Need Air Bag help

[Nuke]

OK guys, I need some help/advice. My bro hit a(nother) deer with the 96. Not much damage, but enough of a jar to set off the airbags. Cosmetically, all it needed is a hood and a headlight.

Now I have done some research and am getting conflicting answers. Some people say that all you have to do is replace the airbags and nothing else. Others say you have to replace the brains or it will either never work, or worse, fire the new airbags when you turn the key on.

So does anyone know which it is? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

A few links for reference:
http://www.taurusclub.com/forum/82-...lace-airbag-1998-ford-taurus.html#post1739685

http://www.taurusclub.com/forum/82-maintenance-repair/101035-replacing-airbags-3.html#post1065298

 

[stephen newberg]

Ah, have you just asked Ford? I have not hit anything to have found out about this, so cannot help from direct experience. Eric, do you know?

pax, smn

 

[GEN 3 SHO FAN]

Cannot say about the computer but if your airbags opened, it's surely because you have a trigered crash sensor somewhere and you need to replace it before putting a new airbag. The only 2 crash sensors I know are on the front of a/c radiator. You have to retreive the bumper cover to access them. Behind the 4 bolts you will find 2 small square boxes, that's it. Please note that it may have another I never saw. I think they become more sensitive with rust affecting them with time but not sure.

If you have a front impact, the first thing they will do is scrap your a/c rad... Sorry for the photos, it's the more accurate I have.

 

[Nuke]

The front crash sensors are magnetic and reset from everything I have read.

 

[GEN 3 SHO FAN]

Magnetic ? I always tought that they create or cut an electrical circuit during an impact... Did you know how they work ?