2002 Explorer Airbag Disconnect

[ab_slack]

I am looking to find out what is the easiest way to temporarily disable the driver side airbag so that it is easy to restore.

There will be no passenger so if it is easier to disable both at once than just the one that is fine too. I don't know if there is some fuse that can be pulled.

This is strictly a temporary thing.

 

[adsm08]

Pull the fuse for the RCM. Any fault in the airbag system kills the whole system, so the fuse for the module is the easiest accessed thing to disable any part of it.

 

[ab_slack]

Thanks adsm08, does that impact seat belt operation or drivability in any way? I expect not the latter but thought seat belts were involved with RCM in some way on some vehicles.

 

[adsm08]

The seatbelts will continue to function as they would on any non-airbag vehicle. Airbags and seatbelts are like ABS and brakes, the electronics might enhance operation when working, but won't degrade operation when disabled.

You are thinking of the seatbelt pretensioners, which are small explosive charges on the reel that lock it up even tighter when the airbags deploy. Those won't work, but it won't keep the seat belts from keeping you in the car.

If the vehicle has IVD or RSC that system will likely be disabled as well, as one of the sensors used to determine if you are in a slide is part of the RCM on many vehicles. Since we are months from winter weather I doubt that will pose much of a problem.