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Removing panels over airbags

D

dyaballikl

CEG'er
Joined
Jul 9, 2007
Messages
374
Location
Issaquah, WA, USA
Ok, so I'm going to a junkyard tomorrow and buying up as many interior plastics for my Contour as I can, so I can sand them down and paint them, then put them in my car and save the originals. My question is, when I remove the steering wheel panel, as well as the panel over the passenger side airbag, do I have to worry about the airbag going off? I know some newer cars can even deploy the airbag without the battery connected, due to a second power source, but I'm not sure about this car. Light shed please?
 
to drain the secondary or back up power supply going to the airbags, the manual says remove both batter cable and let the car sit(while off) for 1minute. But, in my opinion i would wait longer like at least 10min or what ever makes you feel comfortable
 
cool, thanks. the car's i'm looking at are in the junkyard, and i don't think any of them have had batteries for atleast a few days, so i think i'll be safe. thanks again!
 
dyaballikl said:
Ok, so I'm going to a junkyard tomorrow and buying up as many interior plastics for my Contour as I can, so I can sand them down and paint them, then put them in my car and save the originals. My question is, when I remove the steering wheel panel, as well as the panel over the passenger side airbag, do I have to worry about the airbag going off? I know some newer cars can even deploy the airbag without the battery connected, due to a second power source, but I'm not sure about this car. Light shed please?
Click to expand...



Leave the airbags alone. Do not remove those plastics, the airbag is an integral part of those pieces. You cannot safely remove, paint & install those pieces back into the car. Airbags have to be installed by a professional in order to work correctly, it is not simply a "plug & play" device. If this is a "U Pull It" yard, the owners won't be very happy when you've pulled & trashed over $300 in airbag equipment & they can't resell it. To replace it from the factory will cost you twice as much.

You guys really need to leave well enough alone on the interior of these cars...you are turning them into **** at an alarming rate & then you are going to b*tch down the road when the resale is even lower than it is now & why? because you are trashing your car, plain & simple. These are plainjane contours for chrissake, not showstoppers...stick to painting the removeable smooth plastic bezels & leave it at that, if you really can't resist the urge to paint something.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Leave the airbags alone. Do not remove those plastics, the airbag is an integral part of those pieces. You cannot safely remove, paint & install those pieces back into the car. Airbags have to be installed by a professional in order to work correctly, it is not simply a "plug & play" device. If this is a "U Pull It" yard, the owners won't be very happy when you've pulled & trashed over $300 in airbag equipment & they can't resell it. To replace it from the factory will cost you twice as much.

You guys really need to leave well enough alone on the interior of these cars...you are turning them into **** at an alarming rate & then you are going to b*tch down the road when the resale is even lower than it is now & why? because you are trashing your car, plain & simple. These are plainjane contours for chrissake, not showstoppers...stick to painting the removeable smooth plastic bezels & leave it at that, if you really can't resist the urge to paint something.
Click to expand...

Relax there buddy...... He said he wants to purchase crappy ones form a junkyard, sand them, paint them and replace THE ORIGINAL ones... Therefore keeping the ORIGINALS for the future of the car such as if he doesnt like what s/he did or would like to sell the car stock....

Its his/her car let em be...You might not like it, but it floats their boat..

Dont know about taken the airbags off. Most things in a car are made to be easily removed/replaced, some just harder than others. If your mechanically inclined go for it, take some pictures along the way, make a how-to/reference for others... Do your research first and youll be good.
i say go for it....

- Amyn
 
qbcsvt said:
Relax there buddy...... He said he wants to purchase crappy ones form a junkyard, sand them, paint them and replace THE ORIGINAL ones... Therefore keeping the ORIGINALS for the future of the car such as if he doesnt like what s/he did or would like to sell the car stock....
Click to expand...



I'm plenty relaxed...read my first paragraph & comprehend. period.
 
S/He might know how to do this? Things arent hard to do as long as you have the right tools and the right mind to do them.

Why does a professional have to install them? Cause he has a cert or licensed to do it?

You live, you learn, then you can do it.. your the professional now!

At least thats what keeps me going the will to learn... The only thing that will stop me from doing something... is the lack of tools or space to do something..

Im just saying, isnt it true that, "You can Do anything you put ur mind to" as long as you have the tools for it.

If you know what your going into, learning the In's and Outs, Your The Professional.

- Amyn
 
qbcsvt said:
Why does a professional have to install them? Cause he has a cert or licensed to do it?
Click to expand...

Yes...even dealerships have to call in someone to install airbags. Do you even have a clue on the legality issues if a shop replaces something as serious as a lifesaving device incorrectly & the driver gets in an accident & the worst happens? Think, this is only common sense...


qbcsvt said:
You live, you learn, then you can do it.. your the professional now!

At least thats what keeps me going the will to learn... The only thing that will stop me from doing something... is the lack of tools or space to do something..

