I have been reading some posts on this site that mention disabling an air bag system before working on or around it. They mention that you must disconnect the battery and wait two minutes before starting to work. I have also read this in a name brand repair manual. I have a good friend who used to work as a tech for Ford. He cautioned me that to be safe, you must wait at least 11 minutes because the capacitors in the air bag system can store enough electricity to deploy the system for up to 10 minutes after the battery has been disconnected. Getting struck by an air bag at close range could cause a very serious, if not fatal injury. (Not to mention expensive. I understand that the replacement cost is in the area of $1,000.00 per unit) Does anyone have any imput on this?

 

Instead of removing the battery cable, you can also remove the fuse to the airbag(s). Of course, follow your manual when removing the airbag.

 

'98 Ford Manual says:

WARNING: To avoid accidental deployment and possible personal injury, the backup power supply must be depleted before repairing or replacing any air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) components. To deplete the backup power supply energy, disconnect the battery ground cable and wait at least one minute. Be sure to disconnect auxiliary batteries and power supplies (if equipped).