The airbags fired, what should I do?

Restoring airbags in a car

Airbags in a car provide protection to the driver and passengers during an accident by creating a layer of air during deployment that softens the impact.

If the airbag goes off

On modern cars, even in the basic configuration, two airbags are usually installed - the front passenger and the driver. When an accident occurs, at the command of the impact sensor, the airbags are activated, while the trim on the steering wheel and instrument panel is torn, and the interior space is filled with specially impregnated fabric. The airbag inflates like a parachute, softening the force of impact during a traffic accident, thereby saving passengers in the cabin.

After the airbags have deployed, something needs to be done with them, since it is impossible to drive with the airbags deployed. There are several ways to troubleshoot:

try to restore the PB;
replace parts, install new airbags;
look for used spare parts at car wreckers;
make dummies by dismantling SRS parts.

It is not always the case that the safety system after an accident on a car is completely restored - such work requires a lot of financial costs, quite a lot of time, and highly qualified workers.

Airbag restoration

To restore the airbag functionality, you must:

replace the squib;
install new shock sensors;
reflash or change the SRS control unit;
restore damaged casing.

It is unlikely that the car owner will be able to carry out the entire range of restoration work on his own - there is a high risk that the system will not work in the event of an accident. Aebag repairs are carried out by specialized car services, and the work is quite expensive. For example, in Moscow, replacing a driver's squib will cost an average of 4 to 5 thousand rubles, the cost of repairing a dashboard after an accident is around 10-12 thousand rubles, the cost of work depends on the specific car model. Reflashing (repairing) the SRS unit is also not cheap - from 3 to 5 thousand rubles. When the safety switch in the seat is triggered, you have to completely disassemble the chair and reupholster the upholstery.

Restoring the dashboard after the airbag deployed

Repairing the instrument panel after an accident is one of the most labor-intensive tasks in the SRS passive safety system. To replace the airbag and “sew up” the dashboard, you need to completely remove the dashboard. The most difficult thing to do is restore the appearance of the trim on the passenger side - if the plastic is sealed or sheathed with material carelessly, it will be noticeable.

Restoring the panel after the airbags are deployed is carried out in the following sequence:

the negative terminal is disconnected from the battery;
the glove compartment is removed;
the instrument panel is dismantled;
the fastenings of the instrument panel frame are unscrewed;
the panel is dismantled and completely disassembled.

In this case, it is necessary to disconnect all the wires from the dashboard that interfere with removal, remove buttons, deflectors, etc. from the panel. Complete restoration of the dashboard with the installation of new airbags sometimes costs more than tens of thousands of rubles, so car owners are often offered to only restore the casing, without repairs and installation of airbags. But even such work is not cheap; many car owners try, if possible, to find a used instrument panel at car dismantling yards. As a rule, installing second-hand parts is cheaper than a complete repair, and besides, the original panel looks more natural - if the dashboard is restored, it is still noticeable upon careful examination. The restoration of the instrument panel after an accident is carried out by tuning studios; the work is divided into several stages:

dismantling the dashboard;
preliminary cleaning and treatment of the dashboard;
sealing damaged areas using special adhesives;
making patterns from material chosen by the customer;
installation of covers on the restored instrument panel;
Installation of dashboard, electrical connection.

At the request of the car owner, the instrument panel is decorated with decorative chrome elements or natural wood inserts, and an additional acoustic system is installed. The tuned panel looks very impressive, while all the defects that were previously present on the dashboard are hidden.

Why do you need to reflash the SRS control unit?

The airbag control unit contains a special program; when the impact sensor is triggered, it changes. If you completely restore the passive safety system, but do not touch the SRS control unit, an indicator on the instrument panel will light up, indicating a PB error, and in the event of an accident, the airbags will not work. The ECU is reflashed in many specialized car repair shops, but it should be noted that not all units can be restored. When flashing, the data is reset and returned to its original state.

On many cars, the SRS unit is located under the instrument panel, next to the gearshift lever. It is usually covered with a plastic panel; removing the ECU is very simple, you can do it yourself. On the Infiniti FX, the airbag control unit is removed as follows:

the gearshift lever tunnel is removed;
two connectors going to the block are disconnected;
The bolts securing the ECU housing are unscrewed.

Assembly is carried out in reverse order.

DIY AIRBAG SRS restoration

If a car owner is going to sell a car that has been in an accident, it is at least unfair for him to install dummies instead of the PB. By selling such a car, he puts the buyer at risk, since without a passive safety system in an accident, the passengers of the car can be seriously injured.

