I HAVE to find a way to disconnect my driver's side air bag. I sit as close to the wheel as possible & I have been terrified since I got the truck that if the air bag deploys I will be hurt worse than smacking into the steering wheel. I recently saw a car at a body shop where the air bag did deploy & it seems so HUGE - no way of dodging it or trying to turn away - it's still going to get me no matter what.
I know there's a fuse for the air bag so here's my question - if I pull the fuse, willl the bag deploy? I don't want that. I could care less about the idiot light & when I need to get the inspection done I'd pop the fuse back in for that. Also, will replacing the fuse tend to make the bag deploy? With my luck I'll get nailed playing with the fuse so that's why I'm turning to you guys for help first!
I know air bags can save lives but I'll take my chances of hitting the wheel at 70MPH rather than having the air bag hit me at 200MPH! I was a certified EMT so I KNOW the kinds of blunt trauma from steering wheels & I'd still prefer that to a full body impact from the air bag. Please let me know what you think ok? Thanks in advance!
Here's my 3rd. valid post that wouldn't fit well in another Forum OR get as much attention as it does here in General Discussion.

 

Cowlady, pulling the fuse should do it. I'm certified GM but should be the same. Two impact sensors need to contact at the same time in a collision to trip the bag(s). Putting the fuse in would not increase the likelyhood of deployment.

Basically, think of it like this, the sensors have a spring loaded ball in a tube. At the front of the tube are two wires with contacts. In a collision, the ball slides forward in the tube (the spring giving it it's deceleration point, 30 mph or whatever) and hits the contacts at the end of the tube completing the circuit. This has to happen in two (of usually three) sensors to deploy the bag(s).

Hopefully the airbag light won't flash when the fuse is pulled. Then the question will be, how do i pull the bulb. LOL.

 

After seeing a friend who had been in a serious wreck, I would never pull the fuse, even if I was 6" from the bag.

He was beaten and bruised, and actually had a couple of cracked ribs. A woman fell asleep at the wheel and came over the center line. According to what the troopers told him, they calculated a combined closure speed of 125 mph. They both walked away under their own power.

Have you ever heard of someone walking away from a steering wheel impact of such speed?

 

CL, it's really simple. Go to your nearest Ford dealer. They'll do it for you so long as your fill out the Federal form.

BTW, you could have asked this in one of the other forums and your count would go up.

 

If you pull the fuse the light will flash, also neither air bag will work. If you pull the air bag out and replace it with a 1 ohm resistor, the truck will think the air bag is still connected. Best part is that you put the air bag back in and it looks stock.

 

Cowlady,

Why don't you try to get a set of moving throttle pedals? This may be cost prohibitive, and then again it just might be a very viable option! They seem to be avilable on all of the cars now except for maybe a focus or escort!

 

The only legal and safe way to deal with the airbag is to fill out the Federal forms and have the dealer do the work.

 

I truly appreciate the help you have given me. I didn't think the adjustable pedals could be fitted into the truck but it's worth asking about. I do realize the importance of the air bag & if I didn't sit so close & were a little taller I'd want them. I'd swap for the new smart bag if possible but I was told it can't be done. At 5'2" I'm down so low in the seat it will be worse to have the air bag smack me in the head than to hit the wheel since the wheel has openings & isn't a "solid" surface like the air bag.
If I can't do the pedal thing I will let the dealer take care of this the right way so that it won't screw the whole system up. I don't ever plan on selling the truck but I still wouldn't want it permanently ruined. I just wish I had the same swithch for the drivers side that I do for the passenger side so I could turn it off for me but on for anyone else who may drive my truck.
Thank you again for your help. You guys are the best!

 

I was thinking of taking mine out and maybe selling them up on ebay. Then I stopped because it will probably be a lot of work. I see some of them selling for as much as $300. Now I do 300x4=1200 or a new pair of rims. I dont think that these airbags are actually safe because I have heard of cases when these things come out on their own. That is really dangerous. Have any of you taken yours out? Its a good thing that the F150 has a little switch that lets you turn them off in case you have a short passenger.

 

Cowlady is right, there should be a way to deactivate it (even temporary) just like the passenger side. The current airbag systems just aren't good enough yet. A big concern of EMT's and like, is when they're crawling inside to help someone, the airbag system may deploy (it's happened!) and severly injure them! The airbags may help save lives but if people didn't drive impaired, didn't run lights, drove defensively, shoved that cell phone somewhere, well you get the idea... we wouldn't need them! Hmmm, I guess we're stuck with 'em!

 

Here you go Cowlady. Keep that air bag hooked up.

http://www.pedalextenders.com/

No need to mess with the dealer. All you need is to order from this site (and a wrench).

The prices they list seemed high to me for what you get but, it is a Canadian Company and maybe those are Canadian dollars. If so, you can take about one third off.

 

With the kinda wrecks i've been in, i'll NEVER disarm the air bag. It's a life saver.

 

DanB360,
Just curious, how many accidents have you been in?

 

4. none of them were my fault, might i add also.

-and i'm only 19

 

Maybe consider trading your 150 in on a model with factory adjustable pedals. You should be able to find a used Super Crew for about $24k. Kind of a spendy alternative but you also get Gen II airbags!

Good Luck!