Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Air Bag(s) Arming and Disarming: Service and Repair

General Description

CAUTION
- When servicing a vehicle, be sure to turn the ignition switch to OFF, disconnect the ground cable from battery, and wait for 60 seconds or more before starting work.
- The airbag system is fitted with a backup power supply. After disconnecting the battery ground cable, the airbag may deploy if you do not wait for 60 seconds or more before starting airbag system servicing.






- If the airbag warning light illuminates, repair the vehicle immediately. Otherwise, the airbag or pretensioner may inflate incorrectly, or not inflate in collision.
- If sensors, sensor cover, airbag module, airbag control module, pretensioner or harness is deformed or damaged, replace with new parts.






- When checking the airbag system, be sure to use a digital circuit tester. Use of an analog circuit tester may cause the airbag to activate erroneously due to a minimal current inside tester.






- When checking, use a test harness (1). Damage to connector terminal cause malfunction. Do not directly apply the tester probe to connector terminal of airbag.






- Do not allow water or oil to come in contact with the connector terminals. Also, do not touch the connector terminals.






- Do not check continuity of the airbag modules for driver's side, passenger's side and curtain, or the pretensioner.






- If damage, open circuit or rust is found on airbag system wiring harness, do not use a soldering equipment to repair. Replace the faulty harness with a new genuine part.






- Install the wiring harness securely with the specified clips to avoid interference or tangled with other parts.






- When painting or performing sheet metal work on the front part of the vehicle, including the front wheel apron, front fender and front side frame, remove the front sub sensors and wiring harness of airbag system.
- When painting or performing sheet metal work on the side of the vehicle and around the rear floor pan, including the side sill, center pillar and front and rear doors, remove the side airbag sensors and wiring harness of the airbag system.






- Do not use the airbag or pretensioner parts from other vehicles. Always replace the defective parts with new parts.
- Never reuse a deployed airbag module and pretensioner.
- Do not discard undeployed airbag or pretensioner.
- When airbag control module, front sub sensor, side airbag sensor, curtain airbag sensor and satellite safing sensor are removed, do not reuse the bolts and nuts of them. Always use new bolts and nuts for them.
- Do not drop each airbag module, airbag control module and each sensor, or store these parts under high temperature of 85 °C (185 °F) or more, or let water, oil or grease get on them; the internal parts may be damaged or the reliability may be greatly lowered.






- After removal of each parts for airbag system, keep them with the pad facing upward on a dry, clean and flat surface without heat, light sources, moisture and dust.






- Do not disassemble driver's airbag module, passenger's airbag module, side or curtain airbag modules, or pretensioner.






- When performing attachment of the steering wheel and steering roll connector, make sure to perform adjustment of the steering roll connector.
- The removed front seat with airbag module must be kept at least 200 mm (8 in) away from walls and other objects.






- When storing a removed airbag module, do not place with its pad side facing down. Do not place any objects on the airbag module. Do not pile up the airbag module. If the airbag inflates for some reason when an airbag module pad is touching other objects, it may cause serious accident.