Just wondering if anybody knows the laws (specifically in Cali) about removing the steering wheel with an airbag. The reason is, I want to put in a MOMO wheel. I have heard it was illegal to remove the airbag. But, what if the airbag was triggered in an accident and you replaced it with an aftermarket one, rather than an OEM one? Thanks in advance.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Art701 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Just wondering if anybody knows the laws (specifically in Cali) about removing the steering wheel with an airbag. The reason is, I want to put in a MOMO wheel. I have heard it was illegal to remove the airbag. But, what if the airbag was triggered in an accident and you replaced it with an aftermarket one, rather than an OEM one? Thanks in advance.</TD></TR></TABLE>
there's no such law that requires you to have airbags on your car. it's for your own safety. so, to answer your question, yes it is legal to replace your stock steering wheel for aftermarket one.

 

it is problematic when it comes to insurance company. in which case your premiums will go up if you do disengange the system and notify them. failing to do some can result in cancellation of the policy. (at least here in ontario - canada)

 

I asked this question a while back and didn't get a good response.

Removing it also causes your SRS light to stay on right? What do you do about that other than remove the bulb from the dash? Will it affect the passenger side bag?

 

Ive heard of some people getting bad tickets for not having airbags. Depends on what your purpose is for removing the airbag, if its for racing and weight purposes, i would just remove the pssgr side one also, and then just disable the whole SRS unit so you dont get a light at all. But from what I have read if you leave the pssgr side one in and still want it functional you would have to take the light out of the dash.

 

Call your insurance company first, and see what they say. If you get in an accident where you're injured and they find that your car doesn't have an airbag when it should, it's possible (maybe even probable) that they'll deny your claim. If that ever happens, have fun paying the medical bills.

 

ya know from what i have read and heard no one ever owns anything in CA. sure you can use it and even pay for it but they tell you what you can and can't do with it. i guess i am used to hicksville where i can cut the cat-converter off my car take hour long showers eat mcdonalds and be an good example of what is wrong with america.....Oh the hell with it!! never mind!! i am done!!!

 

Okay, here it is, and I have asked Sheriff's, LAPD and CHP. You will get varied responses, police are very unclear on the matter. But you can (and I have) remove your SRS wheel and replace it with a momo. The real legality comes when you sell the car. You CANNOT sell a SRS equipped vehicle WITHOUT the airbag unless it is a salvaged vehicle, legally that is. If you sell to a friend, well that's up to you.

And yes if you diconnect the drivers side, the passenger side will still work, you will just have the SRS light on. You cannot clear this light with only one airbag plugged in. Just open your cluster and put electrical tape on it. Dealers can be clueless on this very obvious thing too. I took my car for service at a dealer once, and the HEAD service writer was telling me that my SRS light was on. I told him I knew, it was because i changed my steering wheel. Duh?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RSZero1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
And yes if you diconnect the drivers side, the passenger side will still work, you will just have the SRS light on. You cannot clear this light with only one airbag plugged in. Just open your cluster and put electrical tape on it. Dealers can be clueless on this very obvious thing too. I took my car for service at a dealer once, and the HEAD service writer was telling me that my SRS light was on. I told him I knew, it was because i changed my steering wheel. Duh?</TD></TR></TABLE>

You are incorrect. If the SRS light is on the SRS ecu is throwing a code and the system is disabled and neither airbag will work. I had a non-SRS EK9 wheel in my 99 CX and I was in a bad accident in which I rear-ended someone and the pass airbag should have gone off but didn't because the SRS light was on and the system was therefore disabled.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by YumVTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

You are incorrect. If the SRS light is on the SRS ecu is throwing a code and the system is disabled and neither airbag will work. I had a non-SRS EK9 wheel in my 99 CX and I was in a bad accident in which I rear-ended someone and the pass airbag should have gone off but didn't because the SRS light was on and the system was therefore disabled.</TD></TR></TABLE>

This is correct...

As far as the light is concerned. You CAN keep the light from coming on, and retain functionality of either side bag if one is removed. How? 2ohm resister plugged into the yellow SRS connector where you removed one bag.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RareSI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

This is correct...

As far as the light is concerned. You CAN keep the light from coming on, and retain functionality of either side bag if one is removed. How? 2ohm resister plugged into the yellow SRS connector where you removed one bag.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yep, you have to trick the SRS ECU into thinking that the driver airbag is really still there. i tried doing that but was never successful, so i just ended up disconnecting the SRS ECU.

 

No no guys, you cannot legally disable your airbag, without having a valid reason (like you are two short, and have to sit really close to the wheel, or are pregnant, or something like that..). And even then, you can just disable it, not remove.

and you have to get authorization from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/airbags/
http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/march98/airbag.htm

 

I'm putting an EH/DC SRS equipped steering wheel into my friend Mike's (jdmDXrex) '88 Rex... Now it's gonna have an airbag so I'm gonna hook it up to a SPST switch so we can pop it whenever, j/k... Is it illegal to equip a nonSRS car with airbag??? Even if it is I don't really care, the EH/DC steering wheel just looks better... Wiring up the combination switch/clock spring is the FUN part... Latez

 

i don't know for sure, but i don't think it's illegal to put an airbag in a non airbag equipped car. it's probably just like seat belts, on older cars without seat belts, after you put them in there, you can't take it out.

 

it is illegal to put a aftermarket steering wheel with out a airbag in a car that comes equipped with an airbag but u can put a aftermarket one with a car that did not come with one,

 

Thanks for all the replies, i guess everyone has different opinions. . .keep em coming!

 

in my opionon who cares FIXING UP CAR is already a ticket

 

Well, here is my opinion;

An air bag is part of the government mandated safety equipment and would be illegal to remove.

Of bigger consern to me would be if you were involved in an accident the insurance companies could use it as an excuse to not give full coverage.

Wes Vann

 

"55-9-108. Airbags. —

Any person who knowingly installs or reinstalls any object in lieu of an airbag that was designed in accordance with federal safety regulations for the make, model and year of the vehicle as part of the vehicle inflatable restraint system shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
[Acts 2003, ch. 160, § 1.]"

this is the code in tennessee...

no opinions here...
just facts.

(btw) i'm still removing it. , and if it becomes a problem, i'll put it back in...