Anybody experts on Toyota airbags and seat belt tensioners?

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Cuda68Scott

Cuda68Scott

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My son-in-law who lives in Africa recently purchased a 2012 RAV4 that had been in an accident where some of the seat belts are no longer functioning. Doing some research I have discovered these newer cars have little explosives in the seat belt tensioners that go off during an accident that pull the belt back. After an accident these belt tensioners must be replaced or repaired. He cannot get replacements for several months due to his remote location and is planning to install some used belts out of an older Land Cruiser to get him by.

His airbag light is on, and I understand it is likely due to the bad seat belt tensioners, as they are integrated electronically with the SRS airbag system, and they will throw a code. The question he has is if the airbags are still functional if they did not go off in the accident, or is there something that shuts them off after an accident? Anybody have any thoughts?
 
If the air bags did not deploy, they will be functional once the malfunction indicator light is turned off. As for now, they are disabled.
 
If the airbag light is on, they will not deploy.
I'm not 100% about Toyota's but once the pre-tensioner's are installed, the air bag module may need to be re-flashed or re-set. Until that is done, the light will not go out and the entire system is inactive.
The next question I would ask is, if the car was in an accident, did the air bag deploy? If so, was the clock spring replaced also?
Not sure what your son's situation is in Africa but, if he's not concerned about the SRS system, I'd bolt the other seat belts in and go. Something is better than nothing.
Regardless, as it is, nothing in the SRS system is functioning.
 
gunbunny said:
If the airbag light is on, they will not deploy.
I'm not 100% about Toyota's but once the pre-tensioner's are installed, the air bag module may need to be re-flashed or re-set. Until that is done, the light will not go out and the entire system is inactive.
The next question I would ask is, if the car was in an accident, did the air bag deploy? If so, was the clock spring replaced also?
Not sure what your son's situation is in Africa but, if he's not concerned about the SRS system, I'd bolt the other seat belts in and go. Something is better than nothing.
Regardless, as it is, nothing in the SRS system is functioning.
Click to expand...

I was thinking along the same lines, get any seatbelts in there for the grandkids! Originally I was just going to order some replacement seat belt pretensioners and get them to a friend who will be flying over there in a few weeks. That’s when I learned that airlines prohibit them in luggage due to the explosives they contain and confirmed my ignorance in new car technology.

So buying a used car in a third world country is a crapshoot. I question if the airbags are even still in the car. Would a code reader tell him that?
 
That car also could have been rear ended, causing the belt pretensioners to pop off, hence no air bag deployment. Some Toyotas have an occupancy sensor under the front seats in such a case. If the car was rear ended, the occupancy sensor(s) might be needed and a dealer to flash them.
I work in a collision shop where we have the capability to do simple resets and scans. That one, however, we are not able to flash, so we send them to the dealer.
Was it in a frontal or rear accident?
 
clifftt said:
That car also could have been rear ended, causing the belt pretensioners to pop off, hence no air bag deployment. Some Toyotas have an occupancy sensor under the front seats in such a case. If the car was rear ended, the occupancy sensor(s) might be needed and a dealer to flash them.
I work in a collision shop where we have the capability to do simple resets and scans. That one, however, we are not able to flash, so we send them to the dealer.
Was it in a frontal or rear accident?
Click to expand...

I think the collision was on the front drivers fender mainly on the side. The drivers side belt pulls out but doesnt lock like it should. The rear belts are locked up. Passenger front belt is ok.
 
@Cuda68Scott
I had to get something for the shop today. I totally forgot about these guys.
MyAirBags.com
I've used them several times. They can re-set, repair the old pre-tensioners. They do decent work and won't rape you on price.
Contact them. They want your core, but usually the repaired part and cores pass each other in the mail.
 
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