I need help on how to remove the air bag on the steering wheel.
My wife somehow got a penny jammed into the air bag housing on the steering wheel. Everytime we turn, we hear this penny clinking behind the air bag. I am concerned that if we do get in a wreck, we will have a penny coming at us at 200mph. I would like to get this out. I have a Chiltons manual that tells me to just "remove" the "air bag module" after disconnecting the battery, but this thing scares me. I pulled on it a little and got a screw driver in there, but chickened out after that. Can you help?

 

make sure to disconnect the battery before servicing
the air bag.Any little voltage spike could set it off.I know
the older bags were more sensative.

 

Airbags are scary but i have never seen one go off while it was being worked on, infact i see technicians replace them without disconnecting the battery, i wouldn't recommend that though. Don't worry about the penny flying out since the front of the airbag is actually your steering wheel cover, in other words the penny is behind the airbag, there is no way it can get between the bag and you.

To remove it, look on the side of the steering column for 2 round plastic covers about the size of a dime, there should be one on each side. Using a dental pick or a really small screwdriver pry those covers off, then you will see a torx head screw, unscrew that and you can pull airbag right out.

At least thats how they come out on some cars i've replaced them on, your truck may be different but i doubt it.

-Jon

 

Don't know what year your truck is, but it shouldn't matter. Make sure the negative battery cable is disconnected. AFTER that, turn on the headlight switch for 10 seconds to drain any capactitors. Then, remove the four 10mm nuts located on the back of the steering wheel, and the air bag assembly will come loose.

Take care,
-Chris