Thread: 2005 Grand prix front air bags replacement. Whats involved?

Do you just replace the blown air bags and move on with your day or are there any special scan tools or SRS modules that need to be replaced/reset after the front air bags have been deployed and replaced?

I did a search but didn't see a writeup on removing the dash from a 2004+ grand prix. I bought a 2005 Grand prix with blown front air bags from lightly tapping a tree and the car just needs a bumper and hood. The drivers airbag was no problem but I went to a junk yard and tried to get the passenger side air bag out and it looks like the whole dash has to come out to get the passenger side air bag out.

Does anyone have any pics/tips/advise on removing the passenger side airbag from a 2004+ grand Prix?

I started taking one apart at the junk yard (it was 14 degrees outside today in Michigan) The plastic under the windshield started cracking like a potato chip and it looks like you have to pull the windshield out to get to the bolts to remove the dash.

I did manage to get a passenger side air bag out but wrecked the dash in the process so I will have to try and get another dash when its warmer outside. Getting this dash out without breaking the fragile plastic is not going to be fun in the cold.

My thoughts now are to just plug in the new drivers and passenger airbag and leave it on the floor to test and see if I got a good air bags from the junk yard. hopefully the SRS lights will go out on the dash. Just looking for some thoughts/advise before I do this. Don't want the passenger air bag to deploy again for some reason if its not mounted in the dash while I test to see if its good.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advise!

The seat belts are working fine at least since I bought it.

I have an xtool A30M and a thinkdiag OBD2 dongles that can talk to the SRS system just haven't hooked it up yet to check.

I ripped off the bumper cover off and replaced everything that was bent today. Nothing frame wise or radiator support was damaged so thats great! Bumper bar was caved it but a new one fit right in its place. Old hood even closed once I replaced the hood latch and bracket. Everything just lined right up with no persuasion so I know nothing got bent.

I think I can even do some plastic welding and save the bumper cover. It broke by the Pontiac symbol but should be fine after plastic weld with the steel staples. Hood has a little damage up front and bucked just 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch so I'll just replace that. $50 at a bone yard for a hood is easier than bondo and painting. These cars sure are plentiful in the junk yard around here.

Windshield and air bags next on the list.

Originally Posted by jj5428

The seat belts are working fine at least since I bought it.

I have an xtool A30M and a thinkdiag OBD2 dongles that can talk to the SRS system just haven't hooked it up yet to check.

I ripped off the bumper cover off and replaced everything that was bent today. Nothing frame wise or radiator support was damaged so thats great! Bumper bar was caved it but a new one fit right in its place. Old hood even closed once I replaced the hood latch and bracket. Everything just lined right up with no persuasion so I know nothing got bent.

I think I can even do some plastic welding and save the bumper cover. It broke by the Pontiac symbol but should be fine after plastic weld with the steel staples. Hood has a little damage up front and bucked just 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch so I'll just replace that. $50 at a bone yard for a hood is easier than bondo and painting. These cars sure are plentiful in the junk yard around here.

Windshield and air bags next on the list.

It's not all that difficult. You can either send out the module to have it reset or stick a used one in that hasn't had the bags blown. I did one on a Saturday morning.

Thanks for the info. I'll grab the air bag module under the front seat and the wire connectors that may be burned for the front bag from the junk yard tomorrow.

Thanks guys

Yup, installed the air bags and cleared the codes with my xtool. The following codes came right back:

B0051-13 Deployment Commanded
B0058-17 RF pretensioner deployment loop open
B0065-17 LF pretensioner deployment loop open

Heading to the boneyard now to get the module under the passenger seat.

Well I pulled the module and the seatbelts out of my current car before heading to the junkjyard. The front seatbelts do not have any wires that plug into them. Wonder how this system actually works...

ok figured this out. The air bag light is now off. I replaced the both air bags, air bag module from under passenger seat and drivers and passenger pretensioners (Where the seat belt clips into on side of the seat. There are wires coming out of these)

Weird thing I noticed is when I removed the actual seat belts from the car you could no longer extend them out. I thought they were locked up but they had no wires going to them. Same thing happened at the junkyard when I removed the actual seat belts. So I installed them back in the car and then they worked fine again. It is repeatable and I can not explain why this happens....

Originally Posted by jj5428

ok figured this out. The air bag light is now off. I replaced the both air bags, air bag module from under passenger seat and drivers and passenger pretensioners (Where the seat belt clips into on side of the seat. There are wires coming out of these)

Weird thing I noticed is when I removed the actual seat belts from the car you could no longer extend them out. I thought they were locked up but they had no wires going to them. Same thing happened at the junkyard when I removed the actual seat belts. So I installed them back in the car and then they worked fine again. It is repeatable and I can not explain why this happens....

The seat belts have a counterweight in them so if their not held perfectly vertical they will lock up. Thats what locks them up when you slow down fast. Nice job on the airbags!

That makes perfect sense.

Thanks for the help Scotty and GXP02!

Not sure I'd buy another air bag deployed car again. It was a good learning lesson. Got the car for $800 so it was worth it. Still have to do the windshield.

I'm ok with having air bags in the car. Just not buying another one with a blown passenger side airbag. I hate taking dashes out that have brittle plastic and doing windshields.