Passenger Air Bag - Removal

REMOVAL

WARNING:
- To avoid serious or fatal injury on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, seat belt tensioner, impact sensor or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative (ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before performing further diagnosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the SRS. Failure to take the proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.
- To avoid serious or fatal injury when removing a deployed airbag, rubber gloves, eye protection, and a long-sleeved shirt should be worn. There may be deposits on the airbag unit and other interior surfaces. In large doses, these deposits may cause irritation to the skin and eyes.







NOTE: The following procedure is for replacement of an ineffective or damaged passenger airbag. If the airbag is ineffective or damaged, but not deployed, review the recommended procedures for Handling Non-Deployed Supplemental Restraints. If the passenger airbag has been deployed, review the recommended procedures for Service After A Supplemental Restraint Deployment before removing the airbag from the vehicle.

1. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable. Wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before further service.
2. Remove the glove box from the instrument panel.
3. Reach through the instrument panel glove box opening to access and remove the two screws that secure the Passenger Air Bag (PAB) (1) lower bracket (3) to the instrument panel structural support.

CAUTION: Do not pull on the instrument panel wire harness take outs or pry on the connector insulator to disengage the connector from the passenger airbag inflator or tether cutter connector receptacles. Improper removal of these take outs and their connector insulators can result in damage to the airbag circuits or the connector insulators.

4. Reach through the instrument panel glove box opening to access and disconnect the three instrument panel wire harness connectors from the two PAB initiators (4), and the PAB tether cutter (2). Firmly grasp and pull the lock straight out from the connector insulator, then pull the insulators straight out to disconnect them from the connector receptacles.
5. Remove the PAB and instrument panel cover (5) as a unit from the instrument panel support structure.
6. Place the instrument panel cover on a suitable work surface with the top facing down. If the cover will be reused, be certain to take the proper precautions to prevent the cover from receiving cosmetic damage during the following procedures.
7. Disengage each of the hooks on one side of the airbag housing from the windows in the forward and rearward vertical walls of the airbag retainer or chute (6) on the underside of the cover. To disengage the hooks, use hand pressure to pull the adjacent edge of the airbag housing firmly and evenly upward out of the retainer receptacle, while at the same time pulling the upper edge of the receptacle wall outward far enough to disengage the hooks.
8. With all of the hooks on one side of the airbag housing disengaged from the retainer receptacle, rotate that side of the housing upward far enough to disengage the hooks on the opposite side of the housing from the retainer.
9. With all of the hooks disengaged, lift the housing, inflator, and cushion as a unit from the receptacle of the airbag retainer or chute on the underside of the instrument panel cover.