OK, now that I've ranted about the useless Chilton manual, I have an actual question: They always emphasize disabling the airbags before working on the electrical system, and especially the dashboard. I can understand this if you're working on the instrument cluster, because you have to reach through the steering wheel. But do I really have to disable the airbags to work on the radio or the HVAC controls?
Also, what are the odds of accidentally setting off the airbag while attempting to disable (or re-enable) it? It looks pretty straightforward (separate a couple of connectors-- this is in a '97 Civic), but if there's any way to screw it up, I'd prefer not to find out the hard way...