How to replace passenger seat airbag from Sport Alcantra / leather seat?

mhj786

mhj786

Member
I am tackling one of the very last jobs left on my 'repair list' to bring, what was destined for the breakers, a very tired Audi A2 ATL 90, 5 seater (136K) with half alcantra / leather seats back into what I hope to be a reliable daily runner. The car has had a number of faults fixed and will be heading for it's first MOT under my ownership next month but wanted to fix the Airbag light on the dash! The previous owner managed to bend the rear axle, deploy the passenger seat airbag and cracked the windscreen when running over a kerb at what he claimed was about 25 mph.

Over the last 5 months the car has received a considerable amount of TLC.... a new windscreen, a reconditioned rear axle, upgraded door check straps, suspension work (new coilover kit which are TUF approved), new droplinks, new brakes and discs all round, cruise control retrofit and an oil service, a new thermostat (an absolute pig of a job, by not moving the alternator and fabricating a custom spanner to loosen and tighten the notorious lower bolt on the thermostat housing). Full wheel alignment and very soon will be sitting on Dunlop winter tyres 185 60 15 on pepperpots. However, one of very last jobs on my list is to replace the 'spent' airbag in the passenger seat. I have taken the seat out of the car but not sure how the 'plastic back insert with netting' releases from the chair back. Any advise? I have searched on the forum but could not find any posts relating to this. The replacement seat airbag has 3 metal studs so I guess these will bolt directly on the chair frame. But how can I access this?
The final job will be a deep clean and ceramic coating and then hope to upload some before and after photos of the repair journey.
 

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I've been inside a seat with a netting back before. From memory the insert pulls out slightly at the bottom, then there is a rubber edge to the surrounding seat material which is folded through 90 degrees and pushed into a groove on the plastic of the insert. Start prising it out from both sides of at the bottom of the insert with a flat-bladed screwdriver.

You may also have to get the headrest tubes out to get far enough in to get at the nuts for the airbag. To release them they need a tab pushing slightly outwards with something like a thin electricians screwdriver down the tube.

When you get to the airbag nuts, a 10mm 1/4" socket with an extension and a universal joint worked for me. Then you've got to follow and undo the current airbag wiring down under the base, while leaving the lumbar side of the loom alone. Refit is the reverse of removal, as the saying goes.

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Edit: changed the wording regarding the headrest tube to avoid confusion. I originally said inward to mean 'into the seat body', but it's outward from the point of view of the screwdriver down the tube.
 
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Thanks guys, excellent support, I got there in the end, not something I would like to do again. Unfortunately not the correct shade of grey as the original but at least the dam airbag warning light is out! The car should now be able to pass it's MOT. Thanks once again. p.s the picture is before I secured the seat screws down as had to check if the airbag warning would out after the resetting of error codes!.
 

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Good Evening,

Well done.

You can always deal with the colour in the future when you have recovered, it will only take a fraction of the time now you know what you are doing. I am sure given time our in-house breakers on here could provide the correct colour costing very little.

Andy
 
mhj786 said:
Thanks guys, excellent support, I got there in the end, not something I would like to do again. Unfortunately not the correct shade of grey as the original but at least the dam airbag warning light is out! The car should now be able to pass it's MOT. Thanks once again. p.s the picture is before I secured the seat screws down as had to check if the airbag warning would out after the resetting of error codes!.
Click to expand...
So you’ve got some lovely and rare platinum grey half leather, half alcantara seats - I bought Akoya just to secure a set! - you’ve used a swing grey airbag.

I have to say, the contrast looks very modern and actually aesthetically pleasing to my eyes.
 
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