custom steering wheel

[Ajaxus]

Originally Posted by AaronGTR

There is no statistical evidence showing that in serious accidents airbags are more likely to save your life than a seatbelt. Also given that the larger percentage of accidents on the road are just fender benders and not life threatening, all that happens when the air bags deploy are they are more likely to injure you, do more damage to your car, and make it more expensive to fix. Have you seen how much new airbags cost? They are over $500 each and the module for them that has to be replaced is over $300. That's more than $1300 just for airbags! Sounds like a scam to me... gives insurance companies an excuse to say your car will cost too much to fix and total it instead.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news0...a_airbags.html

NHTSA estimates that airbags have saved almost 20,000 lives.

http://www.iihs.org/research/topics/airbags.html
Check the News Releases halfway down.


http://ohioinsurance.org/factbook200...chapter_1t.htm

Deaths in frontal crashes are reduced about 26% among drivers using safety belts and about 32% among drivers without belts.

More than 6,018 people are alive today because of their airbags (4,750 a year ago), according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Here's my favorite from this site:

NHTSA estimates that the combination of an airbag plus a lap/shoulder belt reduces the risk of serious head injury by 81%, compared with a 60% reduction for belts alone.

I looked at over a dozen more websites and their numbers held true. Those appear to be statistics proving an airbag's effectiveness.

Now before you jump down my throat about what I didn't quote. There are the cases where children are injured/killed by airbags. But if you read the articles about this you will see that these children either should not have been in the front seat or their car seats were improperly installed, this is driver error not the fault of the airbag.

When it comes down to it, maybe most accidents are just fender benders, but you can't see the future and you don't know if someone is going to get into a major accident. It's better to be safe than sorry. I see what happens to people who get into accidents at my job every day. And many of them have their lives saved by airbags.


As for your arguments about cost, wtf? Justifying the sacrifice of safety over money? You've got to be kidding me.

[AaronGTR]

Key word in most of those is "estimates". What I'd like to know is, if someone gets in an accident and has their seatbelt on AND their airbags deploy... and they live... how do they prove it's because of the airbags and not the seatbelts?

They can't.



I think the insurance companies have enough money to pull strings at the NHTSA and promote any propaganda they want, and you'd never know. After all it is a government agency, and those of us in states with no fault insurance know how that works. The government and the insurance companies claimed it would save us money and it actually did the opposite. So why would you believe anything the government or the insurance companies tell you? They are only out to make themselves money. They don't give a damn if you survive a car crash.

[jurgs2007]

ok. about the airbag light going off... i shoud just be able to remove the airbag light if i cant get it to go away right? i have a handheld device that deletes codes, but they do come back if the problem isnt fixed.. and does anyone know exactly what adapter i would need to attach the wheel since all of them that i can find are only rated for up to 93 GA's?

[AaronGTR]

The hand held device you have won't delete codes from the BCM. Only a tech2 can do that. Most other code scanners only work on the pcm. If you wanted to take the airbag light out, yes you could do that but you'd have to take apart your gauge cluster. The car will also make three extra chimes when you start it up. There's no way to get rid of that. I'd try the resistor first and see if that works. It's not hard to do.

Any momo hub adapter for any late model GM car should work (ie, cavalier, grand am, F-body, etc.). I bought mine from RK sport from their catalog for the cavalier. It fit perfect 'cause they use the same size steering shaft with the same end. The adapter just pushes over the knurls on the end and the wheel bolts to the adapter.



If you decide to do this, just make sure it's what you really want. I think it's obvious from this thread that there are pros and cons. For me personally, I decided the cons weren't that big a deal. You have to decide for yourself though.

[jurgs2007]

Originally Posted by AaronGTR

The hand held device you have won't delete codes from the BCM. Only a tech2 can do that. Most other code scanners only work on the pcm. If you wanted to take the airbag light out, yes you could do that but you'd have to take apart your gauge cluster. The car will also make three extra chimes when you start it up. There's no way to get rid of that. I'd try the resistor first and see if that works. It's not hard to do.

Any momo hub adapter for any late model GM car should work (ie, cavalier, grand am, F-body, etc.). I bought mine from RK sport from their catalog for the cavalier. It fit perfect 'cause they use the same size steering shaft with the same end. The adapter just pushes over the knurls on the end and the wheel bolts to the adapter.



If you decide to do this, just make sure it's what you really want. I think it's obvious from this thread that there are pros and cons. For me personally, I decided the cons weren't that big a deal. You have to decide for yourself though.

ok, if a resister is an option, then what if i was able to locate the correct wires on the bcm and either cross them or ground one, think that might work?

[AaronGTR]

Doubt it. The BCM only handles part of the operation and basically just turns on the light if there is a problem. The part where the resistor is supposed to go is between the two wires that actually plug into the airbag, and those wires go back to the airbag control module under the passenger seat, not the BCM.




edit: btw, I found the resistor. It's supposed to be a 2.2k Ohm.

[Elderas]

Momo hub 2401 they sell em on ebay

Good luck yanking the damn steering wheel off tho. GM Had to get crafty and completly ignore the standardized method of removing steering wheels. They had to make their own damn method.

[jurgs2007]

thanks guys. should be getting this done in a couple weeks.

[MrNooblet]

So how did it turn out looking?

[LukeL]

Originally Posted by AaronGTR

It is not illegal to remove the airbags.

In NY you cannot have your car pass inspection with the Airbag Light ON...I would double check to see if you can pass inspection with a malfunctioning Airbag. Essentially the disconnected Airbag will turn the Airbag Light on and will throw a code to the scanner saying the Airbag is not functioning properly. I had a busted clock-spring throw my light on and had to replace it to pass inspection on my Truck.

[grandam3400]

I have a friend that had the airbags taken out of his steering wheel and dash board when he ordered his Lexus.

[jurgs2007]

i havent gotten to it yet. i got the resistor that i need to trick the computer into thinking the airbag is still there. also i am waiting till i have time when i wont have to drive anywhere till im done with it.

[AaronGTR]

Originally Posted by LukeL

In NY you cannot have your car pass inspection with the Airbag Light ON...I would double check to see if you can pass inspection with a malfunctioning Airbag. Essentially the disconnected Airbag will turn the Airbag Light on and will throw a code to the scanner saying the Airbag is not functioning properly. I had a busted clock-spring throw my light on and had to replace it to pass inspection on my Truck.

Sucks for you in NY.


I guess if someone can find out if the resistor trick actually works, then people could do it and not have a dash light on or a code set. Then people in inspection states wouldn't have to worry about it. Personally I think inspections are a load of BS though, and I wouldn't live in a state that required them.... or those ugly front license plates.

[ramair4thesoul]

Same NC. No inspection if your car came factory with airbags and they are taken out.

[LukeL]

Originally Posted by AaronGTR

Personally I think inspections are a load of BS though.

They are...

[jurgs2007]

yea, im stuck with a front plate... thats one law wisconsin has that i hate... along with the 35% tint law...