I'm about to do a t-5 swap and want to drop the steering column for better clearance. I've heard that if you rotate the wheel while it is disconnected the air bags with deploy?If so how do i prevent this? Also any tips of swapping in a t-5 in a 1992 350 Trans Am?

 

The fail safe way is to unhook the battery ground. Unplug the fuse then unplug the yellow connector on the steering column.

 

well, that is kinda a miyth a few very unlikely things would need to happen. just unplug the ground as stated wait a little while to allow it to discharge and have at it

 

A buddy of mine, works with car audio... his co-worker was working on a system, and somehow triggered the air bag. The guy ducked his head down to check the color of a wire - a split second before the bag deployed. If his friend didn't look down, he would've had his neck broken. My friend told me that supposedly, The Club won't prevent such an accident- the club doesn't brake, but it bends the steering wheel and the airbag deploys anyway.

 

thats all you need something that could fly out at you like a metal pipe!

 

One more tip. do not remove the fuses first. do that after you remove battery cable. Your body generates static electricity and maybe just maybe it can trigger the bag when you touch the fuse for it. I say this because I have worked in the auto body buisness for a few years and heard of this happening on numerous occasions. The outside weather has something to do with the static too.

 

sorry i had to raise the flag on this one... by no means am i a master mechainc, master electrical engineer yes thats about the only thing i know. the only way to get the air bag to expload it to send the equivilant of 14mph though the vss and voltage to a few other things. the only way i know this is we used to rip out air bags and the units and detonate them... its actually pretty fun expecially if u put them under about a foot of loosly compacted soil. they make a pretty good lame bomb. belive me! you will not get the bag to detonate in the car on axident! well you could but that would amazing!

i installed stereos and alarms for 7 years not once did i ever unhook the airbags, no car audio or alarm installer ever will. the only reason mechaincs and delaler ships will do it is because usually mechnincs, even ase master mechanics do know alot about electrical systems and are trained to do it, just because some one told them to or used one of the lame stories mentioned above like it exploded while i was working on the car... geeze the things people repeat...

 

Well, an airbag can deploy while the vehicle is being worked on. Even if it is extremely rare and very unlikely, do you really want to be the one that it happens to? I'm a Master Tech, and no I don't de-activate the system like you're supposed to. I have many times pulled airbags out of cars without de-activating them. Is this a good idea, not really. In a sense, it's like playing russian roulette!

I have also heard that it's not a good idea to reach through the steering wheel when starting a vehicle through the door (from the outside) as the bag could deploy, or much more likely the power steering could cause the wheel to turn causing injury. I actually do pay attentoin to this one, as I have seen wheels turn when I start the car.

As for the 14 MPH thing, i don't remember ever hearing that one, but then again I can't remember everything I've heard over the years, and it's been about 11 years since I've had any formal training on airbags (when they were first becoming a standard)

 

Can an airbag deploy if you accidently hit it with your fist during road rage or somethin? Bump it, hit it, torcher it. Is that possible?

 

kdclaw3, let me tell you this, you must be just like me, you dont believe something until you see for yourself. I thought the same thing about those bags and I personally seen an airbag deploy when the battery cable was reconnected after the car was rebuilt from a front end accident. the airbag system on our cars have 7 sensors I beleive and the light blinks 7 times to show that each sensor is working. There are always those one in a million chances of the craziest things happening to us and our cars.
ever read the story on camaroz28.com about the guy that hit a hole on the highway with his new(2000) SS? both bags deployed after hitting the pothole while he was driving about 70mph. Well, after pulling over and getting out the steering wheel caught fire from the sensor for the bag. Point is **** happens. Dont be the next victim take that extra step of caution. even if it sounds strange sometimes

 

Thats why mine got Dx'ed this weekend. And next few months will be finding all the sensor, modules, etc and pulling them from the car.

WEIGHT MODS!!!!


Anyone want to tell me where some of these things are located??
Would be much help

 

one is near the hood latch. i think its under the radaitor support. one is under the center console. one may be on under the column.i think that one is the inflator module. Dont quote me on the 7 different senors. A GM dealer mechanic told me this so take it for what it is.

 

got the one under the hood. did that when I put my new intake system on.

One under dash. will look

One under center consel, WTF were they thinking, geesh

 

There are 3 sensors, and it takes 2 of them to be activated for a bag deplyment. The bag can also be deployed by a voltage spike or something of that nature, althought it is not very common for that to happen. One of the impact sensors is usually contained in the airbag module and one at each corner of the car. I'd have to look it up to be sure about the locations though, as I think I do remember seeing the middle one being near the hood latch as mentioned above.

As for removing the system, if the car is driven on the street, I will take my chances on it being there and operational. I don't like to disable a piece of safety equipment! If you choose to do so, that's all on you!