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Ok -- long story short: I am a really stupid brat... Wanted to remove the steering wheel mainly for curiosity and think I destroyed my airbag.
What happened: I did not manage to disconnect the airbag from the harness. The stupid connectors simply would not come off. Frustrated I got out of the car and somehow with my big ***, I ripped the airbag loose....
Here I am: don't know how to re-connect the airbag. Don't know where the cables are supposed to go. And still don't know how to remove those connectors. Think I damaged one of them too when trying to disconnect them....
Anybody knows any advise?
Thanks The horror-connectors! Where do those cables go?!
I don't think those yellow connectors are removable which is why there was a separate master connector just 5 inches away.
You need to be careful here. Since this is a safety device I would not recommend tampering or attempting to re-wire. You obviously cannot risk re-wiring this wrong....
The safest option is to source a replacement Airbag.
There were different Airbags for model ages and specifications which may be reflected in the barcode label..
Watch this vid from a fellow member:
Look at the wiring diagram on jagrepair.com and check the colour of the cables against the diagram and re connect . Disconnect the battery for at least 20 min before you touch it as this has basically a shot gun cartridge in it and you will know if it goes off !!
I haven't done one of these on an XK8 but the JTIS Workshop Manual procedure is to disconnect those yellow/black connectors. Unfortunately it doesn't say how!
There only looks to be two possibilities:
1. slide the one on the right in the direction of the RED arrow and lift off
2. slide the one one the left in the direction of the BLUE arrow and lift off
OR
1. rotate the one on the left through 90 deg so it's parallel to the one on the right
2. slide each of them off
As stated above, disconnect the battery and give at least 20 minutes for the capacitors to discharge before attempting to work on any Airbag. A 'hard reset' achieves the same result without the delay.
Be Very Very Careful, as you do realize you are basically playing with a bomb! If it goes off you could be severely injured or killed. Air Bags are definitely nothing to mess with, as more then one person has been injured by them. Most first responders are scared to death of them, especially when they didn't deploy in the accident. Look on you tube for people doing stupid stuff with airbags. It should give you some Idea what you're dealing with. Just be Careful.
The connectors have a shorting bar mechanism that, when disconnected, straps the two wires from the igniter together to avoid any risk of unintentional firing. Since the connector has been pulled off, that protection no longer exists.
I'd look to source a replacement unit, as PKWise recommends.
edit: this snip from the electrical guide shows the shorting bars. 2003 on is a double-barrel shotgun:
The "cassette" is behind the steering wheel.
Last edited by michaelh; Feb 17, 2022 at 05:39 AM.
Reason: additional info
Ok. Now I’m not only clueless but also scared. But thanks a lot for the warning - you’re probably right. Don’t think the device will go off as it has been lying on my desk for a week. However, I have to be certain that it works once I put it back in. Otherwise my last thought will be of you guys…
The connectors have a shorting bar mechanism that, when disconnected, straps the two wires from the igniter together to avoid any risk of unintentional firing. Since the connector has been pulled off, that protection no longer exists.
I'd look to source a replacement unit, as PKWise recommends.
edit: this snip from the electrical guide shows the shorting bars. 2003 on is a double-barrel shotgun:
looking at your photo you have bare ended wires ..I thought you wanted to re connect those ???? Pull off the yellow connectors ..re solder the wires re the diagrams ..put back plugs all with battery disconnected.
Pinch and twist the connectors. They do come off. One needs to come off before the other as the pinch points on one of them are not accessible with the other on... Get them off and set the wheel face aside.
Please send a photo of the wires in the other side - the torn wires. Those wires should only be energized when the shock/crash impact sensors energize them. I think there is only a super small charge (in the milli amps) to let the car air bag monitors know that the bags are connected and operational.
The RIBBON clock thing (can't remember the right name) is a sprung mech with a loooong wound ribbon that receives and transmits all of the info from the controls on the wheel, into the cars systems. If you can imagine,,, as you turn the wheel it winds up and winds out with the turn of the wheel for the electronics, radio, etc and more.
looking at your photo you have bare ended wires ..I thought you wanted to re connect those ???? Pull off the yellow connectors ..re solder the wires re the diagrams ..put back plugs all with battery disconnected.
That was my initial plan. HOWEVER
1) I can’t get the yellow connectors off. They are stuck like hell. Think I already broke one.
2) true. There are bare wires because I ‘disconnected’ the airbag unit accidentally with my behind…. But I did not find the counter side to the wires. There are not bare wires at the steering wheel?!
Pinch and twist the connectors. They do come off. One needs to come off before the other as the pinch points on one of them are not accessible with the other on... Get them off and set the wheel face aside.
Please send a photo of the wires in the other side - the torn wires. Those wires should only be energized when the shock/crash impact sensors energize them. I think there is only a super small charge (in the milli amps) to let the car air bag monitors know that the bags are connected and operational.
The RIBBON clock thing (can't remember the right name) is a sprung mech with a loooong wound ribbon that receives and transmits all of the info from the controls on the wheel, into the cars systems. If you can imagine,,, as you turn the wheel it winds up and winds out with the turn of the wheel for the electronics, radio, etc and more.
The JEPC oddly only shows one part number and hence one colour option for the XKR (bear in mind it comes with the leather piece so has the 'R' motif). Appears to be available via Heritage but, as GGG notes, the cost will make your eyes water
If you do go the replacement route, it might be easier to source one from a 2003 on XK8 second-hand.
thanks for all the support. The price for a new airbag seems to be well 4digit.... WTF? On my is a big fat Ford sticker - maybe I should ask there....
However, I might have found out a different option: These Dutch guys (www.airbagbank.eu) are specialized in repairing airbag harnesses, especially after accidents. Well, my case is not specifically an accident in the common sense, but they still agreed to take a look at my airbag.
However, I, too, will try to get the connectors off latter today. Got enough input from you guys. And if I trash them, the Dutch guys will help (I hope).
thanks for all the support. The price for a new airbag seems to be well 4digit.... WTF? On my is a big fat Ford sticker - maybe I should ask there....
However, I might have found out a different option: These Dutch guys (www.airbagbank.eu) are specialized in repairing airbag harnesses, especially after accidents. Well, my case is not specifically an accident in the common sense, but they still agreed to take a look at my airbag.
However, I, too, will try to get the connectors off latter today. Got enough input from you guys. And if I trash them, the Dutch guys will help (I hope).
That seems a good option. Not sure about shipping, but I imagine they can guide on that.
If they are specialists, I'd be tempted to send what you have as-is, along with the 4-way connector that you'll need to retrieve from behind the steering wheel. It may be beyond repair, but at least the company will know what it is.
That way you would avoid any risk of
I *think* the new cost is around €800, but still pretty hefty...
Last edited by michaelh; Feb 17, 2022 at 12:58 PM.
Reason: SC4 is 1x4 way not 2x2 ways
Jaguar refers to the 'cassette' or 'clockspring' as the CANCELLATION MODULE.
Buy a new (or used replacement?) one, install it and get on with your life. EASY!
That's right. Thanks MCM! Thru in a pinch, as usual. Cancelation Module,,, no wonder I couldn't remember it.
Once you sit with it you'll see how the plugs come off. It's just like what the photo with the arrows as described earlier. I wouldn't get toooo worried about this.
It might be possible to repair what you have. If not, the link above, looks like they have the older and the newer style. I think the link is for the newer...
Airbag Removal Fail
