97civicguy

Hi,
new here to the forum and am needing some help in repairing the deployed aibrags in an 97 civic.
car was involved in a very minor incident and both bags were set off,srs light is on,I have new bags but need to know if other component need replaced or how system needs reset.I am a qualified mechanic and understand the dangers of airbags.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

P.S. car was purchased as a rebuilder

lostforawhile

the control module needs to be replaced, it also has one of the sensors, its the one in the center of the car under the dash, it contains the safing sensor, the power backup for the airbag system, and the air bag controls, as far as I know it's a one shot deal, the clock spring in the steering wheel also needs to be replaced as well as your seat belts. there is no "minor" accident if the airbags deploy. the seat belts may look ok, but they are designed to stretch in a wreck.

97civicguy

ok,
sounds great,
now if i replace all these parts,is there a sensor in the front of the car that may have been damaged also?The front bumper cover was only scratched and not broken in the impact.

B_Swapped93

lol just leave them out....you're going to be in for ALOT of work doing all that, and no there's no DIY's for it, how was it minor when the air bags go off ?.

belairbrian

You're looking at $2k in parts, unless you get them at the salvage yard.

Considering you can test the system and have no idea of the cars history I would not use parts from the salvage yard.

Fnix

iTrader: (1)

I had to pay near $1200 just to have an airbag installed + parts just to pass inspections. Unless you need to have airbags in your area I would not bother with the cost of the airbag components.

lostforawhile

salvage airbags and parts get used all the time, look for a car with rear end damage or a mechanical failure, the system will self test once everything is installed, if you dont know how to replace the steering wheel bag, or install the clock spring, just get the entire steering column with everything in one piece, passenger side is just bolted in, did your windshield break from the passenger side bag?

97civicguy

Alright,
The bags,module have been replaced and the light went out and hasn't came back on,there were no impact sensors in the front bumper area and the guy who crashed it said he didn't have the belts on when the accident happened.
Now the car refuses to start unless you hold your foot down on the accelerator and crank it forever.? and maybe not at all.
We replaced the fuel pump and the filter today also but now there seems to be inadequate spark or something that won't let the engine fire,
I have maintained this car for a long time and until this minor incident,it has Never failed to start,sometimes starting before you could even release the key?

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Get a spark tester (cheap, local parts store), a timing light, a compression tester, and a fuel pressure gauge. Use all four, post results.

97civicguy

Alright,
The bags,module have been replaced and the light went out and hasn't came back on,there were no impact sensors in the front bumper area and the guy who crashed it said he didn't have the belts on when the accident happened.
Now the car refuses to start unless you hold your foot down on the accelerator and crank it forever.? and maybe not at all.
We replaced the fuel pump and the filter today also but now there seems to be inadequate spark or something that won't let the engine fire,
I have maintained this car for a long time and until this minor incident,it has Never failed to start,sometimes starting before you could even release the key?

97civicguy

yes to the cracked glass

97civicguy

I purchased the bags and the module for $70.00 at the salvage yard,All 3 pieces came from the same car which had been hit dead center of the trunk.

97civicguy

the compression is good and the fuel pump was just installed regardless if it needed it or not,$170.00 for the pump,screen and filter,there is plenty of fuel pressure and compression and when operating right,this car runs like a scalded dog,there has been meticulous maintenance done to this car and the owner was a spare no expense type customer who kept all the records of every repair made before and after I began working on his vehicles.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Whatever maintenance there was in the past means absolutely nothing now. The car isn't running. The fuel pump isn't the only thing that controls fuel pressure. Did you do a compression test AFTER the accident, or are you just going off of past information?

Spark tester. Timing light. Compression test. Fuel pressure test. Do the tests, and post the numbers.

97civicguy

is there any chance that something is cutting current to the ignition in some form of limp mode,I've reset the system by disconnecting the bat.neg. and have had it running long enough that if there were sensor problems,ie:TPS,MAF etc the computer would have more than likely set a code,when I had the car running today(pre installation of the new fuel pump etc.the car would run fine and then just fall on it's face like it's running out of gas,but there is plenty of fuel in the tank and with the new pump,there is now an abundance of fuel pressure,

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

If the CEL isn't on, then no.

97civicguy

Yes,the compression in all cylinders are very acceptable at 150-160lbs
I have been driving this car TODAY,
the engine is fine,just keeps stalling or refusing to start

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

150 is hardly acceptable - it's borderlining on out of service limits. That much difference between high and low is also borderlining on out of service limits.

Check your timing, and check your spark. Also check your spark when the car refuses to start.

97civicguy

This really isn't a LOL matter,and as for DIY,this was an easy job,I have already replaced the components,got the srs system reset and the incident was so minor,that the lights,hood,grille,hood latch and bumper received nearly no damage,
hell the headlights didn't even crack,and the hood still shuts perfectly.

By the way,the reason this isn't so LOL is that my daughter (28) was driving the car yesterday and it stalled on her leaving her stranded in the center lane of a major interstate highway,

97civicguy

it seems low,but the battery was getting weak and each cylinder jumped to 140+ on the initial crank,I don't think the problem is in the engine itself even though it has 168,000 miles on it.Very Babied miles.
I think that maybe the coil/dist may be bad and the srs maybe didn't have anything to do with the running issue?

97civicguy

Also unable to check timing since earlier due to POS not starting at all now.

97civicguy

if the horn still works,will the clock spring still need replaced?

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

If your SRS light is off, stop worrying about the SRS system - there aren't any problems.

Once you buy and use a spark tester, you'll be able to figure out if it's a distributor issue.

lostforawhile

if the airbag light comes on,then goes off, the clock spring is fine, if it was damaged, the module couldn't check the drivers side bag, and the light would come on