Replacement of Airbag Dash with Non-Airbag Dash. What do I need to know?
 

So yeah, My old AB dash is coming out for a perfect non AB dash. What has to happen with the airbags, and the idiot light/ignition wiring? Does the airbag circuit have the ability to keep the car from starting? What has to be done to get the idiot light to turn off?

I know that the AB needs to be powered down, which it has been for 6 months, So I should be able to take it out safely, right?

Anyway, from those who have done this, and Lart, what needs to be done to make this change?

Thanks in advance!:thumbup:

bump

There is a way to jumper two wires at the connector under the dash to get the light to go out. I would figure there is a write up somewhere - Rolex's car had that done to it when I bought it. Airbags don't have to be powered down for any length of time. I've regularly pulled them out with just the ignition off.

Dash swap should be pretty easy - there might be two bolts/screws on the side of one of the dash's vs one on the other. On the airbag dash don't forget the 10mm bolt behind the passenger airbag - easiest way to get to it is pull the glovebox.

You have to start at the visors, remove the top header panel they mount to and then the a-pillar covers - screws that hold the dash in under them.

Hope that helps. Wish I had that perfect dash for my new 951.

Well, you would have one, if you hadn't sold me this one. :)

E how are you? There was an old link about Tom Pultz S2 on 968 mirrors and disconnecting the air bag. I might have had it on my old thread about the 968 CS steering wheel install; there are two wires on the air bag controller unit to splice to get the light to go out...I'll do a bit of a search since I'm F***'g off tonight.

Here you go....


PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG & WARNING LIGHTS

At this point the car will run and the passenger side airbag will still be operational. However, the Airbag Indicator, Seat belt, and warning lights will remain lit because the SRS controller will register a fault from the disconnected driver's side airbag.

There are at least two methods that can be used to turn off the warning lights.

METHOD 1: SNIP THE WARNING LIGHT WIRES. The SRS controller is the bright orange module bolted to the underside of the dash in front of the glove box. It connects to the car harness through a round, 7-pin connector. The wire colors and functions are as follows:

1- brown, ground
2- red/black, central electric KL50
3- black/white, central electric N48
4- black /red, supply for DME relay
5- white, buzzer relay, seat belt
6- unused
7- yellow/black, airbag warning lamp

To keep the warning lights from activating, snip wires 5 and 7 on either the car side of the harness or at the controller itself. (Note: the wires directly attached to the controller are different colors). I didn't use this method because I didn't want to cut any wires in the car harness or controller. In any event, if you snip the wires or just leave the warning lights on, you do NOT KNOW THE STATUS OF THE SYSTEM. Therefore, I recommend the passenger side airbag also be removed or disconnected AT THE BAGS to ensure the bag contacts are shorted. This requires pulling the glove box, which is easily removed by taking out the 5 Phillips screws, the glove box light, and the glove box door. Removal of the passenger airbag is a PITA. I left mine intact, but disconnected.

E, here's what I learned switching the airbag dash in my '89 for a non-airbag dash.

Airbag module is obviously not in the non-airbag dash. If you are going to retain the airbag control module(orange thing behind the glovebox) and you don't want the warning light you should follow Bret's advice above.

Non-airbag glove-box does not clear the airbag module. You can trim the back of the glove box insert to clear the airbag, but then the back of your glovebox is open and anything that goes in the glovebox will fall into the passenger's floorboard the first time you hit the brakes. You can remove the airbag module, but you'll need to short two of the wires from between the main harness and the airbag module or the car will not start. You'll also have to deal with the tamper proof fasteners. I'm not sure if the airbag dash glovebox insert will fit in the non-airbag dash, but I'd think that would solve the problem.

The bottom bracket on the non-airbag dash does not go all the way down to the tunnel as it does on the airbag dash. There is about 1/2" gap that can be filled with a spacer(I'm not sure if the spacer was used on cars that originally came with a non-airbag dash).

The non-airbag dash has one less bolt on each side.

The trim around the radio is a little different on the non-airbag dash. I don't remember the exact details, I didn't really notice a difference. I do remember that Curt had some pictures showing the differences.

Thanks guys!