prevent airbag deplyment for foglight replacement

[olsonc]

I have heard disconnecting the battery may not be enough to prevent airbags from deploying while working on the car. I have to replace a broken foglight which means the front bumper cover will be removed. I've seen instructional videos and pics on how to do this but no one mentions the risk of tripping a sensor. Will removing the negative cable from the battery be enough? Is there anything else I need to be concerned about that you don't see in the videos?

Thank you,
Chris

2008 Honda Accord EX-L

[chuangandrew]

i recalled not having to disconnect my battery whnen I installed my i4 fog lights.... maybe it's a hind sight but maybe i should've done that.... needless to say, i doubt the air bag will be tripped unless you slammed on the bumper really hard

[03LXV6]

You'll be fine. If it makes you feel any better just wait three minutes before touching anything after you disconnect the battery.

[olsonc]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the quick feedback.

[tommypenguin]

IIRC correctly you can replace the fog light assembly through the fender liner. Just disconnect 3 clips on the bottom of the splash guard to the bumper underneath, I believe two clips in the fender liner and you can pull it back and have access to the fog light. Then its just 3 screws hold the fog light assembly to the bumper. One plug to the bulb, which you will disconnect and the black vertical support rod if you got an OEM replacement, has a tab on the top of the rod you should be able to slip in its corresponding hole on the bumper with some patience.

In regards to your battery question if you want go ahead and disconnect the terminals from it prior to doing the install, but have your radio code handy as you will need to enter in the stereo after disconnecting for it to work. There is absolutely no risk of airbags deploying doing this job if its just a replace oem housing.

[NewYitty]

Damn I guess I'm just lucky or some people are overly cautious. I mist of taken on an off my bumper about 5 in the last two weeks tweaking messing with my projector retrofit. And not once did I disconnect the negative from the battery. No problems what so ever.

But In any event u should be able to access the bulb from the fender unless u the green giant and ur hands don't fit.


Sent from my iPhone using Autoguide

[tehnighthawk]

To completely disable the airbags you need to disconnect the battery and WAIT 30 minutes.

[olsonc]

Boy, the fender liner options sounds like it will be easier. I am using an OEM replacement part. If anyone can direct me to a video for fog light replacement via the fender, I'd appreciate it. I'll give it a shot either way. Thank you!!

[vcantrell]

lol you should be just fine... I ripped my bumper off and even disconnected the air bags from the front connectors (idiot move...) and they still didn't deploy... you should be good ^^

[peter01592]

your not going to deploy any airbags by taking the bumper cover off ........ hahahah

[gunmetal]

im sure you would have to kick the metal bumper bracket at atleast 40MPH and really hard to make it deploy.

i dont think taking the carbon fiber/plastic front bumper off is going to be enough to deploy airbags.

[olsonc]

Thanks again. Last question: I do not have the luxury of a car lift. If I opt for the fender liner install, will I be able to do it outside my garage? Just wondering if I'll have enough clearance if I just turn the wheels to the left. (Fog light is on the passenger side)

[vcantrell]

Originally Posted by olsonc

Thanks again. Last question: I do not have the luxury of a car lift. If I opt for the fender liner install, will I be able to do it outside my garage? Just wondering if I'll have enough clearance if I just turn the wheels to the left. (Fog light is on the passenger side)

I literally installed both of my aftermarket fogs in a parking lot with nothing but my tire jack. You just pop All the clips out and pull the bumper off. It's literally That easy.

Here's the PDF that helped me with mine...

2008 Accord Front Bumper Removal Coupe/Sedan

[Kolia]

OP, disconnecting the negative connector will be enough.

It's always preferable to disconnect the battery when playing in the harness. Short circuits do happen and air bags have deployed accidentally in peoples driveway. That turns a quick radio or fog install into a pretty costly learning experience.

[olsonc]

Thank you everyone for your input. I did the job in about 40 minutes. Usually, I run into some problem or another but this one went by the book. I disconnected the battery just to be on the safe side. I pulled the bumper cover and didn't even have to remove it completely since I only had to do once side. All went well except that I broke two stubborn clips.