Hello all,

Unfortunately I rear ended somebody today. Also unfortunately, even though I was going maybe 10 miles an hour I hit the car in front of me so flush that my airbags went off. So, even though I suffered almost no cosmetic damage (thank God because I just painted the car) now I have a cracked windshield and blown airbags. And so begins my DIY journey to get the car running again and looking as pretty as it deserves to look.

The car is a 1996 Civic Coupe EX. I have done some research on my options and want to verify I have the right information.

As far as the airbags go:

1. There are plenty of videos and instructions out there to replace them when they haven't deployed. Should that change now that they are? Is there anything else I should know when removing them and installing the new ones?
2. There is an abundance of both the passenger and drivers airbags available on ebay. Is there any difference between the years of the 96-00 parts?
3. Would it be more worth my time to install the airbag delete for the passenger side? Are there known fitment issues for certain brands?

As far as the SRS module goes:

1. Is resetting the original or buying a new unit the better move? The price of a new module on ebay is comparable to sending it to a company that resets them. I have also seen DYI instruction to reset the module while it is still installed, is this recommended?
2. Can I unplug it to get the car running while I wait for parts to come in? Is there anything else I need to do for the car to get fuel again? I have seen that the fuel pump fuse can blow so I will be sure to check that.

Are there any other issues I might encounter outside of successfully installing new airbags and the SRS module? Any additional advice from those who have done this repair?

Thanks in advance for the help folks.

 

You'll also need to replace the ecu or send it out to get refurbished.

 

Hey Tony (my name too) why is that? I haven't seen that in any of my research.

 

Once the ecu detects that the airbag has been detonated the ecu will keep the srs light on. If another impact occur and you just replace the airbag that airbag isn't going to detonate.

edit: you can try replacing the airbag but if the light stays on that just means the ecu needs to be sent out to be resetted.

 

There are plenty of places that will reset the SRS ECU.

https://www.safetyrestore.com/

 

I'm guessing you mean the SRS module? The actual ECU for the car shouldn't come into play here right?

 

Thanks! I have seen a few was just wondering whether that was the best route, or to DIY it

 

So today I pulled the airbags out and the SRS module.

Is there a way for me to get the car running while I wait for the new airbags to come in and the module to be reset?

 

should still run unless there are damages that are preventing it from running.

 

+1 there is not a fuel cut system or other feature specifically which would prevent running after a collision. So, perform standard "no start" troubleshooting.

 

So it appears there is. Unless it was coincidence, the #13 fuse was blown. From the research I have done, the SRS module shorts that fuse to cut the fuel for safety in the event of airbag deployment. After removing the airbags and the SRS module, the car still did not start. Once I replaced the fuel pump fuse, it fired right up.

I'm going to send the SRS module in today to have the crash data cleared and reset. I do have some follow up questions though.

Does the clock spring need to be replaced and what does it do? Do the seatbelts need to be replaced? Do the impact sensors on the bumper need to be replaced and where do I find them? The company I am sending the SRS module to recommends replacing these components before re-installing.

 

Interesting, considering I see cars with blown airbags still driving around.

 

I mean you can drive the car after the airbags blow... Just not without putting a new fuse in for the fuel pump I guess. That's how I'll be driving around until my new airbags come in.

 

I see that Safety Restore also rebuilds seatbelts. Does anyone know if Honda still replaces seatbelts in EG's for free? I had my EF done about 15 years ago. Honda Automotive Parts still shows the seat belts in stock - wonder if I should take mine in?