Air Bag-Passenger: Removal
WARNING:
To avoid personal injury or death, on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the supplemental restraint system before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, occupant classification system, seat belt tensioner, impact sensor, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative (ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before performing further diagnosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the supplemental restraint system. Failure to take the proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.
WARNING:
To avoid personal injury or death, when removing a deployed airbag, rubber gloves, eye protection, and a long-sleeved shirt should be worn. There may be deposits on the airbag unit and other interior surfaces. In large doses, these deposits may cause irritation to the skin and eyes.
NOTE:
The following procedure is for replacement of a faulty or damaged passenger airbag. If the airbag is faulty or damaged, but not deployed, review the recommended procedures for handling non-deployed supplemental restraints. (Refer to ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS - STANDARD PROCEDURE - HANDLING NON-DEPLOYED SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINTS) . If the passenger airbag has been deployed, review the recommended procedures for service after a supplemental restraint deployment before removing the airbag from the vehicle. (Refer to ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS - STANDARD PROCEDURE - SERVICE AFTER A SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT DEPLOYMENT) .
CAUTION:
Be certain to take the proper precautions to prevent the instrument panel top pad from receiving cosmetic damage from the passenger airbag housing during the following procedures.
- Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable. Wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before further service.
- Remove the defroster grille from the top of the instrument panel. (Refer to BODY/INSTRUMENT PANEL/DEFROSTER GRILLE - REMOVAL) .
- Remove the glove box from the instrument panel.
- Reach up into the instrument panel glove box opening (2) and through the access holes (1) to remove the two screws (4) that secure the passenger air bag bracket (3) to the instrument panel support structure.
- Using a trim stick or another suitable wide flat-bladed tool, gently pry the forward and side edges of the passenger airbag door away from the top of the instrument panel far enough to disengage the snap features on the door from the receptacles in the instrument panel top pad.
- Pull the passenger airbag out of the instrument panel far enough to access and disconnect the instrument panel wire harness connector from the airbag inflator pigtail wire connector on the right side of the airbag mounting bracket. To disconnect the connector:
- Slide the red Connector Position Assurance (CPA) lock on the top of the connector toward the side of the connector.
- Depress the connector latch tab and pull the two halves of the connector straight away from each other.
- Remove the passenger airbag from the instrument panel as a unit.