In the not-too-distant future, I'll be replacing the dash and HVAC box in my truck. Other than disconnecting the battery, are there any other precautions I should take to ensure that my air bag doesn't accidentally deploy while doing my dash/HVAC box work? I've got to drop the steering column and disconnect wiring, so I just want to do the job as safely as possible. Thanks for any thoughts folks may have...

 

Disconnect the battery, turn the headlights on and wait 10-15 minutes for capacitors to dissipate. After that airbag is safe, but just for safety measure I would remove the airbag and set it aside on a safe place, facing up.

 

X2. Push the seats all the way back, The the steering wheel will sit on the seat. I don't think you need to remove it but that's up to you. I assume you are keeping the dash in the truck. Once you get all the screws out from under the windshield you can move the dash back. Have some straps ready to keep it where you can work. Pita no matter how you look at it.

 

Unfortunately, not in this case. I have another complete dash and HVAC box I picked up out of a donor truck of the same year as mine. The lower dash in my truck is disintegrating and the radio area and radio wiring harness was hacked up. I plan to completely remove my original dash from the truck and swap in the donor truck's dash and complete wiring harness, along with a new dash top and the donor truck's rebuilt HVAC box. I think I have to swap the VIN tags as well.

 

Pull your air bag fuses too when you undo the battery. After 15 minutes it's safe, well as safe as an explosive charge ever is. When I put heater and expansion cores in a Dakota, it said to lower the column and pull the dash back. I went ahead and removed them from the truck anyway. Along with the seats, that let me clean everything up while I was at it. I didn't regret pulling the whole assembly out.

Yes, you will have to swap the VIN plate. Just use regular rivets and take pictures of everything. You absolutely can NOT use factory rivets. Those are factory use ONLY. I bought a '93 new and within 6 months the dash curled up. The dealer used regular rivets. I made sure the paperwork for the repair went with the truck. While you're at it, I'd slap new cores for the heat and air into the HVAC box. A little more cost but how many times do you want to pull it apart again if the cores leak 6 months down the road?

 

Thanks for the thoughts. There are no half-baked repairs done here... I have a brand new aluminum heater core (without the swivel joints in the tubes), evaporator and Blend-USA blend doors to thoroughly rebuild the HVAC box. Hopefully, this will be the last time I have to deal with the dash or HVAC box for the rest of the truck's life..