Pulling Stumps=deployed airbags

The qoute's I have been getting are around 5000 to repair (phone call to shops):
Replace Dash
Replace airbag modules
Replace Clock Spring
Replace Sensor module
Replace Steering wheel
Replace windshield
Replace Seatbelt tensioners
Replace Gauge Cluster

After looking at it in the daylight and after talking with my bodyshop:
In Reality:
Dash is fine
Gauge is fine
Seatbelts tensioners are fine

I will replace Airbags and components and Windshield Should be around 1,500-2,500 depending on the replacement parts.

The Truck is 12yrs old and has ~220,000 miles its been good to me I will fix it up and keep on driving it. Although I have seeen a few real good ones on Craigslist and depending on what the NADA Cash Value of the truck I may pick up another one. Just scares me since I put all the miles on this truck and I don't want someone elses problems. I guess I will pay the ~2500 stupid tax and move on.
 
techno said:
Remember what SRS stands for, Supplemental Restraint System. They supplement the seat belt. The seat belt does not need additional help to restrain a bodies reaction force in a rear end collision because most of the energy is absorbed by the seat.
Click to expand...

Did you know that the windshield is considered the primary restraint system? :driving:
 
dave_mcmillan said:
After looking at it in the daylight and after talking with my bodyshop:
In Reality:

Seatbelts tensioners are fine
Click to expand...

The SRS component is the pre-tensioner, an explosive squib mechanism inside the column cover that acts to tighten the seatbelt when the airbag deploys. If it did deploy, it needs to be replaced. If it did NOT deploy, I would assume it is defective and should also be replaced. Am I missing something?

EDIT: Yes I am. As pointed out below, pre-tensioners and front sensors started in '99. So yeah, no need to replace belt tensioner if they work fine--although I believe the correct term is retractor.
 
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I will find out more tomorrow when my body shop looks at the vehicle. I assume since my seatbelts pull out and retract plus will lock if I pull them suddenly it should be ok. Hell I really don't know I am not a body man...but this is the first vehicle I have owned with airbags...if you ask me its not really that big a deal since I will be the primary driver and have no real plans to sell it. It will have well over 300,000 miles before I get that desire if ever and who knows by then it may have other issues/disasters. As long as the seatbelts work I don't really care if the airbags are there or not. If I ever sell it I will replace them at that time I guess...of course this depends on the estimate of the cost of repair tomorrow. I am willing to put around 2500 +/- into it just not 5K...
 
Ive jerked some fence posts out of the ground with my Tacoma before, never thought it might deploy the airbag....

I crashed my first runner doing 45, 1 side roll and 1 endo and still couldn't get either of the airbags to deploy.
rolled.jpg~original
 
The early 4runners did not have pretensioners in the seat belts.


If it was me, I would replace the windshield, cut the airbags out, Vacuum all the airbag dust and roll with it. The Cover on the passenger side should go back to together and you can get a after market steering wheel or junk yard airbag to go in the steering wheel.

You might have $150 in a new windshield and $40 for a steering wheel or a used air bag.
 
OP,

Please post PICS of your truck.


What is actually damaged?
* window
* steering wheel


You can probably part out a new steering column and wheel from a junk yard and have it installed pretty cheap.

Also, how are you going to sell it with the airbags deployed?
 
Forgive me if I misled you I will not re-sale it without getting them repaired...just save up and do it if its more than 2500.00...my idea is to replace the windsheild and steering wheel and get the parts from a salvage yard over time and work with a body shop to do it. As long as the seatbelts are fine I'm good....hell its a daily driver not a trailer queen and its perfect for what I need it for. I will take care of it because it took care of me over the years.

I was not wearing my seatbelt when this happened so that may explain why the seatbelts are fine??? I am thinking a 2500 dollar repair beats a 4-5000 potential problem and mystery on another truck out there thats why I am not so quick to walk away from it.
 
Singtoe said:
The early 4runners did not have pretensioners in the seat belts.
Click to expand...

:iagree:

They didn't start putting seatbelt pretensioners until 1999.

Pretensioners are usually never on the belt portion. They are on the buckle portion of the seatbelt
 
I think this guy will be adding a kill the airbags switch in the dash for when I'm pulling stuck people out or getting towed out myself...
 
Sorry for the tangent, but if the accelerometer is in the middle of the vehicle, then why does everyone praise the ARB bumper for being airbag compliant? Wouldn't it then not make a difference what aftermarket bumper you had on?
 
Hepar said:
Sorry for the tangent, but if the accelerometer is in the middle of the vehicle, then why does everyone praise the ARB bumper for being airbag compliant? Wouldn't it then not make a difference what aftermarket bumper you had on?
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because it has built in "crumple zones" on the mounts... and its also a blanket statement, some other vehicles and manufactures actually do put sensors in behind the bumpers them selves
 

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Simply pull fuse #7 its the 'emergency flasher' one in the engine bay. This will eliminate the whole ordeal. Wish....wish...wish I knew that on Monday night.:nerd:
 
Hepar said:
Sorry for the tangent, but if the accelerometer is in the middle of the vehicle, then why does everyone praise the ARB bumper for being airbag compliant? Wouldn't it then not make a difference what aftermarket bumper you had on?
Click to expand...
Without the crumple zones, the ARB would make the front end 'too strong'. So when a collision occurrs, the decelleration is more severe than normal and the air bags can deploy at lower speeds (when they shouldn't).
 
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techno said:
Without the crumple zones, the ARB would make the front end 'too strong'. So when a collision occurrs, the decelleration is more severe than normal and the air bags can deploy at lower speeds (when they shouldn't).
Click to expand...

Gotcha. Well, then I'm glad I bought my tube bumper. Don't want anything that's going to crumple on me prematurely! :)
 
Haha, just don't wear sunglasses when you're wheeling. That way when you nudge a tree or a rock, the airbags going off won't smash your glasses and blind you. :D
 
While the main airbag sensor module IS in the center of the car, my '99 does have front airbag sensors inside the front frame members. The 2002 has them underneath the battery on the left and on the fender by the air cleaner on the right. I don't know about the early years but I just want to be clear that the later years (99+) do have sensors in the front for others reading this thread as it sounds like people are talking about all 3G's. For example, I am sure Hepar's rig HAS front sensors.

http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/1996/SIL/fsm/repair.html
 
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Durk...your links to the FSM have saved me a lot of money and are very informative....you rock man:thumb3:...I now know what to check to keep all of the people in line that I should be able to trust (muffler bearings...blinker fluid...etc...). I feel that I can almost perform the repairs myself. At least now I know what I am looking at as far as a realstic time interval etc....I owe you one.
 
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