1/2-tons (& maybe 3/4 w/coil front suspension) got crumple zones in '92 in preparation for airbags in '94.

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The later trucks ('97-up) aren't nearly as crude or obvious, but they do have engineered crumple zones. The early ones were too strong - I've never seen a '92-96 crumple under any circumstances, and that Bronco wrecked hard enough to diamond the frame, shift the body, & bend the axle back until the tire pushed up into the driver's floor. It took a lot to get it back on the road.

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The E-150 i was doing 35-40 when i hit the brakes (no abs) hardly any reaction time, so i know i didnt slow down much if any before impact. And she was coming towards me, so that compounds to into my deceleration rate.


Yes and no, the newer cars have much more sophisticated SRS systems then our 10 year old trucks have. Also that is mostly a CGI commercial, so hard to use that as "real world" facts for your argument

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj6Zw65etbQ
the airbag deploys right after the front bumper crushes (as it should). and the neon's deploy (no speed no decel?)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qpxaodABuI
Skip to about 5 min mark, shows side impact no airbags. But its possible the truck was "off" and the SRS system was thus off, but i doubt it

 

No ABS on you truck ???? Is it broke ?

If you were doing 35-40 and got clipped that hard, there is an issue with your SRS, it should have went off.

 

No i mean i didnt stomp on it hard enough to activate ABS. Didnt have enough time to get that far into the pedal

My SRS didnt go off because all the damage was outside the frame rail, and it was a "glancing" blow off the back of the van. Frame rails are still 100% true without any straightening after both my wrecks, just needed new bumper brackets for the RF and rears

 

Does not matter where the damage is on the (99) 00-03 F-150.
There are no impact sensors, it is all VSS & the Gyro in the RCM for deceleration.

If you were going that fast, and had deceleration ( as in coming to a stop ), then they should have deployed. If you glanced off the the E-150, and continued on, that is not deceleration.

 

I'm not saying it proves anything, but do you really think they'd CG an airbag? And that was just the only commercial I could remember any detail on - there are others that aren't so edited. Some of the older Allstate ones with Dennis Haysbert in the foreground, etc. Then there's my wreck in a 10-y-o CV...

And I don't think the RCM contains an actual gyroscope. The '02 manual says it "contains an internal safing sensor" and "contains 2 sensors". So I think they're just accelerometers, like tiny versions of older impact sensors, or the early 4WABS acceleration sensor.

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That section goes as far as describing the Clock Spring as an SRS component, but it fails to mention the VSS. Looking at the '02 F150 EVTM cell 46 Air Bags, the only connection from the RCM to the cluster is for the air bag light. Of course, there's a network connection that the RCM might use to get the VSS from the ABS, but I can't find where that's mentioned. It's not networked to the PCM or cluster, so it can't read the PID.

Anyway, my only point is: I'd like to read whatever you did about this minimum speed threshhold because I've never heard of it before.

BTW
There's no such thing as "deceleration"; only acceleration in the direction opposite velocity. But since the RCM can only determine acceleration's direction relative to its own mounting, any acceleration component along the vehicle's axis can affect the RCM's sensors, causing it to blow the bags, and the Neon certainly got some acceleration in that direction.

 

Anyone know the procedure to reset the module to keep the airbag light from flashing?
Replaced both bags and seatbelts, but left them unplugged for the time being until i can either get another modual or figure out the reset procedure for the 2002 f-1fitty.

 

The way to stop the LFC ( Light Flash Code ) is to fix the problem.

What is the LFC? It will flash a 2 digit code ( i.e. 1 -8 is 1 flash a pause then 8 flashes, pause and repeat ).

 

So....Go ahead and hook up the new bags and pretensioners and the light will go out. Correct?


I am being precautious about this, as I bought a 94 z28 that was wrecked at our local drag-strip about 6yrs ago, replaced the dash and bags. Plugged in the drivers side bag first and it blew as soon as it was hooked up. Fckd me up!! I used air bag covers after that incident.

 

If those are the causes of the LFCs.

Don't know what the code is, so I cannot say for sure what is going on.

I cannot comment on the GM product, know very little about the SRS on them, and nothing that old.

I don't even know what condition the RCM is in, usually a body shop tests the RCM ( or just replaces it ) prior to putting items back on it.

 

I agree, it is normal procedure to just replace, and that was my intent until I started scrounging around the net seeing individuals have figured out how to reset them on their own accord.[that is the reason i left the pigtails loose.] Until I could reset it or get a good replacement.

I learned my lesson on the GM the hard way, but that is the one and only time i ever have had an issue, injury and insult with the baggage.

And, really it makes sense and has worked in the past to plug and play if you will because the bad components have been replaced. Just a lil gun shy. [The GM broke a bone in my hand and gave me a nice looking face-job!]

 

You can cut the connectors off the blown components & solder in resistors to make your own airbag simulators to reactivate the system for testing. Once it passes with the simulators, you can confidently connect the new airbags & pretensioners. You can also buy Ford (Rotunda)/Snap-On simulators on eBay, etc.

A little Googling should turn up the correct resistor value for the simulators.

 

I was in an accident- I rear-ended a woman due to HER sudden and unexpected stop... my airbags did not go off, as the collision was NOT hard.
YET- I am being sued now for PI... anyone have a DEFINITIVE answer as to the speed at which my 2007 F-150 King Crew Lariat airbags should deploy...? I believe we were maybe doing 14 mph or so- and she was pushed into the minivan in front of here- which had been tapping the brakes to warn her THEY were stopped, but the woman wasn't paying attention accoring to the driver- who said "she looked like she was going to slam into me- so I was trying to warn her by tapping my brakes."
Anyone have an answer as NOW- some SHYSTER is trying to make a buck off my insurance company, Grrrr.....
Thanks to ANY and ALL replies...

 

First off, you should've posted a new thread. Secondly, if you hit her from behind, I am not sure what you're complaining about. You say the van in front of her was already stopped so why was her stopping "sudden and unexpected"?!? It seems she stopped in time...until you hit her. If you hit me from behind when I'm stopped, I'd be coming after you as well.

Good luck...to the both of you.

 

Did you replace the impact sensors? (whatever Ford used on the '02 F-150 to set the air bags off) I have done a lot of Ford air bags and ALWAYS replaced the sensors because they DO NOT reset (meaning when the ball passes through the "tunnel" it does not return because the channel is magnetic and that holds the ball in contact with the contacts and is therefore "expended". There are a ton of different types of "firing sensors" on different cars and years of cars. Some "reset" (return to seated position where they are not completeing the circuit) and therefore don't have to be replaced, but most do. All of the Fords I worked on do a "self check" of the AB system every time you turn the key on. If the parts that needed to be replaced were replaced (including ALL fuses), when you turn the key on it does a self check, the light goes off and you're good to go. Most GM's that I've worked on had to be reset. Air bag systems are a complicated and dangerous animal and I would suggest anyine who IS NOT fully knowledgeable about them LEAVE THEM ALONE! The reason the GM blew on you was because the sensors hadn't been replaced and the AB's therefore had no choice but to BLOW in your face!

BTW, Ford even had a sensor in the "brain" on the CV's so that also had to be replaced.

Sorry, just noticed the post I was responding to is 10 mo. old.