Blow airbags on snowdrifts?

[fidowanttobe]

Contemplating pulling the airbag fuse as I have to blaze a trail long before the county shows up. (MY road isn't the problem.)
Cousin told me this weekend his son blew his and now I'm stressing.
Inertia is the ONLY way to get through and this morning a 40-ish MPH run almost wasn't enough. Scratching and clawing at the finish line. Spring is loooooong overdue.
Anybody ever have this happen?

 

[Rockbadchild]

Never heard such thing... Although airbags can do funny thing sometime ... my nephew crash my sister 2019 F150 in a tree a few winters ago he hit the thing dead center on the bumper the airbag never went on go figure... there was a 90 degree curve and ice road lost traction he was going around 10 miles/h.

 

[Eagle1]

1. When a car hits something, it starts to decelerate (lose speed) very rapidly.
2. An accelerometer (electronic chip that measures acceleration or force) detects the change of speed.
3. If the deceleration is great enough, the accelerometer triggers the airbag circuit. Normal braking doesn't generate enough force to do this.
4. Older vehicles may have impact switches.

 

[zzvyb6]

Pull battery terminal. Unscrew airbag, pull connector, remove. Reinstall when done. Presume no side airbags, but with steering wheel unit removed, it can't fire. You will get an SRS light on the instrument panel. Fuse reconnection may set it off.

We're gunna need a video ! Make sure your wipers are in good shape...

 

[MossRoad]

If I was going to be worried about hitting snowdrifts so hard that the airbags would go off, I'd also be concerned about damaging the grill, radiator, air dams, etc. In excess of 40 mph run through a snow drift just seems like asking for damage.

 

[5030]

You also need to address the fuel cutoff switch which is present in most vehicles today.

 

[fidowanttobe]

We're gunna need a video ! Make sure your wipers are in good shape...

Pretty sure a video wouldn't work. Wipers and defrosters on full, pedal to the metal, and hold it steady and straight and hope for the best till I can see again.
It's equipped. For a winter beater anyway. Lift kit, taller pizza cutter tires, skid plate, grill is re-re-attached with fender washers and zip ties, full recovery and clothes kit in the back.
It's a '97 so I don't think it has accelerometer switch. Don't know about fuel cut-off either.
Poor thing is in a heated garage now with fans on it and it looks like a sprinkler is under it!

 

[RustyA]

Most vehicles have front crash sensors as well as safing sensors on LH and Rh sides. Crash has to be severe enough to crush vehicle to the point of the safing sensors before front airbags are deployed. On Ford's the crash sensors is generally front center on radiator support. If you unplug this sensor it will disable airbag system as it can't read the front crash sensors anymore. If you do the battery unhook method wait at least 15 minutes for airbag system to depower. In case battery is destroyed in crash it retains enough power to deploy.

 

[MossRoad]

Did you ever mention what vehicle it was?

 

[fidowanttobe]

1997 GMC Jimmy