I'm always heading to the local yard for stuff to use and sell (I stick to what I know, and I make good dough I'm always leery around air bags, mostly because I do not know exactly what triggers them and when/how they can be triggered. Specifically, I want to know: Can they actually explode when off the wheel and disconnected from all?? What precautions should reasonably be made when removing one in the 'yard?? In theory, IF they can explode while off the wheel, could not an air bagged steering wheel be installed into a non-airbag car and thereby have an airbagged car?? The above would only be true if the trigger mechanism is in the bag itself. However, Ockham's Razor, applied to the triggering of an airbag, would seem to indicate that the trigger, or, at least ONE trigger, would be in the bag itself. Certainly the inflating device is in the bag, as there is no connection to the wheel/column that would be suitable for inflation pressures. Further, my overactive brain seems to think that the simplest trigger would be piezo-electric, and thus in the bag with the inflator. Finally, this seems a less "ewwww" subject than, ahem, 'loving' your car. Thanks for input, Cosmo
hrm, leave the air bags in new cars, old cars i dont think would be useful with them not designed for it, yes the inflation device is in the air bag ***embly but the trigger is usually mounted in the front of the car in a crumple zone as to not be trigged by something stupid, ive heard as little as static electricity setting them off so becareful even if they are disconneted when removing one for a yard, make sure the battery is disconnected (should be already) but double check, and when im doing this at work i try not to sit in front of the bag i try to work from underneith the steering wheel, in other words lay on the floor like you where working under the dash, so that way if it does blow you dont catch it with your face or throat. i had a friend the other day that works at a dodge dealer here in town somehow set one off while he was pressing his cheek against it and broke his eye socket. so be careful, and again i would leave them out of old cars,
i got an old air bag here at work you can remove shes a little loud and junky too,,and will definetly go off with out warning
Worked at FOMOCO in dimensional control, set off a couple of steering wheel mounted air bags just to see what happened. Don't really know the procedure for removing or installing them, but I can tell you first hand, their some evil SOB's, probably some good money in them, they are a high priced item for wrecks at bodyshops, all I can say is be carefull.
if your planning on reselling them, i would look into getting some anti static bags to ship in, thats what they come in, and no packin peanuts, cardboard to hold it still and absorb bumbs
They're a hoot to play with...set a garbage can on one and trigger it. Way more fun than potato guns! As with anything like that-be careful!
I have taken off hundreds while installing cruise control kits and have never set one off. I don,t even bother to disconnect the batterie. Generally when the squib connector is removed there is a bridge that drops across the circuit in the airbag. Two sensors have to make a circuit before the bag goes off in a crash...one in either front corner and one inside the airbag electronic module.They are inertia switches with a bi-metallic spring/strip and a weight that causes the wrapped up spring to unroll in an impact.Airbags only belong in cars that are designed for them....
I wasn't really going to install one in anything, just my overactive mind running off over there... But thanks for the information, this kind of stuff just isn't available anywhere, just on the HAMB!!! Cosmo
used airbags from salvage cars cannot be sold and reused in another car... i know this is the case in MN and WI, and might be a federal thing as well.
Not true nationally. It's a state to state issue. But the reason isn't safety. It's because of theft. Many cars are stolen just for the restraint systems, especially in little small **** cars like Neons and other cars that will total just by the air bag deployment. I wouldn't hesitate to put a used air bag in my own car/truck if I needed one, but this will also depend on the condition of the cover of the bag (I've seen some crack from heat damage from the sun). Insurance companies and 99% of body shops will not use them due to liability issues. They are hard to sell on Ebay because they are considered a 'Hazardous Material' and can't be shipped.
I have never seen one go off just sitting. But all it takes is 12 volts and off it goes. I blow them up all the time, and they will launch surprisingly large items. they will kill you if your head is in the wrong place at the wrong time. kids and short people get killed by them in accidents. They are not soft and fluffy, like in the TV ads. you should have no trouble pulling them at the wrecker, but static electricity theoretically could set one off. I have sold maybe one out of my wrecking yard in 2 years. Not a great money maker. They are more fun to blow up. Just do not stick them under someone's chair, or in close proximity to anyone as a joke. You could kill them.
In Illinois you have to be certified to install and remove them (I used to be). Disconnecting the battery is not a bad idea, but they are very safe to work around. I've never had one go off accidentally (I've installed and removed hundreds). All airbag wires are yellow, so don't cut the yellow wires when the battery is still in the car. If you unplug them, they will not go off. Unless of course you hook twelve volts up to the plug on the airbag, then they go off really well. It's a heck of a lot of fun, and the only safe/legal way to dispose of them. Be conscious of the door and pillar bags in newer cars, it's easy to slip while working on other things and snip or snag the airbag wires. Those bags will break your nose every time. I've never seen an air bag blown without blood on it. Still beats the hell out of hitting the windshield though.
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