Im just saying, isnt it true that, "You can Do anything you put ur mind to" as long as you have the tools for it.
Click to expand...


and it could be a very costly learning experience...$400 ea for new airbags from Ford...less for used, but you still have to have an expert install them to work properly. Hey knock yourself out...possibly literally. Google if you must or phone your local dealer. Most kids on here don't have the extra cash lying around to replace costly parts, let alone to make tasteful mods.

Are you aware that car accidents involving contours where the air bags are deployed deems the car totalled? The contour has been out of production seven years now. It may have only a scratched front bumper, but as long as those bags are deployed, the windshield is destroyed, the car is a total loss. Do you know why? It's not cheap. Hell, I had an engine swapped in a '00 Saturn for what it cost for one airbag.

That's your lesson for today...do you need credentials too?

I can give an alternate idea...but I don't think it's worth it.

I'm all for teaching yourself...but some things must to be left to the pros
 
qbcsvt said:
S/He might know how to do this? Things arent hard to do as long as you have the right tools and the right mind to do them.

Why does a professional have to install them? Cause he has a cert or licensed to do it?

You live, you learn, then you can do it.. your the professional now!

At least thats what keeps me going the will to learn... The only thing that will stop me from doing something... is the lack of tools or space to do something..

Im just saying, isnt it true that, "You can Do anything you put ur mind to" as long as you have the tools for it.

If you know what your going into, learning the In's and Outs, Your The Professional.

- Amyn
Click to expand...


im with this guy.
im 17 with my first car and i just did all new rear drum brakes. with no helping hand just alittle advice and a manual. it may have taken me a long time to do them but i did it. do it your self learn and youll get the results you are looking for
 
i'll admit airbags are a bit more complicated than drumbrakes, but "mechanically inclined" is my middle name. i never had any formal training, but mechanics are big in my blood line. when i was 16, i pulled and rebuilt the motor in my tracer just using tips in the chilton manual. so, i'm going to do some research and look into this. when i do it, i'll take lots of pics (maybe even do the first video tutorial!), so that every one else can know the risks and do this safely if they should so desire.
 
ok, so i've been looking around, and it seems that if you disconnect the negative for over a minute, the airbag cannot go off, then it's simply a matter of pulling the dash and putting the new one back in (possibly needing rivets, but that's besides the point). i think you're making too big a deal of this patty.
 
nope...you guys think all you have to do is plug & unplug, there is a bit more to it than that. All airbags are matched up to correct modules & components...which all have to be installed along w/ the airbag. There are year changes, mid-year changes, etc. To replace yours w/ a used one is asking for trouble. My father has owned a bodyshop for 50 yrs...he uses the same guy that does the replacements for the local dealerships. An airbag is not a toy. If you want plastics that you can repaint look up the link that I posted earlier & remove your own for safe keeping. You're playing w/ fire pulling used ones.

Never said it was difficult to remove them.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Yes...even dealerships have to call in someone to install airbags. Do you even have a clue on the legality issues if a shop replaces something as serious as a lifesaving device incorrectly & the driver gets in an accident & the worst happens? Think, this is only common sense...





and it could be a very costly learning experience...$400 ea for new airbags from Ford...less for used, but you still have to have an expert install them to work properly. Hey knock yourself out...possibly literally. Google if you must or phone your local dealer. Most kids on here don't have the extra cash lying around to replace costly parts, let alone to make tasteful mods.

Are you aware that car accidents involving contours where the air bags are deployed deems the car totalled? The contour has been out of production seven years now. It may have only a scratched front bumper, but as long as those bags are deployed, the windshield is destroyed, the car is a total loss. Do you know why? It's not cheap. Hell, I had an engine swapped in a '00 Saturn for what it cost for one airbag.

That's your lesson for today...do you need credentials too?

I can give an alternate idea...but I don't think it's worth it.

I'm all for teaching yourself...but some things must to be left to the pros
Click to expand...

Okie Dokie sounds good.....two different ppl.. two different approaches.... Your approach may be smart but costly..mine may be cheap and knock me out, LOL.... But on the other hand if it gets done by me you would feel stupid.... just an example....
again PeppermintPatty...no disrespect in anyway in the way I explained it....

I was just saying if I was doing it. I would research see if i feel comfy and do it or take it to the pros! and dont rush into anything, PeppermintPatty is right and the airbag will mess u up especially if it surprises you.

To Dyaballikl: Do enough research and find out see if you are willing to go for it.. If it seems hard, dont get knocked out and take it to the pro's!!!

