va122

Hi,

I was just reading the racing forum and someone was talking about shuffle steering at DEs in case the airbag goes off.

I'm now concerned about a high speed impact while crossed up wearing a helmet hans harness etc and having the stock steering wheel and AIRBAG as I use the GT3 for practice when my race car is at the shop I use for track support between races.

I haven't gotten around to getting the cup wheel as I am prohibited from modifying the gt3 whilst racing the M3 (I'm newly married and she has just discovered what racing costs )


Can you deactivate the airbag? Like a switch or something?

LVDell

Just remove the airbag! If you do not want to do that then remove the airbag, disconnect the plug, then re-install it unplugged.

I am sure the ONLY way to deactivate while connected is through a PST2/PIWIS.

va122

I know you did it Dell, How?

DanH

Doesn't it only activate if the seatbelt is plugged in? Thought that was why there was a wire to the seatbelt socket.

LVDell

Just unplugged it, that's all.

va122

Where is the plug?

LVDell

Right behind the airbag. It's the yellow plug in the picture that just disconnects from the back of the airbag. You could just remove the airbag for track events and then re-attach it for street driving (IIRC, it's only 2 torx screws to remove and one connector). Only thing to remember is that you will get an "airbag light" and it will have to be reset every time you want it to go away since it is only resettable by a PST2/PIWIS/Durametric. I don't even notice the airbag light anymore. Another solution is to place a small pice of black electrical tape over the airbag light

...and yet another solution might be to remove a fuse but cannot comment on that as I have no idea if there is a fuse for the drivers airbag and personally I would rather just disconnect the bag.

....and yet another solution is to have a "friendly" dealer disable it for you with the PST2/PIWIS which my guess would be very hard to convince most dealers to do.

LA964RS

Why do you want to deactive the airbag for the track. Probably place you'll most likely need it...even if you've got a Hanns device, you'd be surprised how far those belts stretch.

EricGT3

Unfortunately, I have first hand experience with this. Your harnesses should hold you from reaching the airbag. They have some give, but you should not get all the way to the airbag. However, I'm not sure how much they may give if you're involved in a very high speed situation. But on the other hand, wouldn't you want the airbags deployed just in case something goes wrong with the harnesses.

LVDell

An airbag does NOT work the same way with harnesses that your standard 3-pt belt works. The airbag is part of a restraint system engineered for the street, not the track. The manner in which the bag deploys is not something that you can change for street and track. When an airbag deploys it is setup based upon impact force, etc., and then "explodes" in something like 40ms and then deflates. You reaching the airbag in the same way with 6pts, HANS, etc., that you would with the 3pt is not going to be the same nor is the time it takes to reach the airbag. Further, the forces it takes to set off an airbag in the street is a level of force that your 6pts, HANS, etc., protect you from. In short, it is not needed not protective the way you might think it would be.

va122

Forgot to say thanks Dell. Sorry about that

LVDell

Very welcome!
....no need to apologize

XLR8N-FAN

Just bump the GT3 into your wife's Jeep at around 10 mph. That'll take care of that pesky airbag....