Post-Collision Repairs

While servicing an air bag equipped vehicle that has been involved in a collision, check sensors and wiring.

Crash Sensors
Vehicle sensor orientation is critical for proper system operation. If a vehicle equipped with an air bag system is involved in a crash where the fenders or grille area have been damaged, ensure that body structure in the area of the sensor mounting is restored to its original condition. Inspect the sensor mounting brackets for damage.

- Damaged sensor should be replaced whether or not the air bag is deployed.
- Undamaged sensors will reset automatically after a collision and can be reused.

Damaged Wiring

CAUTION: Before attempting diagnostic proveout, check for wiring shorts that could cause the diagnostic monitor thermal fuse to open, causing unnecessary replacement.

Inspect the sensor wiring and the wiring harness for any damage that may have occurred due to the accident. Replace any damaged wiring, terminals, insulation, or connectors, as required.

Splices are required in adjacent wiring. The splices should be staggered 50 mm (2 inch) from each other. Service as follows:

A waterproof butt-splice connector should be used on all wiring service in the engine compartment. A heat shrink nylon splice prevents water, salt condensation and heat from affecting the wiring being serviced.





The inner wall of the splice connector is lined with an adhesive that melts when heated with a heat gun and flows under pressure from the tubing, sealing the splice. The connectors can be crimped with a standard insulated connector crimping tool. The splices are color coded for gauge identification, and are transparent to allow inspection of the finished splice.

Steering Column and Air Bag Sliding Contact
If the collision involved an air bag deployment, the steering column may have been loaded sufficiently to deform steering column mounting brackets or damage column wiring. An inspection should be made of the column structure and air bag sliding contact wiring to determine whether any components were damaged and need replacement.

Air Bag System
After all service, verify the operation of the air bag warning indicator in the following manner. Turn the ignition switch to RUN and count the flashes only after the code (series of flashes) has cycled twice. If the air bag indicator comes on continuously for four to eight seconds and then goes out, the system is functioning properly and all faults have been serviced.