- Amyn
 
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i think we need to step back an look at what he is actually doing. he isn't really doing anything with the airbags or the airbag system he is just replacing the covers over them so that when he goes to sell the car later., it will still look nice. i don't see the danger in this? other the draining the secondary power in case he accidentally touches something the wrong way.

also i just noticed something, the drivers side cover is part of the airbag. you cant replace it without getting another airbag
 
devanmc said:
i think we need to step back an look at what he is actually doing. he isn't really doing anything with the airbags or the airbag system he is just replacing the covers over them so that when he goes to sell the car later., it will still look nice. i don't see the danger in this? other the draining the secondary power in case he accidentally touches something the wrong way.

also i just noticed something, the drivers side cover is part of the airbag. you cant replace it without getting another airbag
Click to expand...

yeah, i think patty's saying that pulling the dash cover up means disconnecting it from the airbag. and patty, i really do appreciate what you're doing here. you're really trying very hard to protect us (me) from doing something stupid, and it's obvious that you do care, and that's really cool, especially in forums. my dad is a mechanic, however, and after you're advice, there's no way i'll just start taking stuff apart there now, i'm going to get the ford service cd, the chilton/haynes book, and look around a lot on the internet. i've been working on cars for a few years now and have never come across anything i can't handle, so i think if i work hard enough on this, i will know for certain if it's something i can overcome, or not. and, if i do it and post a how-to, i'll be very careful to post big warnings of the dangers all throughout.
 
devanmc said:
i think we need to step back an look at what he is actually doing. he isn't really doing anything with the airbags or the airbag system he is just replacing the covers over them so that when he goes to sell the car later., it will still look nice. i don't see the danger in this?
Click to expand...



AGAIN...the covers are an integral part of the airbag, they cannot be removed.

Like I said, It's not difficult to remove them, but to replace them w/ used units to work properly is not something to tinker with. Accompanying modules & components need to be installed that were originally w/ the used airbags. BTW, all airbags come w/ the orginal VIN# to the vehicle they were installed from the factory...another legality if you were to sell the vehicle w/ the swapped bags & something were to malfunction (not that I'm saying you will be doing so, just an FYI).

www.hicksairbagcovers.com is your best bet if you want spare panels to paint. It requires you removing your original bags & replaces them w/ empty covers (they are ok if you aren't worried about having airbags, there is no law stating that they cannot be removed). I bought my contour totalled w/ low miles CHEAP & this is the route I took. The covers are very nice & easily paintable...helluva lot cheaper than buying used bags from the recycler. If you're hell bent on doing this, that's my advice. Keep your bags & use empty covers, don't mess w/ used ones, I wouldn't trust 'em anyway.

Another suggestion...if you are doing a custom interior, why not go w/ a knock-off MOMO wheel & avoid that airbag altogether (I believe the Focus hub adapter works on the contours)? Then get yourself a cover for the dash bag (not douchebag).


Good luck & post progress pics :cool:
 
AGAIN...the covers are an integral part of the airbag, they cannot be removed.
Click to expand...

so by this logic if you have to replace the dash cover you have to replace the airbag? i dont think so. i have removed numerous airbags from cars in order to get to the evap core that was leaking. every one of them you remove the dash cover (which is what he is talking about removing) and then you can remove the airbag. the only ones that have integral covers are the steering wheels and a good portion of the side curtain airbags.

edit: removal procedure from the ford CD for a 97

1. Note: When the battery (10655) has been disconnected or reconnected, some abnormal drive symptoms may occur while the powertrain control module (PCM) (12A650) relearns its adaptive strategy. The vehicle may need to be driven 18 km (10 miles) or more to relearn the strategy.

Disconnect battery ground cable (14301). Refer to «Section 14-01» for procedure.

2. Remove floor console panel (045A36) as outlined.

3. Remove steering column tube (3514). Refer to «Section 11-04».

4. Remove instrument cluster (10849) as outlined. Refer to «Section 13-01».

5. Remove the radio chassis (18806) and digital audio compact disc player if equipped. Refer to «Section 15-01».

6. Remove heater A/C control (19980). Refer to «Section 12-03A».

7. Remove the LH switch plate finish panel as outlined.

8. Remove glove compartment (06010) as outlined.

9. Remove RH center body pillar inside lower finish panel (24346). Refer to «Section 01-05».

10. Disconnect wiring harness connectors and ground connections at RH side cowl panel. Disconnect one ground wire from under RH floor carpet (13000).

RH Cowl Panel


11. Pull front door opening weatherstrip (20708) off at instrument panel location. Remove main mounting bolt cover on RH side.


12. Remove two instrument panel retaining screws at LH glove compartment opening.


13. Disconnect two main wiring harness connectors at instrument panel fuse junction panel (14A067).


14. Disconnect five wiring harness connectors at rear of fuse junction panel.


15. Disconnect three wiring connectors to stoplight switch (13480).

16. Remove three screws retaining instrumen panel (04320) at steering column tube opening.


17. Pull front door opening weatherstrip off at insturment panel location. Remove LH main mounting bolt cover.


18. Remove two bolts retaining passenger side air bag to instrument panel reinforcement (04545).

19. Disconnect radio antenna from radio chassis.

20. Cut wire ties retaining demister hoses to instrument panel reinforcement.

21. Disconnect wiring harness to radio amplifier (18B849).

22. Note: Removal and Installation of the instrument panel is best accomplished by two people.

Remove four instrument panel mounting bolts (two each side).

LH Shown, RH Similar


23. Gently lift instrument panel away from dash panel. Remove instrument panel.

24. If instrument panel is being replaced, transfer all components, wiring and hardware to new instrument panel. Refer to «Disassembly and Assembly».


if you want the pictures too i can get those as well
 
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so if it is in the ford manual i think he can work on it him self
 
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