Sorry to hear about your loss but glad to hear the loss wasn't your
wife. Hope she is OK. Presumably the air bag did its thing.
As soon as I read your note I grabbed my 1999 Chrysler LHS factory shop
manual. At first I couldn't find anything on "air bags" until I finally
figured out I had to look under "passive restraint systems". After
glancing over that section of the manual I can tell you there is no way
I would attempt any sort of repair here without having all the detail in
the factory shop manual. The general information section starts off
with lots of warnings:
1) disconnect battery first
2) wait 2 minutes for system capacitor to discharge
3) do not place an undeployed airbag face down on a solid surface
4) when carrying an undeployed airbag point the trim side away from body
5) protect the undeployed airbag from static electricity
6) when cleaning up after a deployed airbag protect yourself from the
sodium hydroxide powder residue by wearing safety glasses, rubber gloves
and long sleeve clothing. It causes skin, eye, nose, throat irritation
7) fasteners, screws and bolts used in the system all have a special
coating designed for airbag systems. Do not substitute with other parts
The 99 Chrysler system consists of
1) airbag control module
2) "clockspring"
3) driver's airbag module
4) passenger's airbag module
5) front impact sensor
The airbag control module contains accelerometers (with crash severity
logic) and energy reserve capacitor in case the battery is disconnected
during a crash. It also contains the system diagnostics initiated at
engine start.
The "clockspring" is a flat, electrically conductive ribbon on the
steering column behind the wheel. It's used to maintain electrical
contact with the driver's airbag module, horn and speed control switches
in the steering wheel hub. It works by winding and unwinding as the
wheel is turned.
From the initial description I thought the "front impact sensor" was
something separate form the accelerometers in the airbag control module.
That appears not to be the case. That section of the manual just
points out that the accelerometers are calibrated to a particular vehicle.
Then there's this little tidbit... you need the "DRB III scan tool" to
read and record stored diagnostic codes and you also need the "Passive
Restraint Diagnostic Procedures Manual" which is separate from the shop
manual I already have.
When cleaning up after deployment make extensive use of a vacuum cleaner
working from the outside of the car toward the center to avoid sitting
in the sodium hydroxide residue. If the air conditioner was running in
recirculation mode the ventilation ductwork may also be contaminated and
need vacuuming as well.
Hope that helps. Get a manual or give it up I think.
Chuck Norcutt
Willie Wonka wrote:
> Hola,
>
> Recently, my wife managed to destroy in a head-on collision a Honda
> Civic while driving my VW Golf MkIII. The guy just did not know that
> had to yeld to the incomming traffic...who gives thoz peeps drivers
> licenses...
>
> The Waggie was declared a total loss, but I bought it back
> (sentimental value far exceedes its value when new, dont judge
> me...:) and am in the process of fixing it. The only problem I have
> is with the airbag system. I cannot find any schematics and text on
> it. Does anyone have anything that would help me figure out how it
> works?
>
> I thank you very much in advance.
>
> Boris
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