How long for airbag capacitor to discharge

[shooter65]

Hi Everyone,

I have to change the steering wheel remote radio switch on my wife's 2010 Avenger RT. I don't have the service manual for it but I do have the service manual for my 2002 300M.

Everything on the internet says to wait 30 minutes or more after disconnecting the ground from the battery for the airbag capacitor to discharge. My 300M manual says to wait 2 minutes.

I've worked with electronics quite a bit and 2 minutes seems reasonable for a capacitor to discharge but a lot has to do with the size of the capacitor.

Can anyone tell me if there was a change from 2002 to 2010 regarding this? What's a safe time limit to wait?

Thanks.

 

['69FuryIIIConvertible]

30 minutes is the industry standard now.

The change is from the first generation air bags to the second, the current generation is a multi stage airbag, whereas the earlier versions were a one and done.

 

[commando1]

Aren't you supposed to ground out the capacitor.

Sidebar:
I remember what would happen if you didn't ground out the cathode ray tubes on old TVs and monitors.

 

[jct]

With my 2005 Toyota it's 90 seconds

 

[shooter65]

Great fun in Electronics Club in high school which was two periods long. Between the first period and second of the class, we'd charge up a capacitor in an electric outlet, wait for class change and toss it to some poor bastard walking to their next class.

 

[CBODY67]

Seems like there used to be a deal about the repair tech having to wear a ground strap (wrist band) that had the other end of the wire attached to a solid vehicle ground? Didn't want any stray static electricity setting things off that should stay asleep (other than the repair tech).

CBODY67

 

[Carmine]

Always keep the soft side towards your body, never the metal side.



In Soviet Russia, airbag blows you!

 

[CBODY67]

A wonder he didn't break something on the landing!