2002 suburban airbag question

[Justwondering]

Husband had open heart surgery. I have two weeks to figure out how to shut off or disable the front passenger airbag.
Doc told me not to let it deploy and hit him in the chest. He had an LVAD put in his chest
There is no key deactivate switch like in the Silverado

Do I just pull the fuse and we both go without?

JW

 

[Aspen500]

Other than have him sit in the back seat, about all you can do is pull the airbag fuse out. Alternative is to go in through the glove box opening and unplug the passenger airbag. Can't recall if it's single or dual stage so there may be one or two connectors. The light will be on with it unhooked but contrary to popular belief, all other airbags will still function normally. The occupant classification system in the passenger seat cushion disables the air bag when it detects weight of between (approx) 10 lbs to 80 lbs, with no manual way of switching it on or off.

 

[Justwondering]

How does the Silverado truck interrupt the airbag with the key slot on the dash?

JW

 

[Aspen500]

It's basically a key operated switch. It switches the deployment circuit from the air bag to a resistor that simulates the air bag, so the warning light won't come on.

Normal deployment circuits are 2.3 ohms to 4.7 ohms (depending on make and location of air bag) and any resistance monitored by the air bag module that is more than 0.1 ohms higher or lower, will turn the light on. They are picky suckers about resistance!

When testing air bag systems, there are air bag simulators that get connected in place of the air bag if needed. Never, EVER check air bag deployment loops with the air bags connected with an ohmmeter. The 9 volt battery is more than enough to set them off. Similar is anything with side/roof rail (side curtain ) bags, do NOT tilt the control module with it connected. The rollover sensor will trip and so will the side curtain bags.

More than you wanted to know but sometime's once I get started...............LOL

 

[old yellow 78]

I don't know what vehicle you are referring to, but if you look up info on the internet for the passenger airbag, you will likely find the location of the passenger airbag plug somewhere behind the dash that can be easily unplugged. When I bought my 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 last year, the airbag light was on, and I thought that it might be a bad "clockspring" behind the steering wheel. But, I then I found that the passenger plug behind a panel next to the glove box had either been unplugged, or had fallen apart. I plugged it back in and the airbag light went out. You should be able to do the reverse, although your airbag light will stay lit. Good luck to you and your husband - hoping for a speedy recovery for him!

 

[Justwondering]

Thanks for all the info from everyone.
I got him transferred from the hospital to the inpatient rehab yesterday.
So I have two weeks or more to get the house and car ready for his return.

JW

 

[Aspen500]

Before vehicles had the occupant classification system in the passenger seat, if vehicle had no back seat, it had a key switch. If it had a backseat, no switch. There were kits to add a passenger airbag deactivation key switch which were vehicle specific. We (at the Ford dealer) could only install them if the owner had a lawyer draw up the proper paperwork and forms (it was a stack about 1/2" thick) and the owner had a good reason to need the switch and so, get authorization from some government agency to do it. Then we had to sign our name after installing it. It was a lot of screwing around and the lawyer thing was to release Ford, the dealer and the installer from any and all liability if an injury was caused by the airbag being turned off.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

I'd get him to sit in back. Don't want to disable the air bag then have issues if there's ever an accident and someone starts screaming that whoever was in the front front seat wouldn't have been hurt as bad if the airbag had gone off. If you get a doctor's note let the dealer work it out or better yet ask the doctor where to go. He's asking for it to be done, he should have a recommendation.