If the car is not new, you can try to restore the SRS by purchasing all the necessary parts from used cars, but here it is necessary that the “donor” car is not damaged. You will need to buy:

the airbags themselves;
seat belts with squibs, they are activated in an accident in 99 cases out of 100;
shock sensors.

All parts can be changed independently, but specialists must configure or reflash the SRS control unit. Still, you shouldn’t trust the work to dubious companies - even though the repairs will cost a little more, the car owner will be sure that his car is in perfect order.

How to repair a driver's airbag

Let's look at the principle of restoring a driver's airbag:

disconnect the airbag from the steering wheel;
dismantle the plastic decorative cover;
disconnect the squib; on many cars it is secured with four nuts;
In any case, the cushion and squib must be replaced with new parts, but the cover is restored in many workshops.

As a rule, new airbags are very expensive, which is why restoring airbags is popular.

Airbags: repair and restoration of triggered SRS elements

Has the airbag deployed? Have you bought a car and found a plug instead? What to do in such situations? Many car enthusiasts mistakenly believe that they can limit themselves to simple replacement or packaging. Everything is much more complicated. Repairing airbags is a troublesome and even dangerous task. First, there is a risk of tripping during installation. Secondly, if something is missed, then performance in the event of an accident is not guaranteed.

You cannot skimp on your safety!

Principle of operation

The security unit was developed in the middle of the last century. With the introduction of electronics, it has undergone some changes, but the principle of operation has remained virtually unchanged. Automakers do not adhere to any standards; moreover, many of them use their own developments.

At first glance, this appears to imply a narrow specification of the constituent parts. In fact, everything is just the opposite. Main components of the block:

a set of sensors;
airbags;
SRS unit;
wiring;
lamp on the instrument panel;
squib;
belt tensioners.

The general principle has remained unchanged for many years. And this is what he looks like.

When an impact occurs, sensors are activated - there can be up to 10 or even 15 of them. They transmit information to the SRS unit about the location and force of the impact.
The electronic unit processes this information. Taking into account the side of the impact and the number of passengers, it sends a signal to activate the airbag and belt.
The squib fires and the airbag covers are knocked out.
Bleeding air through a special valve or hole.

In addition to the points listed above, it is necessary to clarify one point. When the airbags deploy, Crash Data is recorded in the electronic unit. After this it stops functioning.

Repair and possible risks

As already mentioned, it is not enough to simply put another pillow. It won't function. For proper operation, the following activities will be required.

Replacing shock sensors.
Reflashing or installing a new SRS electronic unit.
Check and possible replacement of all wiring of the unit.
Replacing airbags that were deployed upon impact.

If it is not possible to find original components, then you should not despair. Almost every car service center will be able to fit elements from available manufacturers to the car. But there is nothing better than the original.

If an electronic module breaks down, then when purchasing replacements, you need to take into account the number of airbags in the car and the unit. They must match completely.

Removing and installing airbags is a hazardous task. It is important to take all precautions. What can happen? It's all about the firing of the squib.

The speed at which the airbag flies out is approximately 200 km/h, and on some models even 300. It is easy to imagine the consequences of such an impact during installation or dismantling.

What should you do to protect yourself?

Disconnect the unit from the battery so that it does not accidentally give an activation signal.
Wait 5-10 minutes - during this time the internal energy reserve will be exhausted.
Disconnect and remove the block.
Be as careful as possible when removing and installing the cushions.
Never keep your head in front of the steering wheel, and therefore the pillow.

The use of metal tools should be minimized whenever possible to avoid short circuits and tripping. You need to be no less careful when working with a squib. Essentially, it's a small explosive. Mixing the elements creates a thermal reaction and explosion.

Replacing faulty airbags

The first thing you need to start with is erasing Crash Data from memory. Manufacturers suggest replacing it with a new electronic unit, but its price is quite high and not everyone can afford it.

The second option is to contact a service center. Many of them carry out memory erasing. This procedure is almost always possible, but there are cases when only a complete replacement is necessary.

Step two is to replace the sensors and check the wiring. Very often, when triggered, the wires on the steering column are damaged. This is explained by the activation of the same squib.

The repair of airbags is completed by replacing them. After this, you can check the system. When you turn on the ignition, the SRS light should come on. After burning for 5-10 seconds, it turns off. If this does not happen, then the electronic unit will need to be checked to ensure it is fully operational. This is basically where the action ends - the restoration of the airbags is complete.

From words to deeds

How to remove the airbag? If difficulties do not deter you, then let’s look at the procedure for installing/removing the airbag from the steering wheel on your own.

The procedure is as follows.

