# Airbag broke windshield, this common?



## Mr200 (Oct 21, 2007)

First post, Hi all.

Hit a deer at 60MPH, was wondering if it is worth fixing. Needs new radiator support, condenser, radiator, fans, shroud, headlights/blinkers, windshield and airbags. I searched on the airbags...whats up with the need for a new airbag computer? Does the computer self destruct when it activates the bags?

If I were to give up on fixing the 1995 200sx and find a 200/sentra with a bad engine, what years had the exact same engine sensor/harness/engine computer for the easiest swap. It's got a 1.6L automatic. Bought when it had 70K and now it has 140K. Only service I've done (opther than typical) is remove and clean injectors, change starter and replace the front crank seal. This engine is a great motor, just keeps going and is so smooth. 

What other cars out there have similar engines that are not too much trouble to swap other than 200/sentra.

I'm good with a wrench and better with a volt meter so I can do it, just looking for some insight from the folks that really know these cars.

Thanks, John


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

it is common that when the passenger side airbag goes off that it breaks the windshield. 95-99 are the same, only thing you need to watch out on is 95 will still be OBD1 and 96 was the start of oBD-II so you'll have some extra emission items on the newer vehicles.

You could probably find the same car in the condition that it was before your wreck cheaper then it'd cost to fix it.

If you're wanting a power upgrade, the sr20de(t) swap is fairly common, check out www.sr20forum.com if you're interested in it.


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## 94xe-r (Oct 10, 2002)

personally id fix the car scrap the airbags, get a new Nice steering wheel and let 'er keep on gettin it. new parts for that car are fairly cheap. i repair them from time to time. the last nissan i did was a 96 maxima exact same senario . and needed all the same parts u listed and then some. i did all of it WITH PAINT for less than 2 grand. less than double what a body shop wanted. either way its your choice, if insurance was on it. see what they say. if they total it. it may be an option to look for another car like that in which u can buy your back for cheap and use for parts, or scrap it and start from scratch with a new one. as u already know. the choice is yours. BTW welcome to the forum


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## Mr200 (Oct 21, 2007)

*Gonna get junked/parted*

Well I found a disturbing bit of info yesterday. Went car shopping with my daughter to replace the car while I decide what to do with it. My son needs a car and I figure I could buy a car with a blown engine and use this one out of the wreck or fix the wreck.

Anyhow, I asked her about the accident and if the engine stayed running after the impact and she said yes. I asked her when she shut the engine off. She said after the deputy sheriff arrived. So I ask how long that took and she said around 5 min.

Yes she is blond! The engine is cooked I'm sure. It still starts and idles fine but has blue smoke which it NEVER did.

So the impact busted the right side radiator tank and hose, spewed out all the coolant and then ran for another 5 min. and cooked itself


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## Mr200 (Oct 21, 2007)

*IT LIVES AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!*

I resurrected this thing. I pulled the head and ground the valves, replaced the piston rings and broke the glaze on the cylinder walls. When you overheat one of these engines, seems the first thing to go are the exhaust valves. 

I purchased a T-boned black b14 just like it and swapped everything over. Airbags and computer were swapped. Thursday it got a new windshield and last night I pulled a deep vacuum on the A/C system. Found out that the factory uses PAG 100 oil so I will add an ounce or 2 to make up what was lost in condenser swap.

My 17YO son will be driving it. He gets to pick whatever color he wants it to be. We will paint it in my workshop you see in the airbag pic.

John


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## darkphantom (Dec 25, 2007)

The only question i have is how the freak do u get the air bags out and replace them both the steering wheel air bag and the dash air bag anybody have a link sorry if im off topic


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## Mr200 (Oct 21, 2007)

darkphantom said:


> how the freak do u get the air bags out and replace them both?


First, disconnect the battery and wait 10 min. for all electrical charges to dissipate to ensure the power is gone so you don't get killed by a deploying air bag.

Secondly, get a T50 security torx bit. Security means the end of the bit has a hole in it for a peg that sticks out of the center of the splines on the fastner. 

There are covers on the sides of the wheel base that you pull off. One plastic cover is on the cruise control controls (if equipped). You pry off these covers and then 2 phillips screws from the cruise control controls and pull the controls off. Only 2 torx fastners hold on the airbag. unscrew them and disconnect the yellow wire connector from the bag and lift out the steering wheel air bag.

This was the simple bag to replace.......................................

Passenger side requires removal of the entire glove box and you might as well take out the seat since you will be there a while:balls:

The passenger side bag is held in by 6 fastners. Two of them are T50 security and 4 are metric nuts that require a 10 MM socket. The torx are easy to get to however all the security torx on the system have some form of locktite on them so they fight you loosening and tightening.

So the torx are at the lower part of the bag to anchor the bag module to the pipe frame that the dash is built onto. The tough part of the job is to get the 4 nuts off. These nuts secure the left and right sides of the bag module to the dash pad. 1/4 inch drive is good to have along with universal and extensions. The sharp metal parts of the under dash will play heck with your hands and If you knock off a socket or extension.........it conveniently drops in your face.

The airbag control computer is under the center console at the rear of it. I used the donor car system since it had never been "set off". I don't know if you can reset or clear them for reuse. On craigslist there is a service that will do this for $55 but since I have a good one I have not looked into this.

I did have to reset the air bag control module by pressing the door jamb button 7-10 times in 15 seconds or so to get it to stop blinking. That process can be found on this forum elsewhere.

Good luck and be careful,

John


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## ilytheking (Feb 28, 2008)

*SRS/Airbag Module RESET - $55*

Yea, I used that service too. Its MyAirbags - SRS Module Repair - after accident $55 -. They did for $55 and shipped it back to me for free. Fast shipping....
Good stuff and a lot cheaper than replacing the with a new or used module.


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## johnsmalls (Feb 28, 2008)

Yeah, I am another satisfied customer from MyAirbags.com - $55 and all is back to normal. These guys are fast... There website is MyAirbags - SRS Module Repair - after accident $55 - and there phone is 678-778-8890


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## Mr200 (Oct 21, 2007)

Mr200 said:


> I resurrected this thing.
> 
> 
> My 17YO son will be driving it. He gets to pick whatever color he wants it to be. We will paint it in my workshop you see in the airbag pic.
> ...


Well it happened again. This time no engine damage and the air bags did not deploy. I have already obtained a radiator support from Ebay. Next week I will be junk yarding for Sentra/200sx front end parts.










John


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