Passenger Air Bag - Removal

REMOVAL

WARNING: To avoid serious or fatal injury on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, 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 SRS. Failure to take the proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.

WARNING: To avoid serious or fatal injury 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 an ineffective or damaged passenger airbag. If the airbag is ineffective or damaged, but not deployed, review the recommended procedures for Handling Non-Deployed Supplemental Restraints. Service and Repair . 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. Service and Repair .





1. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable. Wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before further service.
2. Remove the glove box from the instrument panel. Instrument Panel Glove Box - Removal.
3. Reach through and above the glove box opening of the instrument panel to access and remove the two nuts (2) that secure the studs of the lower Passenger AirBag (PAB) bracket to the instrument panel structural support.
4. Still reaching through the glove box opening, disconnect the two instrument panel wire harness connectors (1) from the PAB inflator initiators.

NOTE: On Dodge models the instrument panel has a two-piece top pad, requiring only the passenger side half of the top pad be removed for PAB service.

5. Remove the top pad (3) and passenger airbag from the instrument panel as a unit. . Instrument Panel Pad - Removal





6. Place the top pad (1) on a suitable work surface with the top facing down. If the top pad will be reused, be certain to take the proper precautions to prevent the top pad from receiving cosmetic damage during the following procedures.
7. Disengage each of the hooks on one side of the airbag housing (3) from the windows in the forward and rearward vertical walls of the airbag retainer or chute (2) on the underside of the top pad. To disengage the hooks, use hand pressure to pull the adjacent edge of the airbag housing firmly and evenly upward out of the retainer receptacle, while at the same time pulling the upper edge of the receptacle wall outward far enough to disengage the hooks.
8. With all of the hooks on one side of the airbag housing disengaged from the retainer, rotate that side of the housing upward far enough to disengage the hooks on the opposite side of the housing from the retainer.
9. With all of the hooks disengaged, lift the housing, inflator, and cushion as a unit from the receptacle of the airbag retainer or chute on the underside of the instrument panel top pad.