Anybody seen anything like this for the MINI?

http://www.42draftdesigns.com/mk4apillar.htm

 

WOW that's really cool looking. good find! But no, I haven't seen it before.

-Paul

 

As there is a air bag behind that cover I don't think i would want to see one on a mini.The add states if the A pillar contains an air bag it does not recommend using it.

Randy
Team M7

www.m7tuning.com

 

Good catch Randy.
I was just curious of stuff out there like that.
Gauge pods that is.

They factory add on seems to sit them to low... and the only other one I have seen is on the outside of the Tach, which seems to me that it would be blocked from view sometimes.

Hey Randy, does M7 have anything for gauges, that looks extremely factory?

 

I've seen this statement before but I wonder about the accuracy of it. There are 3 airbags on the driver's side.

1 in the steering wheel
1 in the seat
1 that drops from the edge of the headliner.

So where is the a-pillar airbag? I know the trim is stamped "Air bag" but it really doesn't live there.

Please note - I'm not trying to start any argument, just going on what I've read and seen on the MINI site.

 

I’m thinking the same as you about the airbag not being behind the a-pillar cover. If it is I would have to think when the airbag deploys you’ll have flying covers shooting through the MINI. There are airbags in the top liner because I’ve seen a picture of one that went off in a wreck as the car rolled.

 

Could it be that the head protection system (whatever its called) air bag is fixed to the A-pillar up front? The pics I've seen look like a giant inflated tube in a sling...its got to attach to something fore and aft, but, true, is all tucked up in the headliner.

 

The airbag is stored in by your head, it is attached via straps to the a pillar
When the bag deploy is brings these straps into tension at "warp speed" essentially sling shoting the a-pillar cover.

 

And if you have a gauge attached to it, if/when the A-pillar pops at airbag deployment, the gauge will SMASH into you or your passenger! OUCH!


Clover

 

But luckily, if you have an open casket, your final "boost'
would be implanted in your forehead for all your friends to see!

 

WOW! He was making almost 2 BAR at impact.

 

Anybody seen these gauges?
http://www.42draftdesigns.com/sw.htm

Will they work in the MINI?
I like the silver faces, kinda match the MINI gauges.

 

I thought that too, until I had my car alarm friend remove the cover and saw that nothing was behind it. It's just a misleading cover that I'm told is to warn emergency professionals know that an airbag is in the viscinity.

Richard

 

If anyone likes I can post pics...I riped out my intierior today...THE WHOLE THING except the seats and carpet.... LOL why you ask...I am not telling...but when it's done I'll post those pics too

Oh so my point...LOL...

we could potentially have a pillar gauges

 

we stripped all of the air bags out of our test mule but to be honest I do not remember exactly what was behind the A pillar. I will ask Peter in the morning and if I have time before we leave for SEMA post the info. If not i will sat. As for stock looking I think the BMP Pro mini gage pack realy is closest. I have many people ask if they are stock. Randy

 

Please do. My driver's side interior C pillar trim was loose so I pried it back to get some double sided tape under there, and now my airbar light is on. I'm just wondering what is under there that i could've f-ed up.

 

The air bag is not behind the piller .It is mounted in the head liner above the window and secured in the piller .If the Air bag deployes the piller moves out just enough for the strap to clear the piller .The piller is teathered to the car .There is a groupe of wired behind the piller and you may have nicked the air bag wire .That is the only thing i think that could have happend .I built a custome fiberglass piller cover and installed a a/f,oil psi,volt and booste gauge there....Hope this helps ....Sam

 

Heres a pic /

 

The head protection airbag 'gas generators' (pyrotechnic devices) are housed in the rear quarters of the car (you can see them by opening up the boot side cubbies and looking towards the front of the car), not in the a-pillars themselves.. From the gas generators a long metal tube runs from the generators, up through the c-pillars, and along the roof up to the a-pillars. Attached to the tube is the air bag itself, affixed to the tube and the excess bundled to it. This whole arrangement is tucked away until it's fired, where the gas generator blows the inflation gas into the tube, filling the bag. The bag breaks away from the tape that holds it bundled, and pushes against the headliner and the a- and c-pillar trim, emerging from the area where the pillar trim and headliner meets the glass. The headliner is pliable and folds out of the way, but the pillars are hard plastic. The pillar trim is designed to break away to allow the curtain to form a long, uninterrupted cushion along the length of the glass. The pillar covers have a tether attached to them to prevent them from coming completely loose and becoming projectiles. The a-pillars are marked with 'air bag' mostly for awareness, not because the mechanism is stored there (though the forwardmost part of the bag is anchored inside)

Because of the way the a- and c-pillar trim is designed, if you remove it for any reason, it 'breaks' it as if the air bag had deployed through it. You have to replace them in this case, since they will no longer attach to the pillars themselves.

A-pillar gauges arent recommended for cars like these, but some have added their own tethering system to prevent the gauge from flying around if the pillar comes off. Some others don't care, just adding the gauges and hoping for the best. In most cases, I suppose the wiring will tether the gauge if the air bags deploy. I just dont want to take the chance.

 

WOW! That is wicked cool!
I'm sure you could sell a ton of those especially if you could choose how many guages! Nice job.