How hard is it to take airbags out?

[harpon]

Does it mess up anything else? I'd like the space especially on the passenger side of my 96 Aspire as another glovebox, and I've never liked the idea of airbags.

Can they go off easier when the car gets older, or just more likely to fail in a crash?

[SWRT]

I would think if you disconnected the battery for a few hours or so they shouldn't hold
a charge. Either way, I'm always careful taking them out. Even more careful installing
them.

And I think they're less likely to go off in an accident the older they get. I've been in
a few front end collisions in older cars over 20mph (one driving, the rest not) and the
airbags never deployed.

[ryanprins13]

When you take them out after you disconnect the battery turn te headlight switch to on. That gets rid of any residual charge.
Check into the legality of removing airbags in your area.
I just disconnect mine and leave them in but the cubbyhole is a cool idea.
No idea if they are more likely to fail or not when their older but i think their a terrible idea. Even worse than the 90's abs systems.
They work good if you are the perfect hight and weight, arent leaning foreward and your seat is far back in the proper position, you dont have hands, books, dogs or glasses in front of your face, no thumbs, hands, arms, feet on the airbag and if you are travelling 60km/hr. Any slower and they deflate before your face gets there and any faster and your face/body hits it while its still inflating at 375km/hr.
The vast majority of people do not fit that criteria. Few people are the hight or weight of the dummies and most people sit too far foreward.




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[sketchman]

I've disconnected many without any special considerations. No unplugging anything except the bag. Still have my face.

[jbibb1]

In the Aspire, the airbag "control" for lack of a better word is under the dash in the center. If you mess with the airbag - I removed the airbag light in the cluster, it causes the "control" box to make the most god aweful noise and it won't quit until you undo whatever you did. I'm guessing you could cut the wires to the box - I didn't go that far. The buzzer that it emits is above and beyond the normal buzzer and in addition to the normal buzzer. I'm pretty sure the chance that the airbag works as intended as the car gets older is little to none. The clockspring in the column is what powers the steering wheel airbag and they fail on most Aspires. I have found no replacement for the said clockspring and I have looked all over. When the clockspring goes bad to also makes the horn not work. The "control" box is baby blue in color and it is positioned below the open cubby below the radio in the center. Hope this helps

[TominMO]

In the Aspire, the airbag "control" for lack of a better word is under the dash in the center. If you mess with the airbag - I removed the airbag light in the cluster, it causes the "control" box to make the most god aweful noise and it won't quit until you undo whatever you did. I'm guessing you could cut the wires to the box - I didn't go that far. The buzzer that it emits is above and beyond the normal buzzer and in addition to the normal buzzer. I'm pretty sure the chance that the airbag works as intended as the car gets older is little to none. The clockspring in the column is what powers the steering wheel airbag and they fail on most Aspires. I have found no replacement for the said clockspring and I have looked all over. When the clockspring goes bad to also makes the horn not work. The "control" box is baby blue in color and it is positioned below the open cubby below the radio in the center. Hope this helps

Three thoughts:
1. When I had my head-on in my previous '95 Aspire SE (since sold to Festyboy) a few years ago, both airbags went off--gen1 airbags did that, with no off-switch for the pass. side. Therefore it destroyed my windshield, totally unnecessarily. :banghead: So they did still work, fortunately for me, but not so much for the windshield.
2. I would advise against cutting any wiring to the airbag control box. It might be hooked into the ignition, and you would be disabling the whole car. Insted, try pulling the control box and disabling the buzzer itself. Does anyone here know about whether cutting wires to the controller would disable the car?
3. I think what would be ideal would be to wire in a toggle switch to cut off the pass. airbag when no one is riding with you, and deal with the controller's buzzer. I'm guessing it's soldered on and/or there is a printed circuit, and you could just cut the solder or printed circuit on the 12V-power side.

[sketchman]

Of the ones I recall the wiring going to the bag itself is just 2 wires. Hot and ground. What's going to happen if you cut them or unplug them? I've seen plenty of bags let off on purpose by sticking hot and ground from a battery to the bag. This seems to suggest the obvious. That the wires going to the bag are just trigger wires.

Just pull it and disconnect it. Hold it away from your face if it makes you more comfortable.

[TominMO]

Of the ones I recall the wiring going to the bag itself is just 2 wires. Hot and ground. What's going to happen if you cut them or unplug them? I've seen plenty of bags let off on purpose by sticking hot and ground from a battery to the bag. This seems to suggest the obvious. That the wires going to the bag are just trigger wires.

Just pull it and disconnect it. Hold it away from your face if it makes you more comfortable.

IIRC it can be unplugged in place. The safest way of course is to disconnect the negative battery cable first.