Hi All,
Looking for some direction on the steps i need to take to removed the passenger door airbag form my (W203) 2006 C230 Mercedes. From my understanding i will have to disconnect the battery negative terminal for at least 30 min - 1 hour prior to removing the door airbag connector to ensure it does not go off in my face. Can someone please advised. My reason for doing this I have to replace my window regulator so have to removed the airbag first.

Also is there any undue affects to having the battery discounted for up to 2 hours while i under taken the work. I.e. will I have any issue with an car computer systems as a result of no power being supplied during this time. I.e. will i have recode my stereo, will there be any undue issues caused with my transmission software (believe the transducer plate get flashed with software when installed, will that still be retained following the battery power being removed?), etc. Also, i assume there will be no issue with the SRS warning light coming on if i undertake all the job prior to turning on the ignition?

I am hoping it does not require MB STAR system to undertake this job.

Thanks for your help in advance

 

You do not need to unplug the battery at all. Just make sure the key is out of the ignition. The airbag system is not energized at all when the car is off. Personally I recommend keeping the keys far away from the car until everything is reinstalled properly.

Do not turn the key while any of the airbags are unplugged. The airbags won't go off, but you will trigger a SRS code that a typical low end code reader cannot clear and will not go away by itself. Only the commercial grade readers (found at dealers and most indies) can clear it.

Do not puncture or drop or do anything stupid with the airbag while you have it removed. Unplugging the connectors is fine. Just make sure you understand how to reconnect them properly after the job is done.

Stick to the OEM rivets. They are way stronger than the aluminum ones found in most hardware stores. Yeah they're expensive at the dealer, but I wouldn't want to risk the airbag breaking loose when deploying.

When reassembling the door, remember to reinstall the foam sheet (vapour barrier) BEFORE reinstalling the airbag. Guess who had to rivet his airbag twice.

If you're taking the door apart anyways, you may want to look into the door lock pogo issue (failed lock actuator spring) which affected every early year W203 door. No idea if they fixed it by the time they built your car. Replacement springs can be found online. The thread should have a link or two as well.

 

Thanks very much for the information, you have been a real help.