Adjust the steering wheel for comfortable operation. Lower it as far as possible and pull it out.
Turn the steering wheel left/right. On the back of the steering wheel you will notice a hole in which the latch is located.
Insert a screwdriver into this hole and lift up the mount.
Repeat the procedure for the second side.
Pull the detached cushion forward slightly. Disconnect the wires on the steering wheel.

All. Installation of new elements is carried out in the reverse order.

Note

To completely restore security, you will need to do some more manipulations.

Replace the torpedo - deformation and fragments after the impact can affect the operation.
Replace the steering switch spring.
Replace belt tensioners.

In conclusion, I would like to add a few tips. The first is that replacement is more reliable than reconfiguration. Only complete replacement of all active components guarantees correct operation of the system. Second, recovery from an impact is not done halfway. This may reduce the likelihood of operation in emergency situations and reduce safety. Third, when purchasing analogues, you need to make sure that they are fully compatible with a specific car.

Repairing a deployed airbag

So we have a blown steering airbag. A new one is expensive. Therefore, when restoring a car after an accident, many people prefer to simply heal the old one. This service is popular; from one to three pillows a week go through our box. These include steering wheels and dashboards and seats.

This is what the pillow usually looks like when they bring it to us.

The first step is to disassemble the pillow. We need to remove the metal base with the squib from it. If the deployed airbag itself has not yet been cut off, cut it or its remains so as not to put them back later. If there is an icon, remove it. Next, by heating the plastic with a hairdryer, we give the protruding “petals” of the triggered pillow a shape close to the original one. We need this for the convenience of further work.

AIRBAG is almost disassembled.

Now, using superglue, you need to fix the torn parts together. It is better to do this in stages, starting from the corners. Then it will turn out neat and even. The more evenly you can fit the petals to each other, the less putty you will have to put on later.

It is NOT necessary to fill the entire seam with glue at once. You won't be able to fit it all at once.

After gluing, I cover the area under the badge with masking tape so as not to damage or scratch the plastic inside the badge.

The next stage could have been done first or second, or any one before sanding the plastic. This is the selection of material for restoration. It can be genuine leather, leatherette, or PVC film. The main thing is to get as close as possible to the color and texture of the original plastic. In this case, a piece of German automotive leatherette, left over from some kind of torpedo, suited me.

Almost the same thing.

Now we need to start strengthening the seams and the central part of the pillow so that during further use they do not separate or the putty does not come off along with our material. To do this, the seams are sealed from the inside with a common soldering iron. After that, notches (scratches) are made on the central part.

The pillow is already sealed and scratched.

Scratches are needed so that the epoxy resin has something to grab onto. We also seal the central part from the inside with something (in this case it is electrical tape) so that the epoxy does not leak through the holes from where the badge is attached to the front part of the pillow.

Take a closer look. Scratches cover the entire surface, including solder seams.

Next, we cut out a piece of glass mat and fit it to the central part of the back of the pillow. Pre-degrease the plastic cushion with acetone.

We dilute the epoxy resin and pour in the glass mat, thoroughly saturating it and expelling all air bubbles using a metal stick or knitting needle. You can impregnate the glass mat using a brush. But I’m too lazy to wash my brush, and the consumption of acetone increases significantly. There is nowhere for the resin to escape from this part, so you can simply pour it here.

We fill the whole thing with epoxy and go home to sleep, otherwise it’s already late, we’ve been too late at work :)

After the epoxy has dried, sand the entire surface of the pillow with coarse sandpaper.

We make notches on the inside along the edges. They are necessary for gluing the edges of the material. You can make them with coarse sandpaper, but as a rule you can’t get it anywhere, it’s easier with a knife.

The same scratches as for setting epoxy.

We putty and sand, putty and sand, putty and sand. Professionals do this in one or two approaches. The first time I did it 5 or 6 times. This time I did three :) The entire surface needs to be perfectly smooth to the touch, without even a hint of glued seams.

Next, measure and cut the required piece of material.

We cut with a small margin. Just in case. It's better to trim it later than to make a new one.

We mark and place the SRS AIRBAG cliché on the material. If you are making a pillow for yourself and you don’t have a cliche, you can, of course, do without it. It is better to place it on the material rather than on the finished product. Because it happens that it doesn’t work out. And in this case, only a piece of material will be screwed up, and not the whole work.

Now we coat the pillow and the material with glue, dry it until it’s tacky and stick it on, starting with the inscription SRS AIRBAG, i.e. First, we center the inscription, fix it by strong compression of the glued surfaces, and only then stretch the material to the sides. You can also glue on “Moment”, but it is better to use something more special, for example KLEIBERIT C 152 or one hundred and fourteenth.

