On many cars the front crash sensors have been eliminated, leaving just the "safing" sensor inside the air bag computer. You are right to want to replace the sensors. They do not get destroyed, but the concern is while the contacts are gold-plated, when the switch turns on briefly, it could leave a tiny arced spot, and if it is in another crash, the moving contact could potentially make contact in that same arced spot, and fail to turn on the circuit. The sensor will test fine, and look okay to the computer each time it runs its self-tests, but the air bag might not deploy in a crash.
The air bag computer is replaced after a crash for the same reason. It is also standard procedure to replace the clock spring. That is a wound-up ribbon cable in a plastic housing under the steering wheel. The ribbon cable is not damaged, but the connector for the air bag is burned and melted from the burning rocket fuel. Some passenger air bags are only fired with compressed air. You will need to examine the electrical connector to see if it is okay yet and can be reused.
May 16, 2017 at 5:04 PM
