MX-5 gets a bit over-protective. A guide to disabling the passenger airbag

Submitted by Jonathan on 6 January 2008 - 8:42pm

I'm delighted with the Mazda MX-5, it's a really fun car to drive and great value too, despite all the impracticalities of a two seater soft-top. My 4-year old nephew has also taken a great interest in it too, often asking to have a ride in it. Up until now this hasn't been possible because the passenger airbag on the Mk2 models doesn't have a control to disable the airbag so as to make it safe for children in child and booster seats. I've visited many a Mazda dealership and searched their website extensively to find a solution to this problem, which I know exists as there is after market 'kit' you can buy. Getting hold of the kit is a whole different story, so I shan't bore you with those details.

A Google search last night revealed this forum entry with details of how to disable the MX-5 passenger airbag. I'd Googled the same query several months ago but couldn't find any mention of a solution. A simple solution, which, after looking at the photographs, got me thinking how to improve that.

MX-5 passenger foot well to disable passenger airbag  passenger airbag connector MX-5 passenger foot well  inside an MX-5 passenger foot well.

(note: these are images from another MX-5)

The photographs show that the glovebox is removed, behind which is several wiring looms. Look for a yellow sheathed cable and connector. Simply disconnecting the connector disarms the passenger airbag, as reported on the dashboard by a flashing airbag warning light.

Since I don't want the hassle of removing the glovebox and pulling the plug connector apart each time I want to disable the airbag, I found an alternative solution.

It involves placing a key switch (ok, it needn't be a key operated switch but would ensure it wasn't accidentally enabled/disabled) on a piece of plastic just inside the top left part of the glove compartment. This means that it is concealed from view and there is no visible modification to the dashboard. I left the yellow connector together and simply spliced into the red wire and soldered an additional length of cable to the spliced cable. This has allowed me to place the key switch further away from where the tight wiring loom runs.

A hole was drilled into the plastic left of the glovebox and the barrel of the key switch secured. See the photograph below:

key switch fitted to Mazda MX-5 to disable passenger side airbag    Max in my MX-5 for the first time

My nephew certainly appreciated the effort as we drove to the garden centre this afternoon for his first outing in my car.

Click on each photograph for a larger version.

Comments

Submitted by visitor on 17 August 2009 - 9:53am

So, does the warning light still flash when you turn off the airbag?

Submitted by Jonathan on 19 August 2009 - 3:58pm

Hi Danny,

Thanks for your comment. Air bag switch works brilliantly. When switched to the off position, the airbag warning light flashes which I think is helpful to remind me that it is disabled.

Hope this helps

J

Submitted by visitor on 6 December 2009 - 8:44pm

Thanks,

I had the same problem to find info. I disabled my airbag. know i can take my daughter for a cruise:)

Greetings from Holland,

Harold

Submitted by visitor on 5 January 2010 - 7:19pm

Hi. I tried this with the left hand drive version. Now the airbag light is flashing but it's the driver airbag light and not the passenger airbag light. Is this supposed to happen ?

Submitted by Jonathan on 5 January 2010 - 8:33pm

Hello... I can only remember one airbag light on my MX5, and it was that that was flashing. Unless you are confident that there is only one light on the dash, I say you've disabled it.

When I followed the cable from the glove compartment, it definitely joined up with the passenger airbag, but whether that disabled the driver side one or not, I'm not sure.

I suspected the light only indicated a fault with the airbag system, i.e. a cable disconnected, rather than it being totally shutdown.

Submitted by Jonathan on 27 February 2010 - 11:08pm

 ...best get that checked out then. A fault may be in the airbag firing circuit or the system needs pressurising. Best take it to the dealer to get them to look at it.

Submitted by visitor on 22 February 2010 - 5:31pm

hiya, trying to unplug at the moment, just can't get it to budge! Have worked out that there's a lever thingy but really can't move the two parts away from each other! Any hints?