Carefully cut in place and glue the ends of the material to the inside.

To ensure a snug fit of the edges to all irregularities on the underside of the pillow, we use half a pair of scissors.

As a result, the outer edge should be even, for this it may be necessary to tighten the material here and there, gluing it from the inside.

As a final touch, we glue the badge back in and put all the insides of the pillow back in place.

The metal center is screwed back to the plastic.

The place for the badge is cut out along the edges of the oval. The plastic in the badge remains original. On average, everything takes one working day.

Author; Ivan Zinoviev Angarsk, Irkutsk region

What to do if the airbag deploys

Accident statistics show that an airbag reduces the death rate by an average of a third. There are cases when a serious collision ended in a slight injury due to the opening of the airbag. But what to do after the airbag deploys on an Opel Astra, Lada Granta or Priora, as well as on other cars? How to fix the error?

Airbag device

An airbag cushion is an elastic base that fills with gas in the event of an accident.

The complex of components also includes a control system and a gas generator. Starch or talc acts as a lubricant for the material, guaranteeing clear opening.

The gas generator's job is to fill the airbag with gas during a collision. Together, the gas generator and the shell form an airbag.

Airbag designs are classified:

By the nature of the action - with one and two-stage operation;
In shape - in the form of a tube or dome;
According to the type of gas formation - hybrid or solid fuel.

A solid fuel generator is based on a fuel charge, a squib and a housing. The airbag is charged with a special composition based on silicon dioxide, potassium nitrate and sodium azide.

The fuel is ignited by the action of the squib, after which gas is formed.

In a hybrid gas generator, the main components are a squib, a housing, a gas and a solid propellant charge.

After a collision, the airbag cushions are filled with compressed gas, releasing a solid propellant charge.

The task of the control system is to combine devices (control unit, shock sensors, squib) and guarantee their precise operation.

How does an airbag deploy in an accident?

The airbag is deployed during a collision with another object or vehicle.

Depending on the location of the impact, the front or side airbags are activated. As soon as the impact force is above the limit level (set by software), the impact sensors send a command to the control unit.

The latter collects information, analyzes it and decides whether to deploy the airbags or not. The described actions occur in a fraction of a second.

Taking into account the analysis of the severity and type of accident, the whole or only part of the system works. Sometimes it is enough to activate only the seat belt tensioners or they work in conjunction with the airbags.

The control unit sends a command to turn on the gas generator of a specific airbag. In this case, the response time is 30-40 ms. During this period, the gas generator guarantees the expansion and filling of the pillow with gas.

As soon as the airbag touches the human body, it ruptures and deflates.

The front airbags are activated when a number of conditions are met:

Car fire;
Increasing the specified impact force in a frontal collision;
Vehicle crash;
A sharp collision with the wall of a hole, a curb or the edge of a sidewalk;
Impact to the end of the car (oblique frontal collision);
A hard fall on the wheels after a “jump”.

It is worth knowing that the front airbags do not deploy in the following cases - when the car rolls over, a side impact or contact from the rear.

It is built into the car program that before opening the airbag, the speed of deceleration of the car and movement at the moment of collision, the presence of connected seat belts, and so on are analyzed.

What to do if the airbag deploys?

Car enthusiasts are often lost and don’t know what to do when opening an airbag. On many cars (Lada Granta and Priora, Ford Focus 2, Lada Priora, Opel Astra and others), you will have to perform the following manipulations:

Install new airbags, replacing those that have already deployed;
Correct the “brains” of the control system, that is, the unit that is responsible for the SRS. Instead of the error, a dump of the new machine is installed (as if there was no accident);
Install a special snag (plug).

The problem is that each manufacturer has classified information, which forces car enthusiasts to buy a new control unit for the airbag. In addition, airbags are often tied to the VIN number or model of the vehicle.

If you go to a service station, the cost of restoration work will hit your wallet.

Experienced car enthusiasts copy a security system dump and write it to a remote memory device.

Data is stored until sold. If the car is involved in an accident, it is easier for a specialist to restore the system.

In this situation, a microcircuit and a programmer are purchased, after which the device is flashed. The average cost for such work is from 5-7 thousand rubles.

Is it possible to drive without airbags?

Car enthusiasts often ask questions regarding the operation of the car if there are faulty (opened) airbags or a malfunction indicator has been activated.

If the icon lights up, it indicates that one of the sensors has failed. This means that the likelihood of the airbag not deploying in an accident is higher. The indicator also lights up when the device has already been activated and a “plug” is installed instead.

