[opps]

ok... being the dumb-*** that I am...

i was in the passenger seat of my friends 2005 escape 4 door and I lifted up the airbag cover a little bit.
we couldn't get it to go back down...

now the dealership is saying it will be $850 to fix it!!

What can I do? My friend is willing to just live with it but I don't think he should... $850 seems like a ton of money to fix such a small problem. Is there a way to fix it?

 

[LX302]

From what I could gather from searching, the cover is part of the airbag and that $850 est. you got from the dealer is to replace the whole unit properly.

Be it that you might have just popped it up on one or two corners, I wouldn't keep it that way due to safety reasons.
I also personally wouldn't work on it without some knowledge of airbag mechanics.

But I would suggest you take the vehicle to a local body shop. They deal with airbag removal and installation on a daily basis. I'm sure they can re-secure the airbag for much better price.

Good Luck!

 

[opps]

Thanks for the advice.
It seems odd to have to replace the whole unit because the cover is lifted up a little bit.
How does that all fit into the dash?

 

[Four_Eyes]

The part you lifted is the deployment door. Not to preach, but you're lucky it didn't deploy on your face.....seriously. I wouldn't try to force it back in place either, you could deploy it. Even just trying to GENTLY pushing it back into place, the SRS should be powered down to prevent accidental deployment.

The airbag is held onto the frame that's integral to the whole dash. The deployment door that you lifted is part and parcel of the airbag unit and uses 3 clips to secure it to the dash. It all fits together precisely.

It's impossible to tell what you dislodged when you lifted it and why it won't go back in place. Like LX302 said, take it to a body shop, they might quote you cheaper.

Good luck.

 

[SUVord]

Some years ago I had to take off all the air bags from my 2004 XLT for safety reasons and this is what I found reffering to the passenger air bag.
1/The dash cover is NOT an integral part of the air bag mechanism.
2/It does not have any activation or other mechanical connection with the air bag.It is just pushed outward because of the force of the nitro-blown bag.
3/It is held in place by some very soft sliding inserts.
I suspect that by playing with it those soft sliding hinges were deformed and that is the reason the cover does not sit properly any more.
My suggestions:
1/Leave as is.It won't jeopardise the air bag deployment when needed.
2/Pry the cover out and with some dexterity try to reform those sliding hinges with some RTV.
If you do not know to handle things like that it is strongly recomened that you cut off the battery by disconnecting the ground pole.

And, unfortunately, that cover piece is not sold separately but is part of the whole passenger side air bag.

 

[Four_Eyes]

The dash is not part of the SRS, but they both bolt onto the same frame system behind them, secured by 4 bolts. That's what it says on my Ford Factory shop manual for the 2005 Escape. The cover with the corner he pulled off is not part of the the dash. It's part of the airbag unit and the shop manual refers to it as the deployment door. The deployment door comes off with the airbag unit that it's attached to. It's "clipped" (but not secured) to the dash on the bottom.

 

[opps]

thanks... we still haven't had the chance for a body shop to look at it yet
you guys rock. i really appreciate the help. i really hope not to pay $850 to have the whole thing replaced.

 

[opps]

is there a diagram i can look out of how this all goes together?

 

[Fox9p3400]