Gen II Airbag in Gen I?

[SHO Mojo]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Gen II and later airbags are 2-stage? But, can they be used with a Gen I system, perhaps with a controller change?

Why am I asking? I have a sweet Gen II steering wheel I want to use on my Gen I, and want to hook-up the airbag if I can.

Thanks for any input,

 

[jelloslug]

All you have to do is change the connector on the airbag.

 

[SHO#7]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Gen II and later airbags are 2-stage? But, can they be used with a Gen I system, perhaps with a controller change?

Why am I asking? I have a sweet Gen II steering wheel I want to use on my Gen I, and want to hook-up the airbag if I can.

Thanks for any input,

OT, nice car. We should get together some time.

Mike

 

[SHO Mojo]

Changing Airbag Connectors...

OK Jelloslug, is that connector swap something I can do without having it blow up in my face?

SHO#7 That would be a good idea, perhaps at a local event or cruise night? Looks like you have a nice stable of SHOs!

 

[ohioshodude]

OK Jelloslug, is that connector swap something I can do without having it blow up in my face?

SHO#7 That would be a good idea, perhaps at a local event or cruise night? Looks like you have a nice stable of SHOs!

yes its possible and very easy. the dual stage air bags are a rather new idea they are in the 00 and on tauruses...

the air bag has a two wire plug but they are a smaller black plug in the genII. you can either cut and resplice the plug in the steering wheel or do as i did and replace the hole clock spring and wiring in the column and cut and splice under the dash. just make sure you unplug the battery before doing any of this or you might have a different SHOBOOM experience.

 

[SHO Mojo]

Ah...thanks.

Hey, I understand now. I didn't know that the two stage airbags were so "new" a product. I'll give it a whirl. Unfortunately, I recently replaced the clockspring, so I'll probably cut/splice on the steering wheel end.

Good info, thanks!

 

[ManySHOs]

I'll add my 2 cents which doesn't mean much. Two things though:

1. The Helms (1994) states that the Rotunda air bag tester is different for pre-93's. I always assumed that this meant that the airbag system itself was different but perhaps its only the connector?

2. I sold an airbag to someone who put it in an FR500 wheel in a gen1. The next owner found that the airbag idiot light had been taped over and that the airbag had kept flowing fuses. I never had a problem with it in the 93 atx that I pulled it from. Of course, I had no practical way to test it.

So, I have no experience with this but I previously thought that the airbag systems themselves were different and therefore the bags couldn't be switched. I guess I was wrong?

I'm not telling anyone that they are wrong. Just trying to learn.

Ian

 

[BigCaney]

I have also been wondering about the Gen 2 steering wheels and air bags in a Gen 1 car.

So a Gen 2 steering wheel will bolt up with no modifications to a Gen 1 car and the air bag will also connect and work after I change the one connector, right?

:wave:

 

[ohioshodude]

yup..

 

[Minnesho]

this also follows along to 92 SHO's since they still had the gen I airbag.