Air bag replacement

camping_mailman01 · Sep 16, 2007

I hit a deer with my 1998 Ranger 4.0Ltr 4X4. During the accident, both airbags deployed, the passengers also since I had equipment laying in it. I will be making the repairs myself after I recover from hand surgery (corpal tunnel).

I have purchased the replacement bags, but will not replace till body work is completed. I have been informed by Ford that I must replace both the "clock" spring under the drivers airbag and the relay in the passengers kick panel before I can reset the computer and prevent the replacements from firing when I install them. Is there any way to check to see if these items are servicable before I replace them? The clock spring is under $30 but the kick panel relay is near $300. Airbags are (new) $1200 and I paid $250 with relay that is not guaranteed.

This truck has 206,792 more/less miles on it, and till the contact with the deer had a spotless body. All systems function properly even after the accident. With it's milage, the insurance co says it is totaled, so I will have to repair it myself. I have 5 years till retirement, and it is my 4X4 that gets me through the snow and ice.

krugford · Sep 16, 2007

I strongly recommend taking the truck to the dealer and have them do it. I don't remember exactly the list of "must replace" parts after the airbags deploy, but I'm pretty sure the clock spring is one of them. Not sure about the relay. After the new parts are installed, the system must be checked/scanned with dummy loads in place of the airbags to simulate a working system. This allows you to make sure the system is working properly before you connect the new bags.

Whether or not you're trying to save money, or just want the challenge of doing it yourself, I would strongly suggest you let the dealership handle these repairs. The last thing you want is for the new bags to fire when you don't want them too, or not to fire when you do. If you let the dealer take care of it, you'll at least know that it was done by someone trained specifically to work on srs systems.

RobbieD · Sep 16, 2007

Welcome to TRS, camping_mailman01. I'm a "do-it-yourselfer" fanatic, and I don't recommend the dealership unless it's sincere. But I have to agree with krugford. The bags are just too critical. Regardless which way you go, good luck with getting her back together.

camping_mailman01 · Sep 17, 2007

I'll have contacted our Ford service section and the tech said that once I get it put together minus the airbags, that I can take it in and he will check it out on the tester to verify serviceability. Then he will install them and send us home for under $100.

RobbieD · Sep 17, 2007

That sounds like a very reasonable plan. It's good to hear that they'll work with you like that. Good luck!

krugford · Sep 17, 2007

That does sound like a good plan.

camping_mailman01 · Nov 2, 2007

Back on the road again. Everything looks and works fine again with the exception of a used off color hood that I have on it. I'll do the body work on the hood once my hand has healed.

RobbieD · Nov 2, 2007

Glad to hear that everything has turned out well so far, and hope the hand heals fine.

You are eating that deer, right?

rickcdewitt · Nov 2, 2007

is the kick panel relay also the impact sensor?on some cars you must replace the sensors on the frame or radiator support with the relay,bags and clockspring.

camping_mailman01 · Nov 2, 2007

On my '98, there are two impact sensors, one on each side of the radiator support that when impacted send a message to the kick panel module. It sends the message to the required airbags and they deploy.

RobbieD, I hate to admit it, but that big buck went to waste. After the impact and my experience with the airbag, I contacted 911 and told them of the accident, told them that I needed to inform the authorities, and due to another problem that was developing I couldn't do anything with the deer "They" told me that they would contact the conservation agent to get it picked up.

Due to a pre-existing heart problem and chest discomfortbothering me, I called the Mrs and had her take me to the ER. After being tested, poked, proded, xrayed, then being released, we drove back passed the scene, and three hours later in 70 degree heat there was the deer. He was spoiled by then.

RobbieD · Nov 3, 2007

Don't feel bad, my friend. The most important thing is that you were taken care of after the accident, and then the second is that you get your truck fixed. And you did have the presence of mind right after the accident to report it.

Deer populations are way up; down in my neck of the woods, road kills used to be salvaged (the venison goes to shelters & institutions, etc.). But these days there's just too many road kills, because the population's so high, and there's not enough Fish & Game people to get them all.

Good luck and best wishes to you, on getting your self and your truck back to 100%.

camping_mailman01 · Nov 11, 2007

I've put 500 miles on my 4X4 since reassembly, and she developed a couple of bugs. First the horn blasted the other evening and I had to end up unhooking it. Next, on the following night the, the cruise control stopped working. I'll have to remove the airbag to see what has gone wrong before I can drive it again.

Air bag replacement

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