2001 Saturn SL2 Air bag issue

CRWALKER54

MEMBER
2001 SATURN SL2
1.9L
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
145,000 MILES

Hello, I bought this car and found out that the airbag had been replaced with rags. When I found this out I attempted to prosecute the seller, but he had already gone to Mexico.
Anyway I found a replacement airbag, but when I removed the one on the car I bought, I found that the numnuts had also cut the airbag wire. I went to the locale pick a part junkyard, and I'm glad I did this first before trying to pull the old part out of the car. I found a similar car with a blown bag in the yard. I tried to get that wire out, but destroyed everything around it, and had to cut a ribbon wire.
My question is do you know who to get this out properly?

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1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,871 POSTS

Don't even bother trying to harvest just that wire. What you need is what it's attached to. That's the clock spring. Inside it is that ribbon cable you mentioned. Just install the entire assembly. You also do not want just the connector from a clock spring that had a popped air bag. Most of the time they are melted from the burning rocket fuel. For liability reasons, no professional will replace just an air bag and not the clock spring and all the other parts specified by the manufacturers. That normally includes the crash sensors and Air Bag Computer. The computer has a "safing" sensor in it. All of those could have a very tiny arced spot from the original crash that deployed the air bag. While the chance is very low, it is possible that sensor will make contact in that exact arced spot the next time it trips, and that could prevent the bag from deploying when it's really needed. If you're going to use a used clock spring, find one from a car that has no front end damage and the air bag is not popped.