it was bound to happen

[Coventrysucks]

Are there really chemicals involved that are dangerous enough to cause burning?

I shouldn't think so.

IIRC the airbag is set off with a small explosive charge, and then filled with compressed nitrogen, very quickly.

I would guess that the burns are caused by friction from the bag, or, a slim-possibility, from the heat of the expanding gas.

Why not ask at a BMW dealer? They should know how they are activated - i.e. g-forces, pressure sensors, and what speed etc they should deploy.

It could be that the tow bar went through the bumper and hit something fairly hard, but the overall impact was softened by the bumper hitting the back of the van, so the brain of the car was tricked into thinking the impact was more violent than it was.

It could also be because seat belts aren't a legal requirement for drivers in the USA, the airbag has to act as a Primary Restraint, so even at low speed impacts they may be set to deploy to keep stupid, seat belt-less people from headbutting the windscreen/ getting a steering wheel print embossed on their chest.

[drakkie]

I shouldn't think so.

IIRC the airbag is set off with a small explosive charge, and then filled with compressed nitrogen, very quickly.

almost correct a tiny spark is given,thus starting a reaction in which Nitrogen is one of the products that come out of it.

2 NaN3 --> 2Na+ and 3N2

[Timothy (in VA)]

It could also be because seat belts aren't a legal requirement for drivers in the USA, the airbag has to act as a Primary Restraint, so even at low speed impacts they may be set to deploy to keep stupid, seat belt-less people from headbutting the windscreen/ getting a steering wheel print embossed on their chest.

Seat belts are required by law in 49 of the 50 states (I think New Hampshire is the exception), although it is true that plenty of people choose not to use them, or don't use them properly.

[johnnyperl]

It could also be because seat belts aren't a legal requirement for drivers in the USA...

Yes they are!!

...from the heat of the expanding gas.

Gas cools when it expands but i think your point is correct.

...so the brain of the car was tricked into thinking the impact was more violent than it was.

You can't "trick" the computer. The sensors are designed to measure to intensity of the impact and they are completely unaware of how it happens. Hitting the hard bumper and hitch will have made the impact more intense because the van absorbed less energy.

[Vindesh17]

sorry to hear about that man, same thing happened to me also but I was in the family van('02 Pontiac Montana). I didnt realize that the van infront of me didnt move off and I was already close and not paying attention, I took my foot off the brake and noticed she didnt move and then I was wondering the reason she wasnt moving was because I hit her. When I got out to check, there was absolutely no damage on either van but I definitely hit her, not even a scratch, so I got off lucky.

[Radoman]

Sucks, eh. I once made that mistake, too, only I was with my cousin and friend. Fortunately I was in my trusty old beater fox, but the lady ahead of me wasn't too pleased.

The second time this happened wasn't completely my fault. Some dude came flying around the corner out of nowhere (we were facing downhill) and the person turning ahead of me had to stop quickly... and let me plow into the back of her Toyota. Once again, beater fox

Ah well.

[cmcpokey]

well, doc checked me out. 1st degree burn on my left wrist, and 2nd degree on my right wrist. the car is at the shop and it will be a min of 4 weeks to complete. 7 days of work time is all they need, but they have a full lot of cars in line ahead of me needing to be fixed. and its not always easy to get parts from mini apparently. either way, im calling up insurance today and getting it in the pipeline to be completed. in its place we got a kia spectra rental which my wife is driving, and i am driving her nissan frontier. all in all things could be much worse than thy are.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

Well it's good to hear that the burns aren't too serious (in need of skin grafts?) and that you've at least got an ETA for MINI return.

[Zondaboy1]

well that really sucks cmc... sorry to hear it

[cmcpokey]

thanks for the support.. should be back in action in about 3-4 weeks. burs shoudl be healed by then. right now they just hurt. got to see under the hood and it is all pretty much in place. tha A/C condenser needs to be replaced, as well as a radiator. the big money comes from the airbags/dash/stering wheel assemblies. lots of cash there. totaled up tp $5186.45 including labor. thank god for insurance.

[IBrake4Rainbows]

^Above Figure = OMG! How much does a Mini retail in the US? $15,000?

good to see works begun and your on the mend.

[UCR]

hahaha

[cmcpokey]

^Above Figure = OMG! How much does a Mini retail in the US? $15,000?

good to see works begun and your on the mend.

i paid 25k for mine, just about fully loaded. i dont have nav, r heated seats, but i have everything else.

[h00t_h00t]

You can't "trick" the computer. The sensors are designed to measure to intensity of the impact and they are completely unaware of how it happens. Hitting the hard bumper and hitch will have made the impact more intense because the van absorbed less energy.

You can trick the computer very easily, if the tow bar hit a hard part of the car right by a sensor the vibration caused would send information that looks like a severe decceleration followed by extreme acceleration. When you confuse an airbag ECU they either do nothing or fire EVERYTHING.

[clutch-monkey]

You can trick the computer very easily, if the tow bar hit a hard part of the car right by a sensor the vibration caused would send information that looks like a severe decceleration followed by extreme acceleration. When you confuse an airbag ECU they either do nothing or fire EVERYTHING.

i remember the fifth gear episode where he hit a pothole in a DB9 volante, and the roll bar hoop thingy's deployed