NSW - mechanic who can swap an air bag wheel

[tumble]

Hi! Can anyone recommend a mechanic in or near Sydney who can fit a wheel, including swapping the air bag out of the old wheel? Both the new wheel and the old wheel are stock (NB), so it should be very straightforward ... I just need a mechanic who doesn't mind handling air bags.

Thanks.

[tumble]

The people at MX-5 Mania can do it, and cheaply, so I guess that answers my question. :-)

[cookie]

4 small nuts and pull plastic cover off I believe. Swap module and nuts over. Plug in and bolt on. Easy! Took me 10 mins to do.

[Lokiel]

It's NOT a hard job to replace the steering wheel, but do the first 2 steps FIRST:

1. Disconnect the battery
2. Turn on your headlights to ensure there's no remaining charge in the electrical system (some say this isn't necessary but I'm not willing to take that chance when my head's in the vicinity of an explosive device)
3. Pull out the two blanking plugs, one on either side of the steering wheel
4. Unscrew the bolts underneath the plugs (from memory they're 10mm)
5. Gently pull out the airbag and disconnect the wiring harness (plug) before removing the airbag.
6. Remove the steering wheel nut using a socket wrench (don't remember what size it is but it's a "big-un")
7. Swap the steering wheel over and do steps 1-6 in reverse order.

When "playing around" with the airbag, try and position yourself either side of it (ie. don't remain directly in front). It's not gelignite but should be treated with respect.

[greenMachine]

When "playing around" with the airbag, try and position yourself either side of it (ie. don't remain directly in front). It's not gelignite but should be treated with respect.

Recently had the experience of being on the receiving end of an airbag activation, and I will second this advice, but remember they come out to the sides as well, especially the passenger side one (my passenger bag knocked the rear vision mirror off). Pro tip: death grip on steering wheel is a bad idea - bag will break bones in wrist/hand, so let the wheel go before impact. Fortunately I had more or less done this so escaped any wrist injury. It also follows that the further away from the steering wheel you sit, the less chance you have of having rib/chest bruising when it goes off - if you know someone who sits over the wheel, do them a favour ...

thread hijack/off

[tumble]

It also follows that the further away from the steering wheel you sit, the less chance you have of having rib/chest bruising when it goes off

I hope you're OK!

Interesting point about seating position, which I'd never thought of. Well worth a thread hijacking, IMO.

(Thanks for the other replies too.)

[greenMachine]

Thanks for your thoughts tumble, I was literally unscathed - the belts held me in tight, and it was low speed impact which reduced the forces acting on my body to throw it forward. But the experience was new to me, and it was interesting talking to the medics afterwards, so I thought it worth posting a couple of my 'take aways' from it.

[Lokiel]

It's interesting your comment regarding the seatbelt holding you tight to minimise injury from the airbag.

In the US, not all states mandate the use of seatbelts but they do mandate the installation of factory-fitted airbags in cars that were produced after a specific date. For this reason, many of the original airbags produced in the US for the world market would trigger very easily and even relatively minor bumper bar impacts would trigger the airbag, requiring an expensive airbag replacement and a trip to the hospital.

As a kid I witnessed another kid whack the front bumper bar of a Commodore to explode the airbag. It was pretty impressive watching it go off, which is why I give them a lot of respect when handling them today, but I was really surprised that he didn't really hit it that hard.

Without the use of a seatbelt and the airbags triggering easily in those days, I suspect that people were injured MORE from the airbag than they would have been without it (ie. there's a LOT more minor bingles than major crashes).

[Mr Morlock]

You sit in a car in the position that is recommended and appropriate to ones stature. A person at 5'4""is not going to be the same as someone at 6'. I doubt many would pay much attention to what US thinks about safety given an appalling road safety performance. Given that airbags can go off in milliseconds you don't get to consider where your hands are on the steering wheel. Whilst you may suffer some injury it's preferable to not surviving.

[tumble]

greenMachine, glad you're OK.

[greenMachine]

You sit in a car in the position that is recommended and appropriate to ones stature.

You can preach all you like Mr M, but you only have to look around to see the people driving otherwise. My comment was made thinking of those people who hunch over the steering wheel, or sit with their chests very close to the wheel. Doesn't matter why they do it, the fact of the matter is that if that airbag goes off they will suffer.

Given that airbags can go off in milliseconds you don't get to consider where your hands are on the steering wheel.

You have missed the point Mr M. My incident was approx. six seconds from start to airbag firing, 5.9 of which were available for preparing to deal with a possible impact. That is probably longer than most have, but there is almost always some warning period. Interestingly, a certain M Grosjean had this to say about his shunt on the weekend:

"When I saw it coming I knew it was going to be a good hit," said Grosjean. "I released the steering wheel, made my muscles strong, closed my eyes and waited for it to be over."

[KevGoat]

Someone my son knows works in a hospital ER. She explained to us once how shocked she is at the high number of people who require serious facial reconstruction from their hand or arm being forced into their face by the steering wheel airbag. She was quite P'd off that there's no education or media about how to reduce the risks of serious injury from the airbags.

I wonder these days about what would happen to that phone I see so many people holding in front of them while driving ...

[tumble]

I've been known to hunch over the wheel, in cars with extra-buckety seats that are ridiculously bad for my back if I recline. From now on I'm going to just avoid those cars.

[greenMachine]

Tumble, I apologise, your thread is now beyond recovery - I hope your question has been answered to your satisfaction ...

... because now I am going to continue the hijack!

Kev, that is not something I knew. In the light of experiencing an activation, I am not surprised though. Even though I was wearing a harness, helmet and HANS and sitting in a race seat set low and sitting well back from the wheel, it jerked my head back. Initially I thought the jerk might have been the HANS at work, but replaying the video frame by frame shows pretty clearly that it was the airbag. It also pushed my visor up, and created a windburn type sensation on my cheeks.

My initial comment about preparing for impact, and airbag firing, plus Kev's and Lokiel's comments, has accelerated my thinking about 'what to do', specifically, what to do with my hands. My initial thought was to fold my arms across my face, or my chest. However, the chest is out, for the same reason that sitting close to the wheel is not desirable. After reading Kev's post, so is holding them in front of the face. I guess that holding them low in my lap, or by my side, may be the go, maybe joining hands and trying to hold my belly button in might be a decent position to try and minimise hand and arms being thrown around.

I wonder whether though, I would be able to overcome the instinctive reactions - either to brace against the steering wheel, or to protect my face. Hopefully I will not have the opportunity to try it out!

[Mr Morlock]

it's a fair point that all drivers should be seated in the recommended driving position but people ignore these things. On balance air bags save lives or mitigate injuries.