removing air bag cover?

[Timing]

i want to paint the air bag cover and i was wondering how to do it correctly without getting a black eye i know i should disconnect the battery and there is a wire to the air bag but i was looking for better details then my chiltons gives me from someone who has done it

[Explicit_Spade]

What year is your car?

[develand]

HAHA, i tried today on my 08.... I could get the bottom pins undone. I will give it a go at another time.

[Timing]

2000 pontiac gtp

[rodneypierce]

remove the dash...

[Timing]

remove the dash...

remove the entire dash?

[rodneypierce]

Everything I have read says you have to remove the dash. Its attached from the back. I just replaced the dash in mine. It isnt TOO bad, but kind of a PITA to get it back in place correctly.

[Timing]

Everything I have read says you have to remove the dash. Its attached from the back. I just replaced the dash in mine. It isnt TOO bad, but kind of a PITA to get it back in place correctly.

alright that makes more sense so after i remove it does the cover just bolt to the air bag or what, should i just paint it in my car after removing the dash? I think i understand how to disarm the air bag by disconnecting battery pulling the fuse then disconnecting the yellow wire going tothe air bag and waiting 10 mins and it shouldnt deploy

[rodneypierce]

you dont have to disconnect any plugs. Just disconnect the negative battery cable, and your golden. The actual cover is a seperate part from the air bag. The cover is just that, a cover. The actual air bag unit is located under neath that cover, bolted directly to the frame work structure that supports the dash. Not to the dash pad itself.

[Explicit_Spade]

I thought a screwdriver on the top and the bottom could pop them out of the 97-03s?

You really don't want to paint it anyway.

[Timing]

you dont have to disconnect any plugs. Just disconnect the negative battery cable, and your golden. The actual cover is a seperate part from the air bag. The cover is just that, a cover. The actual air bag unit is located under neath that cover, bolted directly to the frame work structure that supports the dash. Not to the dash pad itself.

your sure of this i really ont want it to blow up in my face

[rodneypierce]

I thought a screwdriver on the top and the bottom could pop them out of the 97-03s?

You really don't want to paint it anyway.

Perhaps you can, but I was under the impression that was not the case... If you could pop them out that easy, I would think when the bag went off, it would become a projectile at your face.

[rodneypierce]

your sure of this i really ont want it to blow up in my face

Its not connected to the bottom of the dash man. Its seperate from the dash. IMHO you risk more chance disconnecting the plug then you do just unhooking the negative cable. But thats your call.

[Timing]

i really do want to paint it but i want an opinion from someone who has actually removed or painted one befor so i dont go about it wrongly