Vehicle Scrapping

Safe handling of live and deployed steering wheel modules requires adhering to following procedures:
1. Always wear safety glasses when servicing an inflatable restraint system vehicle and when handling a steering wheel module.
2. Before servicing SIR system, wait 10 minutes after disconnecting battery voltage before servicing SIR system. This prevents accidental deployment and possible injury.
3. Extreme care must be taken when handling a sensor. This also pertains to the SIR control module which contains the passenger compartment sensor.
4. Never strike or jar a sensor in such a way that may cause deployment.
5. All sensors, the SIR system control module and the SIR control center mounting plate bolts must be carefully torqued to ensure proper operation.
6. The following components cannot be repaired, as these components are serviced only by replacement:
a. Forward sensor
b. Arming sensor
c. Power supply
d. Diagnostic energy reserve module (DERM)
e. SIR control module
f. Coil assembly
g. Steering wheel module


Some vehicle with SIR systems that have live (undeployed) inflator modules may have to be scrapped because they have completed their useful life or have been severely damaged in a non-deployment type accident. The following procedure should be followed when scrapping a vehicle with an undeployed module:
1. Place ignition switch in Off position.
2. Ensure steering wheel module is secured to steering wheel and that their is nobody in vehicle, and remove all loose objects from front seat.
3. Disconnect lower steering column connector and remove shorting clip from connector.
4. Cut lower steering column connector away from vehicle harness leaving at least 6 inches of wire at the connector.
5. Splice two 18 gauge wires, at least 20 feet long, into steering wheel module circuit wiring at base of steering column.
6. Stretch wires away from vehicle to their full length.
7. Apply 12 volts across wires to deploy module. Do not touch steering wheel module area for 20 minutes, due to heat generated by deployment.