You may know by now that after a vehicle has been involved in a crash and the airbags have deployed, the SRS airbag module has stored crash data and hard codes. You may also already know that nothing but purchasing a brand new module or having the module reset manually can restore it to its original condition. However, you may not know the step-by-step instructions on fixing the airbag module. Read below to find out.
To fix your SRS airbag module and restore it to the factory condition, you first want to locate the unit in your vehicle. Generally, airbag modules are found below the driver or front passenger seat. Sometimes, though, they can be found below the radio, behind the steering wheel, in the center console, or the kick panel. The next step before disassembly would be to disconnect your battery. Make sure to disconnect the negative first, followed by the positive, and let the backups drain. Then, move your steering wheel and take out all the hardware on your driver airbag module. Disconnect the wiring and horn wiring, the grounding strap, radio wires, and the airbag connectors. If the deployment has caused the connectors to be melted down, cut the wires that lead up to the coil. The clock spring will need to be replaced. Then, remove the computer. Open it up and look for the 8-pin SMD EEPROM chip. Solder some 32-gauge hookup wire to connect the SRS airbag module to a serial port EEPROM reader. The crash data can then be analyzed using specific software. There is some software you can purchase to fulfill this step. It would be best if you replaced all the values from the crashed chip with the values on the virgin chip. Rewrite it into your computer so that the rigid codes can be wiped out. After all of that is set, you can replace the module into your car. When reinstalling the unit back in your vehicle, make sure to disconnect the battery as you had initially done. To ensure that you followed the steps correctly, check to see that your SRS light turns off. You can also check your car’s tech-stream software to make sure that there aren’t any more hard codes or faults present.
As you can see, the process can be quite tricky but still doable. If you feel that you cannot fulfill these steps alone, or do not have the proper tools and software to do so, turn to the company Safety Restore. Safety Restore specializes in restoring SRS airbag modules to factory conditions.