replacing steering wheel airbag on slk

[slksimon]

hi there,we have an 08 200 slk which has had a light shunt at the front,the steering wheel airbag has been deployed,and the car has been written off. I can buy the car back and am very confident i can repair the bodywork easy enough,it is very light damage,but am concerned about replacing the airbag, can you use a second hand one?has anyone any idea of the cost of the replacement and what is involved?many thanks simon.

 

[whitenemesis]

Replacing the airbag is quite straight forward, not sure I'd trust a second hand one though.

You may also need to replace the impact sensors/crash detectors

 

[Xtractorfan]

You can fit a secondhand airbag.. just make sure that the battery is disconnected before fitting it, there should be no problems with actuators , but you may have to replace the seat belt tensioners as they will have deployed as well.. once you have fitted the airbag.. get the car checked on a star machine and the airbag light cancelled .. then start the car with doors closed window down and outside the vehicle arm in thru the open window .. just in case .. then check that airbag light stays out and all is good to go..
Also check your bonnet hinges on the 08 model to make sure they are ok as newer models have tensioners fitted as well to stop bonnets slicing thru windows in a shunt, and for pedestrian safety .. The MB ones can be reset if only a minor shunt ..most other makes have to be replaced

 

[whitenemesis]

Would one also need to get the steering column checked, might have collapsed slightly?

Tracking and geometry would need checking

 

[television]

You must get one of the same make that came out as they must all match.

Fit it and have the SRS lamp turned of on STAR, if all good then fine, if not STAR will say where the fault is.

I would not bother to have the steering column checked if the suspension and steering where not damaged

 

[whitenemesis]

Presumably the OP will have to get an engineers report on the repaired car, as it has been written off, so hopefully that would capture anything missed...

 

[television]

One here being broken
http://forums.mercedesclub.org.uk/showpost.php?p=954447&postcount=1

 

[slksimon]

what sensors am i likely to have to replace?or can they simply be reset? thanks simon.

 

[whitenemesis]

I only mentioned them to spark the consideration that there may be more to do than is immediately obvious.
A quick word with your dealer or a crash repair centre would give some insight?

 

[television]

what sensors am i likely to have to replace?or can they simply be reset? thanks simon.

I would get a STAR test done with a good indie, there is a good chance that nothing much will be needed, you can drive it without the SRS activated