protected. Do you sue the Taxi firm? The owner driver? Do you think "Ah, that's fine, Ill put up with the limp and 6 months sick pay"..... ??? Do you sue the Council, for not checking that the vehicle had been maintained correctly, prior to issuing an operating licence? It is the DUTY of the vehicle owner to ensure the vehicle is maintained correctly. It is the duty of the driver, to verify with the owner, that maintenance has been carried out, and the vehicle is roadworthy prior to using it (including a quick lights/tyre check before use ideally) If the owner is the driver, then that's a simple case of an Annual service and MOT. If the garage carrying out the service fails to inform you of the need to replace the airbags, is that THEIR fault? Likely, even IF the information required to have knowledge of the schedule is stuck all over the door pillars (Volvo I'm looking at you here) Wait for this one to happen.... because the necessary structure to support any claim in the (non) event of an airbag being defunct is already in place... Anyone who removes fuses/wiring/bulbs to get them through MOT should also take notice... Think of the repercussions of any skulduggery prior to acting. I might come across as rather anal, but it's in my nature to be that way. That's why I make a good MOT Tester. I go by the book. Minimum standard for MOT, best standard for servicing and tyres.

What have your airbags and that in the mythical taxi story got to do with one another?

 

You said, a passenger could sue a driver if their airbag didn't go off and I asked you to cite that. I asked that because then I wouldn't carry another passenger in my car which is 13 yrs old and still stuffed with original airbags.

 

My car passes it's MOT every year and is well maintained (down to the matching branded tyres it wears) so I don't take a cavalier attitude to safety but I'm fucked if I'm spending money on replacing airbags that don't need replacing.

 

Personally I think you are talking out if your arse, never mind being anal.

 

 

Sent from my Nokia 3310 using the force.

[Felly Magic]

I think the point he's making is, that after a time the explosive charge may actually break down, thus in an impact, it simply will fail to deploy. There is no way to test of the charge is still 'good' either. One thing that does piss me off though, electric windows, every car I've had, they've all been troublesome.

[Mr Lobster]

My SEAT is ten years old this year. It doesn't mention anything in the handbook about replacing airbags at ten years old and as to the best of my knowledge there's nothing wrong with them there's no way on this earth I'd be replacing them.

[chaseracer]

I also choose to gainsay Albert on the airbag issue, though I will acknowledge his professional expertise and phrase my disagreement with care.  

 

This decision is less to do with the fact that two of my three shitters have a grand total of zero exploding cushions between them, and more to do with my refusal (as my half-century fills the horizon) to continue to live my life worrying OMGIMITEDAI...

 

[Cavcraft]

Sounds like another scare story/way of screwing cars owners a bit more. They can go and f*ck themselves, I won't be checking for or replacing any out of date airbags.

[Mr Livered]

Oh for fucks sake. How did the human race ever survive before airbags?

 

Discussions about liability and suing people are bloody depressing. Perhaps people should just look after their cars, drive with care, then man the fuck up and drive the fucking car.

[Junkman]

One thing that does piss me off though, electric windows, every car I've had, they've all been troublesome.

 

Yeah, same with manual windows. The only ones that are fairly fail-safe are the front ones of the 2CV.

[Albert Ross]

And you've all picked up on separate issues to do with what I wrote. It's all conjecture, of course.  But think about the bigger picture. There we all are, in our "forced upon us" technically modern cars, and all of a sudden, someone slams into our side at a junction. Yes, it has an MOT (Note, minimum standard still gains a pass) and has been serviced by Kev at the local garage. Now if someone's insurance company wants to get titsy about it, the COULD check the maintenance history of the car, and see that the airbags are overage, (above what the manufacturer recommends, NOT law) and consider the owner of the vehicle liable for the extra injuries caused by the failure of the airbag, it being past it's lifetime, as clearly indicated when they enter/exit the vehicle.... (Go look at a newer Volvo.. you'll see what I mean) Nothing WRONG has been done, yet we would still be liable.... it's called a duty of care.