You are allowed to drive with such errors (the technical part of the car does not suffer). Another thing is that the level of security is falling. There remains a risk that the airbag will not fulfill its intended purpose.

What to do after the airbag is triggered?

It is worth knowing that restoring airbags without involving service station specialists is a dangerous undertaking.

And the problem is not even that in the event of a collision the airbags are less likely to open. It's worse if they work spontaneously.

To avoid problems, you should contact an official dealer, who will adjust the system and replace faulty components.

When servicing yourself, there are a number of points to consider:

In addition to the airbags, in 60% of cases the control unit also has to be replaced. If you're lucky, flashing the firmware will suffice. This is explained by the fact that in the event of a collision, information about the operation of the system is recorded in memory. Therefore, one replacement is not enough - the device will not work. The solution lies only in reflashing.

In some cases, entire seat belt pretensioners are installed - units that compensate for stretching and tighten the belt during an accident.

The final repair cycle is the restoration (replacement) of the airbag covers (often included). The problem with many cars is the lack of such covers, which forces the car owner to change the panel or repair the old one using dermantine, leather, or by soldering damaged areas. Such events are theoretically acceptable. But will you be sure that in the event of an accident the cover will allow the airbag to deploy?

When repairing an airbag, the following points are taken into account:

Removing the negative terminal from the battery is mandatory, after which you should wait until the autonomous power source discharges (7-10 minutes);
The airbag is positioned with the body facing towards itself.

Often, car enthusiasts do not repair the airbag and limit themselves to restoring the body. In this case, the light bulb on the dashboard is removed or a “fake” is installed instead of a pillow.

This approach is dangerous. It is better to contact an official dealer and restore the system.

As for selling a car with a deployed airbag, this is real, but the new owner should be aware of the problem.

If you repair the panel and turn off the “lamp,” the buyer is unlikely to notice anything without diagnostics, but in the first accident, his death falls on the conscience of the seller.

What to do with worn seat belts?

The seat belt squib often deploys along with the airbag. There are two options here - turn to specialists or do the work yourself.

In the second case, the sequence is as follows:

Move the front seat forward as far as possible;
Unscrew the blind edge of the belt from the body part;
Disassemble the lower edge of the rack trim (the mechanism is located there);
Pick out the plug on the adjustment mechanism;
Remove the rack trim to check the level of wear;
Carefully unscrew the belt and push it away from the adjuster;
Remove the device and discard the system connectors;
Remove the cover and locking assembly;
Under the steel plate there is a mechanism with a return spring. The latter, when the squib operates, is triggered, jumps out of its place and fixes the belt;
Compress the springs and put everything back in place.

What to do if the car does not start after the airbag deploys?

On many car models (Lada Granta or Priora, Ford Focus 2, Opel Astra and others), the injectors turn off after the airbag is activated. This is done for safety and to prevent the car from catching fire.

To restore the supply of the fuel mixture, you should contact a specialist (it is unlikely that you can restore the supply of the hot mixture yourself).

Sometimes disconnecting the battery for 6-10 minutes (disconnecting the terminal) helps. In addition, a number of manufacturers install unlock buttons.

How to remove the error?

On numerous forums, car enthusiasts discuss how to remove the error after the airbags deploy. This is logical, because driving with a burning lamp is an unpleasant and dangerous pleasure.

When the indicator lights up, you should take the following measures:

Check the operation of the airbag when starting the engine;
Make diagnostics for errors and determine the code. It is often possible to do such work only at a service station;
Change or repair the airbag;
Update the system module.

There are cases when the light comes on due to insufficient contact or due to the absence of airbags dismantled after an accident.

Ideally, the clock spring, control unit, wiring, belts and airbag are replaced. As mentioned, costs are reduced when purchasing units from disassembly.

To temporarily “extinguish” the light bulb, it is possible to install a “plug” (a special resistance of 2.0 - 2.2 ohms).

Disconnect the battery, install the control unit and clock spring. Instead of the airbag, an equivalent resistance of 2.2 Ohms is installed;
Connect the battery and check whether the lamp flashes or not;
Erase the crash date from the airbag control unit;
Go to a service center to reset the error in the control unit using a scanner. If everything is correct, then the light will not light, that is, it lights up for a short time and goes out.

If the airbag has deployed, operating the car or doing it yourself often leads to tragedy on the road.

To eliminate problems, you should contact an authorized dealer, who, after a complete diagnosis, will replace the failed elements.

Otherwise, there is no guarantee that the airbag will work in an accident and save lives.