Tools Needed:
10mm wrench
When replacing an airbag after a wreck, you need to main replacements:
The Airbag
and The Airbag Sensor
The first step in airbag replacement, is find a new airbag. You can find many from local junkyards or salvage yards. If you don't have any luck there, you can definitely find one online. Try some places such as:
Your best bet would probably be Ebay. You can usually expect to spend between $40-80 for an airbag replacement. Sometimes you can find them cheaper.
The airbag sensor can run around $40 online, but you can probably pick one up from the salvage yard for cheaper (just make sure it's not a wrecked one). Depending on the wreck indicates which airbag sensor to change. Obviously if you wrecked the car on the driver's side, you need to replace the driver's side sensor. You don't need to replace both sensors if it's only wrecked on one side.
Warning: I am not responsible for any injury due to the removal or replacement of the airbag. Use caution with the SRS System because it can be fatal.
1. Drain the Power
Before you do any work on the Airbag system, it is necessary to disconnect the battery and leave it sit for at least an hour. I would also suggest turning the car key to the on position and touch the positive terminal with the negative terminal to further drain the power out of the electrical system. The system needs to be completely drained before you work on it.
One final step I would do before you start is to remove the SRS Fuses from under the hood in the fuse box.
2. Remove the Fender(s)
The next step is to remove the fender(s) in order to get to the sensor. The Airbag Sensor is located underneath the fenders towards the front the car. They are almost directly behind the headlights. For help with how to remove a fender, check out How To Remove the Fender.
3. Remove the Airbag Sensor
After the fender is off, locate and remove the Airbag Sensor. The sensor is connected to the body by 2 - 10 mm bolts. Be careful of the red wire, this is the connection from the sensor to the airbag computer.
In order to disconnect the sensor, first you need to release the green safety latch. Simply push the green part up. This is to protect the sensor from breaking loose. Next, push in the red button on the top of the connector and pull it apart.
4. Connect the New Sensor
Now that the old sensor is off, now it is time to connect the new sensor. Push the two connectors back into place. Make sure the green latch is pushed back into place after you have connected the sensor to the car. If the green latch is not correctly connected, the sensor could come loose and cause the airbag to activate.
5. Change the Airbag
Now that the sensor is changed, now it is time to change the actual airbag. The airbag is connected to the steering wheel by 4 - 10mm bolts. They are located behind on the other side of the steering wheel. You do not need to take off the steering wheel in order to change or remove an airbag.
After you have removed the 4 bolts holding it in place, the airbag should fall out. The airbag is connected to the car by 2 wires: One is a black wire with a white connector that attaches to the center of the airbag while the other is a blue wire with a needle tip connector. Check out the pictures for all the detail:
Simply disconnect the blue wire by pulling it apart from the connector. The black wire with the white connector can be disconnected by pushing in the tab and pulling it out.
After you have removed the old airbag, simply place the new one in, connect the 2 wires, and tighten the 4 bolts. You're done! Just put your srs fuses back in and reconnect the battery.
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