Someone hit my wife's '95 940T today. She's OK-but bruised and aching. Car (from what she said) is not too badly hit- but airbags went off (and cracked the windshield) so car is probably going to be "totaled". Recommendations? We may get some cash from the other driver-in this case, what should we get? If not, and we have to fix it, how cheaply can airbags be replaced? Used ones a possibility?
I do not want to buy another car for her now-my '94 940T has been mine for almost 12 years-and I want to get something different, not wait several more years!

Happy New year!
sredwine 940T has 235K

Dear sredwine,

May this find You Well. I wish your wife a complete and speedy recovery!! Happily, the car seems to have done what it was engineered to do.

You will need:
(a) passenger and driver-side airbags
(b) passenger and driver-side seatbelts
(c) collision sensor
(d) all SRs wiring (identified by bright orange insulation/sleeving.

All of these items - and the steering column clockspring - should be deemed "expended".

The best solution is to find a 1994 or 1995 car at a salvage yard, with an intact SRS System. It will take a few hours to remove these parts. The in-dashboard wiring harness is hard to access: there's a cable tie behind the dashboard center airvents, which I cut, by making a cutter from a hacksaw blade, so that I could hook the tie and cut it. Apart from that, there was no way to get a tool on that tie, without using a Sawzall on the dashboard.

The other items are relatively easy to remove, if the driver's seat motors are in good order. Be sure to check that the vehicle's battery has been removed - or completely disconnected - before doing any work on the airbag system. If there's no battery, You'll need a portable 12-volt source to move the driver's seat, so you can remove it, and so gain access to the SRS collision sensor.

You'll also need a large socket (19mm??) to remove the steering wheel nut. It is lock-tited, so you may need an extra-long breaker bar.

Finally, you should get the Volvo Tech Manual covering the SRS system. The replacement wiring should follow exactly the same routing as the factory-installed wiring.

Hope this helps.


Yours faithfully,

Spook

Was the other driver uninsured? If yes your insurance may kick in if you have "uninsured" coverage on your policy. Assume you do not have comp on your car.
Insurance or not you should get the cost repair or of replacing it with a like vehicle, including tax and any associated expenses. They owe you the cost of a rental car till yours is replaced or repaired. Nothing less. The fact that an insurance company deems it uneconomical to repair does change what you are due.
Use every possible reference to establish and negotiate your replacement cost, Kelly Blue Book, adverts etc. You then have the option of taking that amount, keeping the car and repairing yourself. Play hardball and do not get lowballed.
--
David Hunter

airbag deployment is not normally worth fixing unless your car is a low mileage and truly mint example.

even used you are going to spend 'many' hundreds of dollar just to replace these parts

hello and sorry to hear about your wifes misfortune. i hope she recovers herself quickly.

my single experience with volvo airbags was replacing them on a 1993 940 na sedan. likely the same setup as yours.

1. you will need the airbags obviously which you CAN find used from a junkyard.
2. you may or may not need the clockspring behind the steering airbag as the wiring can literally MELT. you won't know until you remove things.
3. you likely will need one or both seat belt systems as they have a charge which goes off in the event of an airbag deployment. the cartridge is buried in the pillar where the seat belt is anchored. IF the seat belt/s no longer retract or extend the cartridge has exploded.
4. you may or may not need one or more crash sensors which triggered the deployment in the first place.
5. you may or may not need the air bag brain computer as well and a special set of security torx fittings to remove it.

once you find out what exactly you have to replace and get it actually done you will then need to reset via an external obd like device the SRS system.

the job was not difficult and not particularly costly to do. do all these steps obviously with no battery connected.

your best bet for finding the parts used is here

http:///www.car-part.com

note the clockspring will often come with the steering wheel airbag IF you ask for it as a set. if it was me i would presume this part is bad and buy it. make sure you get an airbag of the right interior color to match. ask me how i know.

ps you might have to pay a shop with the right reset computer to do this job for you IF the srs light remains ON after replacing all the parts. it is cheaper than getting the device.

i have done 6 airbags setups on a volvo, 3 subarus and a 2 saabs. the volvo was the most comprehensive and required the most steps.

depending upon how extensive your system requires it might be cheaper to BUY a compatible 940 or 740 beater car specifically for scavenge and then sell whats left to a junkyard. cost it out both ways.........buying ala carte and buying a heart donor car.

Volvo Airbag system is hard to fix as they recommend replacing pretty much everything after deployment, even the belts. If you get parts from a junkyard and do it yourself you may be OK but a shop will charge an arm and a leg.