Submitted by Jonathan on 27 February 2010 - 10:55pm

 Yep... perseverance!  Try using a tiny flat-head screwdriver and jam it between the connectors to release the catches that prevents the connector from coming apart.

Submitted by visitor on 22 April 2010 - 10:12am

Any ideas which cable to disconnect in my 1996 Miata, please see the picture below, there is no yellow cables:

http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqN6WGS

Submitted by visitor on 26 April 2010 - 7:30pm

Hi thanks for tip,

I was able to unplug airbag from my 96 miata as well, I really spent some time looking for right airbag cable however, in my miata the cable was blue and it was tight together with another blue cable (i assume its horn) that needed to be removed for a while first, in order to unplug the another one. Now the warning lamp is flicking frequently so I think I managed it. It was also challenging to plug horn cable back in without airbag cable, it needed another trick as the connectors seem to be designed to plugin just together, not alone.

Submitted by visitor on 27 April 2010 - 3:28pm

Not sure why you are doing this to be fair?!
The Legal viewpoint is that any child over 3 yrs old can sit in the front seat (the only seat in this case!) as long as they have the appropriate child restraint (booster seat, etc.)on which they would sit in ANY other car with an active airbag.
There is no reason to de-activate it in this instance, and is in fact more dangerous to do so as the child no longer has the same "safety" afforded to an adult.
I think you are confusing "rear-facing" car seats and airbags in this instance.
My daughter has been in my MX5 for several years now on boosters, etc. but as she is now over 1.35m tall, no longer needs any additional equipment and can just "jump in" any time she likes.

Submitted by visitor on 6 June 2010 - 7:38pm

tell me there any risk of the bag firing by disconnecting/reconnecting the loom?

also does the ecu have to be reset to remove the warning light once the loom is reconnected and finally would you have to tell your insurance company?

thanks

Submitted by visitor on 30 July 2010 - 1:45pm

Jonathan, brilliant! Thought the whole airbag issue/daughter in front seat was going to be a big problem - now fixed in a few minutes with your help! Cheers,

Andrew

Submitted by visitor on 27 June 2011 - 7:53pm

Hi jonathan,
I found your article and the associated comments very useful - thank you.

I have a 2004 MX5 Artic and have been considering selling it as i couldn't use it to drive my 11mth old to nursery and back in a front facing car seat because the mazda dealership advised the airbag in my model could not be disabled.

I was wondering what some of your readers thought about using front facing car seats in mx5's with disabled airbags?

thanks
Amanda

Submitted by visitor on 30 July 2011 - 2:58pm

Legally yes but medically a child smaller than average 12year old getting hit with force of an adult airbag will prob suffer some form of brain damage !

Submitted by Stef on 5 September 2011 - 2:35pm

Hi, Ive just done evrything as you said, it all looks exactly the same. But my driver airag is flashing not my passenger one... I'm having my baby tomorrow nd have prob left it a touch late!!! Help!!

Submitted by Stef on 5 September 2011 - 2:40pm

Hi I've done all this exactly as you said, but its my driver airbag that flashes not my passener one... help!!

Submitted by Jonathan on 14 September 2011 - 11:29pm

Hello,

There's only one light on the dash indicating if one of the airbags are disabled. If you've followed the instructions, then you have disabled just the passenger one.

Enjoy the baby in the MX5!

Submitted by Paulo Valente on 10 January 2012 - 10:54am

Hello Jonathan

I have a question. My mechanic warned me that in some cars the centralina, that is the computer that controls the electronics of the car might get upset by switching on and off the airbag as it was not expected to happen and thus it might jam the system. I expect that not to happen as Mazda used to sell some baby car seats that would automatically disable the airbag (licensed by Mercedes-Benz) . So what is your experience? Did you have any problem with your centralina afterwards?

Thanks

Paulo

Submitted by Jonathan on 15 January 2012 - 9:39am

I had no issues with switching the airbag on and off. I generally did it before switching the car on, but the warning light illuminated when disabled and went out when enabled. I assumed all worked as expected. 

 

Fortunately, it was never tested, however.

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