Anyone ever attempt to install airbags? Is it possible?

I think front airbags would be fairly simple, I dont know anything about the system, but it seems that you would just need an airbag steering wheel, and one that would fit the passenger map pocket area. Place the impact sensors as required and wire it up. Not a bad Idea !

Air bags also beploy off of how fast your going and thats determened by the ECU I beleave.

I’m no automotive engineer but I think it would be very complicated and dangerous. I would think that most airbag systems are specifically designed for 1 vehicle. Taking that system out of 1 car and putting it into another would seem to be more dangerous than not having one to begin with. Just think of the size of the airbag, if it’s too big it might kill you, not big enough and it’s be useless. Lets just say you use a Cadillac CTS airbag it would probably take your head off. Plus the system is designed for the car it’s in to go off if the car is hit in such a way with a calculated force for that car. Putting it in a Fiero it might go off too easily or not when it should. You wouldn’t want to be cruzin down the street and have if go off when you hit a speed bump or if some ass bumps you in a parking lot. Just my too cents though, I have thought the same thing before.

quote Originally posted by DLCLK87GT: I’m no automotive engineer but I think it would be very complicated and dangerous. I would think that most airbag systems are specifically designed for 1 vehicle. Taking that system out of 1 car and putting it into another would seem to be more dangerous than not having one to begin with. Just think of the size of the airbag, if it’s too big it might kill you, not big enough and it’s be useless. Lets just say you use a Cadillac CTS airbag it would probably take your head off. Plus the system is designed for the car it’s in to go off if the car is hit in such a way with a calculated force for that car. Putting it in a Fiero it might go off too easily or not when it should. You wouldn’t want to be cruzin down the street and have if go off when you hit a speed bump or if some ass bumps you in a parking lot. Just my too cents though, I have thought the same thing before.

Thanks for the insight. I just wondered with all the modifications we do on our cars why hasn't someone do e the airbag system. Now I know why.

Like i said, i thought about it before too. I was sitting in mine in the driveway next to my wifes H3 and my F150. i was wondering if while in either of those two in traffic if you could even see it! Hell, even my sons Focus is bigger! Then i started thinking about all the even larger SUV's on the road and how small the Fiero was and how to make it safer and too bad it didn't have antilocks or airbags or this or that....i wish it was as simple as yanking it out of one car and sticking it into another but i don't think so.

Honestly, if you really look at the way the Fiero's cabin is laid out, you REALLY don't want an airbag anyway. First off, you already sit pretty far back so there's a very miniscule chance that you're going to hit the dash, especially with passengers whom have like room all the way 'till next week before they come into contact with the dash. Second, you already reside near in the center of gravity of the vehicle. It's not the same as driving a vehicle with a FWD layout. Yeah you will get thrown about a bit, but it's not going to be as bad say if you were driving something like a Cavalier or Corolla and crashed in the same manner.

Another problem is as what's been said above. Air bags are tailored for the vehicle they are placed in. Some when they inflate are designed to "suck you in". Others are designed to "hold you in place" or "deviate" you to move a certain way (say to compliment side air bags). If you simply put any bags in the vehicle and they were meant for a specific purpose, it could potentially be deadly. Say for instance you had a bag that is supposed to supplement a side air bag and you are hit at an angle on the passenger side and you have a passenger occupant. The bag would deploy, but because there is no side bag your passenger would likely be propelled forward and possibly hit the HVAC vent protrusion near the front of the door. That could potentially be incredibly deadly, as opposed to simply being held by a belt restraint.

quote Originally posted by DLCLK87GT: Like i said, i thought about it before too. I was sitting in mine in the driveway next to my wifes H3 and my F150. i was wondering if while in either of those two in traffic if you could even see it! Hell, even my sons Focus is bigger! Then i started thinking about all the even larger SUV's on the road and how small the Fiero was and how to make it safer and too bad it didn't have antilocks or airbags or this or that....i wish it was as simple as yanking it out of one car and sticking it into another but i don't think so.

I agree, I don't think it would be feasible for reasons already stated. Speed, force and angle of deployment as well as size of the airbag are all vehicle dependant and supposed to be heavily researched and tested/calculated to find the right combination of each. I think that built in crumple zone considerations, such as the Fiero doesn't have AFAIK, would also go into designing and implementing a proper air bag.

Now, if someone with the time/money/resources would want to design an air bag specifically for the Fiero.....? But I think that would be severely cost prohibitive. That plus the fact of the untold numbers of Fiero's that would have to be crash tested.... I don't think I could stand to see that many Fiero's deliberately crashed, even in the name of safety, when there are scads of people that will testament to the safety of this particular vehicle anyway.... amiright?

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It is very complicated. The latest systems also use sensors in the seat to adjust the charge to the occupants weight. A home brew system could easily cause more injuries than the impact itself. Don't forget early systems were known to decapitate children. Nothing I'd want to play with.-Ken

quote Originally posted by KN16: It is very complicated. The latest systems also use sensors in the seat to adjust the charge to the occupants weight. A home brew system could easily cause more injuries than the impact itself. Don't forget early systems were known to decapitate children. Nothing I'd want to play with.-Ken

You guys give Detroit a little more credit than they deserve. The 90s airbags systems like on the Firebird are primitive. I agree it would be dangerous and probably cause more harm than it prevents, but the system itself is not that complicated.

I have an airbag steering wheel in my Fiero. The only thing needed to hook it up is the slip ring in the steering column, (which I plan to install someday to get the steering wheel controls) and the only other component is a motion sensor in the console about the size of an alarm system motion sensor. That's it. That's all there is. No connection to anything else, there are no weight sensors or any other connection to the car.

It wouldn't be impossible to retrofit...

If you have to ask, you're not anywhere near qualified to do it.