Replacing Seat Belt and Air Bag after Collision

I have an '04 Nissan Frontier that was hit head-on and the driver's air bag deployed. I repaired/replaced everything that was damaged except the air bag (so far, still working on it). The driver's seat belt is stuck in place and will not pull out or retract. Does this have something to do with the air bag light still being on or is it a seperate problem? I've read that I need to have the air bag module "reset." Will doing this insure that both front air bags will be functional?

Do I need to replace the seat belt or is there a way to unlock it?

Thanks.

Reply to
Ulysses
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I'd replace it anyway. If the airbag deployed that kind of implies that you were thrown forward against the belt; if you ask Nissan, they'll tell you to replace it (to conceal their posteriors.)

Additionally, it may have a pyrotechnic tensioner mechanism completely separate from the airbag system (other than it may be triggered by the airbag module, not sure) and those are one use only deals.

Unfortunately, you will be at the mercy of the dealer for these; a junkyard won't sell you seatbelts. (if you think about it for a minute, you'll see why...)

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Did you also replace the air bag collision sensors? The belt will need to be replaced because it has a charge similar to the air bag in it. That is why it's locked. Also check the passenger side as well. It may have triggered as well.(it's not supposed to BUT!) Once you have replaced the sensors (and any bad wiring) replaced the bag and made sure the belts are good the system will run a diagnostic.

If you then connect it up to a scan tool it will show the system OK and allow the light to be reset. A scan tool can also show you which sensors have tripped, which items have fired and give you a better idea of what to replace.

The belt and bag will need to come from a dealer. They are both items that the salvage yards are not allowed to sell any longer.

Reply to
Steve W.

Thanks (both of you) for the excellent info. It did not occur to me that the seat belt would give a code on a scan tool. Good thing I'm here asking you guys ;-)

The passenger side belt *seems* to be OK but from what you said if it's not then I should get an error code. The great deal I found on an air bag appears to be a salvage item but doesn't say so in the listing. Now I see why. In any case my wife drives this truck and she would be difficult to replace so I'd better keep looking for a new air bag.

Now all I have to do is find a Nissan dealer that's still there....

Reply to
Ulysses

quoted text -

I personally don't see the big deal with using a used air bag unless there's obvious corrosion etc. but you pays your money and you takes your chances. It all depends on your personal comfort level with the risk involved.

Now a used seat belt, that's another story - the party line has always been that you should replace any seat belt that was in use at the time of a crash, and anything in a junkyard may have degraded from outdoor exposure etc. so you shouldn't use those either. That's just because of the integrity of the webbing etc. The pyrotechnic thing is yet another consideration to take into account.

nate

Reply to
N8N
**********

I know what you are saying, but the legal issues that could crop up could make one lose some sleep..."What if's" And I dont know the answer to "what if".

I would not let my wife drive anything that I had any doubts about.

Reply to
hls

I guess I am a little more risk tolerant than most when it comes to passive safety devices, because I don't really worry about having to use them. Heck, I don't own a car with airbags.

Now tires, struts, suspension bushings, brakes, etc... those are the important bits.

Other people's priorities may be different, obviously.

nate

Reply to
N8N

Other people's priorities may be different, obviously.

nate

******** I agree with you totally about critical suspension parts, tires, etc. The figures seem to say that the air bag is a life saver...but, I know of some people who have been injured by them...not life threatening injuries, but injuries requiring plastic surgery, etc.

Better than being dead though.

Reply to
hls

Cars went for years without airbags. My wife drives a car without an airbag every day, and so do I.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

This would all be a lot simpler if I hated my wife and wanted to get rid of her ;-)

Reply to
Ulysses

I drive a car without an air bag, but it's more like a truck ('91 Explorer). The Nissan held up just fine with a total impact of about 55 mph. The bumper, AC condensor, radiator, and fan clutch were all destroyed but the headlights didn't even break (and still work and are properly aligned) and so far there is no sign of any damage to the frame or suspension etc. I had a professional mechanic look at it and his opinion was to go ahead and fix everything. So, for ME, I would be willing to drive the truck with no air bag as long as the seat belt worked. But from what I've been reading here the seat belt and air bag may or may not be on the same circuit controlled by the air bag module so now my question is: can I replace the seat belt with a generic retractable seat belt or, if I should do so, will this cause error codes and prevent the air bag light from going out and possibly prevent the other (passenger side) seat belt from functioning properly (locking into position) in case of another collision?

Since my wife will probably continue to be driving I'd rather just replace the air bag. As someone pointed out, they don't really intend to be crashing into stuff so a seat belt should be adequate. However, my wife was in a situation where she could not do ANYTHING to avoid the collision. The offending (or in this case Avenging) vehicle was going about 55 mph on a blind 10 mph turn on a dirt road and was on the wrong side of the road and could not stop. She was as far over as she could get and even if she had gone off the road she still would have been hit and possibly on the driver's side. Of course then the front air bag would be rather useless.

I actually found a local Nissan parts dealer--they closed the dealership and moved across town. Now I just need to find the registration or copy down the VIN and get some prices. I don't see anything wrong with buying a salvaged air bag because as far as I understand if it did not deploy (and there's no corrosion etc as mentioned) then there should be no reason why the air bag itself should not work as long as the contol module has been reset and everything is connected to satisify the system.

Reply to
Ulysses

just make sure that it's used/undeployed and not repacked. seriously, I have heard some stories about people repacking airbags with weird stuff (gunpowder etc.) don't know if they're urban legends or not.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Damn sure been there, done that!

Reply to
hls

Reply to
faisal.fuad.259

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