ESTIMATED TIME 20 - 30 mins
DIY COST $ 200 - 600
DIFFICULTY Easy
What you will need
- Steering wheel airbag (Mercedes Benz GLA250)
- Flat screwdriver or Allen wrench
- Prying tool
- 10mm wrench
Procedure
- Open the hood. Pull the hood release under the dashboard, go to the vehicle's front, unlock the hood latch, and pull the hood up. Use the hood strut to hold the hood up.
- Disconnect the battery's negative terminal by loosening the 10mm bolt and pulling the cable out from the battery post.
- Go to the driver's seat and press the horn twice to discharge any residual current. Wait 5 minutes before continuing to the next step.
This procedure prevents the airbag from inflating when being removed.
- Locate the holes on both sides behind the steering wheel. If the airbag has never been removed, you will notice to indents. Use the screwdriver to punch holes where the two indents are.
- Insert a screwdriver into the holes horizontally.
- Push the screwdriver inside into the hole to detach the spring holding the steering wheel. Do this procedure on the other side too.
- Once the airbag pops out, carefully pull the airbag out of the steering wheel.
- Disconnect the electrical connectors of the airbag by pulling up the orange clip and pulling the connector out. Use a plastic prying tool to pull the clip and connector out.
- Pull the clip holding the connector cables of the airbag.
- Put the steering airbag in a safe place.
- Get the replacement airbag and connect the electrical connectors to the proper connection port.
- Line up the airbag to the steering wheel and push it to lock into its place.
Notes
- Always disconnect the battery terminals, press the horn twice then wait at least 10 minutes before working on airbags.
- Don't Probe The Airbag With Your Multi-Meter
- Always handle airbags with care. Do not drop an airbag.
- Many airbags are designed to destroy the protective covers they’re concealed in, such as plastic A-pillar or B-pillar trim, seat bolsters, passenger dashboard covers, pillar or B-pillar trim, seat bolsters, passenger dashboard covers, pillar trim, seat bolsters, passenger dashboard covers, etc.
- Airbags deploy with significant force and can not only damage peripheral and supporting parts, but the damage may not be apparent. This can include electronics, collapsible steering columns, ignition and brake interlocks, instruments, glass and more.
- Airbag sensors, which trigger the deployment, are often single-use designs, using a sliding, inertia-driven ball and a membrane. Once activated, these sensors will need replacement too to operate in case of another accident.
- Accidents that are serious enough to activate the airbags will often trigger the active restraints. That means that the seat belts will also need to be inspected and possibly replaced. Many vehicle restraints use a small explosive charge to tighten the belt by a few inches in an accident. Once that retractor is activated, it must be replaced.
