I was looking at the wheel in my 93 Cavalier RS wagon today and thought that it would make a good looking replacement for the base coupe NK5?? wheel in my 88. It is an air bag wheel and my question involves whether the air bag is computer controlled or if everything necessary for it's operation is self contained. Could it be easily retrofiited to the Fiero?

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Notchbacks Rule
84 Coupe(project car)
85GT(show car)
86???(looking)
87SE (daily driver)
88Coupe (daily driver)

The airbag is controlled by the computer and several sensors in the front of the car, I would not recommend trying this swap for safetys sake. The airbag is in reality a small explosive device that could kill you if it were to go off by trying this swap.

My .02 worth.

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Stupid Snow, I can't drive my Fiero!

Oh well, still have my work car.

The airbag system is very complex. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS! Chances are very good that you will at least get hurt trying to make this swap. This system is so sensitive that the service manual tells you to face the airbag upward when you take it off the car in case it goes off!!!!!!!

Phil

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GTDude
25 years GM experience

Thanks for your reply. It was just a thought. I wasn't going to take out this particular wheel, but it is a nice thick, comfortable wheel and I still might try to find one in a yard that has already been "exploded". Since the bag is computer controlled, I don't need it. The wheel itself being a GM wheel may fit and if the airbag's been deployed then it should be fairly inexpensive.

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Notchbacks Rule
84 Coupe(project car)
85GT(show car)
86???(looking)
87SE (daily driver)
88Coupe (daily driver)

Whoa dude, that car DOES NOT HAVE AN AIRBAG.

Airbags were not introduced into the Cavalier/Sunbird line untill 1995. Look in your owners manual.

I think your swap will be easier than you thought.

RR

RRobinson is right, its just a really ugly hornbutton.

There is no airbag in that steering wheel, just a big ugly horn button. If it did have an air bag and it deployed: it would send that round emblem right through your body like a bullet!

[This message has been edited by lou (edited 03-01-2002).]

Thanks again, I had just thought that the horn button was so big it had to enclose an airbag. I haven't owned anything newer than 1993 so I've never seen an airbag wheel I guess. I thought that if the bag deployed that the horn cover would probably hurt and didn't seem like a good design. Guess I was right. I'll have to work with it now and see if it looks like it'll interchange. Maybe a smaller cover will fit or at least the emblem can be replaced with a piece of plastic with the Fiero emblem that Orief could handpaint. If it does, I'll go looking in the local yard for a later model Cavalier RS.

Most steering wheels that have air bags have the airbag logo on them as a warning that they do have an air bag. If I remember correctly, 1995 was when all cars started including air bags as standard equipment.

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