Irati Etxandi, mechanic, teaches how to repair one of the most common airbag failures.

Since 2006, it has been mandatory for vehicles manufactured in Europe to have at least one airbag system , and so in Spain too, although it is common for them to have several, especially the most modern cars .

For this reason, it's essential to periodically check these systems for any malfunctions. As in the case presented by mechanic Irati Etxandi in one of her latest videos uploaded to TikTok, she comes across a Volkswagen Touran with a faulty driver's front airbag , which is the airbag strap inside the steering wheel. She demonstrates the steps to follow to fix it.

How do you perform airbag failure repair?

First, Etxandi explains that you need to remove the steering wheel. To do this, remove the screws holding it in place and a couple of irons. He also unplugs all the cables connected to the steering wheel to begin replacing the airbag strap.

The mechanic then accesses the machine that displays the car's electronics to code the airbag . He then goes to the steering column, clicks on adaptations and adjustments to copy the module data and "paste it into the new module," says Irati Etxandi. Finally, he shows the broken airbag strap, replaces it with a new one, installs it, and assembles the steering wheel, now with no airbag faults .

When does a car's airbag activate?

A car's airbag is deployed when the vehicle's sensors detect sudden deceleration . At that instant, an electrical signal is sent to the airbag system, triggering the detonation of a small explosive charge. This explosion generates a gas that rapidly inflates the airbag.

Furthermore, the deployment of the airbags varies depending on the type of accident: frontal, side, rear, or rollover . This means that they don't all inflate at once, but only those necessary depending on the direction of impact. It's worth noting that the airbag deploys in approximately three milliseconds and does so at speeds close to 250 km/h , in the case of the airbags used in Europe.

Mandatory passive safety systems in cars

In addition to airbags, the most common types of equipment required in vehicles in our country are seat belts , both in the front and rear seats; headrests in all seats, if possible; and crumple zones .