September 2: Airbag fun . . .
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Technician Phil had to dispose of an airbag from an old Dodge. A live airbag is something you just don't throw into the trash can. It has to be discharged first. After asking Shop Foreman Brent, "What should I do with it," he was told to "blow it up."
Well then, let the fun commence immediately !
To do this safely, a few key items are required. First, you need a 12V DC power source, like a car battery or jump box. Also needed is a bunch of wire.
The two wires at one end get attached to the airbag, itself. When you're ready to make some noise, all you do is hook the other end of the wires to the power supply.
We've all seen the videos on YouTube of the idiot who thought it would be a great idea to place an airbag face up in the center of an old tire, and then sit on top of it while his "friend" hooks the airbag wiring to the previously mentioned 12V DC power source. While the video of the dude smacking his head off of the ceiling is quite funny, it isn't exactly what you would call "safe." In an effort to not go viral, Phil took some precautions.
At UGA, we still have several of the old style "in-floor" twin post lifts. Phil raised the lift, placed the airbag with wiring hooked to it in the post valley, then lowered the lift. This way, the airbag can't go anywhere. Then, all he needed was 12 Volts. Click the video above, then click "play" to see the process.
The aftermath was pretty cool.
With the airbag discharged, it can now be thrown into the trash.
This was a nice diversion for the afternoon.