Test aftermarket front seat covers with airbag deployment

[850oldschool]

From 2:00 on that feels like some of my car repairs this year

The parts cannon hadn't been invented yet so the poor guy had to throw them manually.

[Sveedy]

I was cracking up just watching Robert throwing things at it. That alone was worth the time spent.

[454cid]

I was cracking up just watching Robert throwing things at it. That alone was worth the time spent.

That was funny. I was not expecting that. I thought he'd trigger it electrically. I didn't know the seats had air bags in them. Is that all P80's such as my 96 850, or just S70s?

[abscate]

1995/6 models depending on market got SIPS including side air bags. Your 96 will have them.

Look down between the driver seat and the plastic trim, just near the knee area for the mechanical actuator. I think they also emboss SIPS into the rocker panel metal

[BEJinFbk]

Where are Adam and Jamie when ya need'em...?

[volvolugnut]

Unfortunately, wizechatmgr is right that unless there is some assurance the aftermarket seat materials and manufacturing are consistent, the test would not give the assurance wanted that all seat covers would be safe.
This was a great idea for a test, but a predicable product is needed.
volvolugnut

I want to revisit this post.
I do not want to discourage this test and recovering seats. I just wanted to point out there may be unexpected future results.

volvolugnut

[850oldschool]

Unfortunately, wizechatmgr is right that unless there is some assurance the aftermarket seat materials and manufacturing are consistent, the test would not give the assurance wanted that all seat covers would be safe.
This was a great idea for a test, but a predicable product is needed.
volvolugnut

I want to revisit this post.
I do not want to discourage this test and recovering seats. I just wanted to point out there may be unexpected future results.

volvolugnut

Are you guys really concerned about failure to deploy with that much explosive force behind the airbag? Or do you feel we should design a NHTSA compliant testing protocol?

[rrres]

Elwood supposedly uses lighter weight thread at the airbag seams (according to their installation instructions)

[volvolugnut]

Just pointing out there may be seat differences that will make results less than original equipment. If that unknown is acceptable to the end user, then proceed.
volvolugnut

[FireFox31]

Did any of you guys even watch the video I posted of Robert detonating one of those? That thing went off like a bomb. No combination of leather and thread is going to hold that thing back.

That video is where I got the idea from. I was initially afraid that the airbag might not punch through the cover, exploding seat material into someone's shoulder. After seeing Robert's video, I wanted to know if the airbag would deploy in the correct size, shape, place as designed for optimal protection.

The problem is if the aftermarket isn't being designed and built for the side deployment in mind, if not, then production variations could mean some are useful for the purpose and others could possibly not be -- possibly becoming more rather than less of a hazard.

You're unfortunately right. OEM Volvo seat covers would have consistent manufacturing but that's not a guarantee with aftermarket. A cover made a year later might use different thread. I'm uncomfortable recommending that a product is safe when I can't make a reasonable assurance that it always will be.

Also, it would be scientific and accurate to detonate an airbag in an OEM seat cover to compare the results. Might not be necessary, but it would set a baseline. Using an old, torn seat cover may skew the result since the tear would give before the stitching did. No, I don't want to use a nice OEM seat cover for the experiment, unless maybe it was damaged far from the airbag site. It may be enough to detonate one with no seat cover on to see its correct shape and location.