NMO Install in 2008 durango w / Side Airbags

[KC9AAQ]

I am planning to install 3 NMO mounts in the roof of a 2008 Dodge Durango with side airbags. Normally I run the coax by fishing it through the head liner, but I'm concerned about the side airbags. Was told that it is possible that I could trigger the airbags. I am open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks!

 

[FFPM571]

Not really. Best bet is to disconnect the battery. Take the upper side trim out and drop the headliner to see where the roof ribs are. Make sure the coax runs along with the factory wiring harnesses

 

[mmckenna]

The sensors that trigger the air bags in a collision are near the front of the vehicle. Unless you are really using the wrong tool for the job, you are not going to trigger the airbags. Like ^^ he ^^ said, disconnect the battery and you will be fine. Just pay close attention to how you route your cables. Keep them out of the way of the air bag deployment and try to steer clear of the gas generator cylinders. Following other wiring is a good suggestion. I recently did an install in a Ford pick up that had air bags all over the place. No issues. Just take your time and visualize everything before you make it all permanent.

 

[SCPD]

I have 2003 Durango that had my (2) NMO mounts installed by a professional. He was nice in that I was allowed to watch him do the work.

I don't have a sunroof so my two mounts are directly center of roof about 2ft apart. I use one as a scanner antenna and the other is my ham antenna.

After installing my mounts, he ran the coax down the side (between passenger front and rear door) and then under the plastic side stripping. (That stripping just pops off.)

He ran the coax under that and under the passenger carpet area to the bottom of my center console. He cut the coax to length so there's no "excess" and both cables come out behind the tray/cup holder.

It's very clean and you would never know the cables are there.

Hope that helps.

PS. He never once disconnected the battery. There was really no need.

 

[donny612]

I have 2003 Durango that had my (2) NMO mounts installed by a professional. He was nice in that I was allowed to watch him do the work.

I don't have a sunroof so my two mounts are directly center of roof about 2ft apart. I use one as a scanner antenna and the other is my ham antenna.

After installing my mounts, he ran the coax down the side (between passenger front and rear door) and then under the plastic side stripping. (That stripping just pops off.)

He ran the coax under that and under the passenger carpet area to the bottom of my center console. He cut the coax to length so there's no "excess" and both cables come out behind the tray/cup holder.

It's very clean and you would never know the cables are there.

Hope that helps.

PS. He never once disconnected the battery. There was really no need.

Well, he was a professional but I would advise any DIYer to disconnect the battery to avoid any other issues that can occur. In my truck, for example, unplugging the passenger seat air bag light while removing the radio panel can cause problems when reconnected to the system. You have to reset the airbag light. Better for the electrical system to be dead while wiring.

 

[KG4INW]

PS. He never once disconnected the battery. There was really no need.

FWIW, the radio shop I work at always disconnects the battery beforehand when working around airbags. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.

 

[SCPD]

FWIW, the radio shop I work at always disconnects the battery beforehand when working around airbags. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.

Guys, yes, this is obvious. My point that in the Durango, at least my 2003 model, you're not working anywhere near the airbags. Granted, I only have Driver/Pass airbags.

I don't know exactly how the side airbags work, but I really question how that even comes into play. You're not wiring into the door.

Now, if you're removing the dash and/or doing wiring specifically around an airbag component, then yes, it's advisable to disconnect the battery.

Just use some common sense.

 

[KG4INW]

OK, and to be clear, most cars made nowadays have side curtain airbags along pillars and the headliner, exactly where we run coax and they can go off if you pop 'em with a tool trying to remove trim. But yeah, if you don't have any, then you don't worry.

 

[FFPM571]

First thing we do when the vehicle comes into the shop is disocnnect the battery. By the time we get the the trim removed it is usually suficent time to let the stored energy in the capacitors in the airbag systems to have disipated. We dont completley remove the headliner but usually drop one side to see where the roof ribs are. I then measure out the distances of a minimum of a 18 in or greater between mounts. Mark the hole on the roof and mount the antenna.The coax is run following the factory airbag harness and making sure that the coax is not in the area that the bag will deploy. I always run the cable in the door sill plates and then up to location where the radio is mounted leaving about 1 ft extra for removal of the radio for service.

I do this for alot of vehicles just not police package and SUV's as the shop I work for does alot of the federal 3 letter agencies and undercover cars also.

 

[VO1XH]

NMO install

I am planning to install 3 NMO mounts in the roof of a 2008 Dodge Durango with side airbags. Normally I run the coax by fishing it through the head liner, but I'm concerned about the side airbags. Was told that it is possible that I could trigger the airbags. I am open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks!

You could ask the guys at a commercial radio shop who install radios for their advice on installing antennas,or, you could consult your Chrysler dealer.73,Don,VO1XH

 

[FFPM571]

V01XH See above your post , That is information from a commercial shop

 

[W9WSS]

Professional Installation Shop

V01XH See above your post , That is information from a commercial shop

I guess some people selectively read the posts and responses, FFPM571. I have never had so much as a fuse blow in any of the radios, lights, or controls that "the professional" has installed in my CVPI. When it's done by a professional, you have less to worry about further along the way.

 

[n1naz]

Hf Rf and airbag

How about if you run coax next to airbags or ther cabling. Will this et them off?

 

[mmckenna]

No. The airbags deploy via gas released from a gas generation device. The gas generator isn't necessarily right at the airbag, however it may be.
I think what you are concerned about is that stray RF will trigger the airbags.

I don't think I've ever heard of this happening, and I don't think it will, if you do things correctly.

Unless you are really using cheap low grade coax, there shouldn't be enough leakage to cause this. If your antennas are tuned reasonably well, there wouldn't be enough RF outside the coax to cause an issue.

If there was a risk of stray RF triggering the airbags, we'd hear about it. Traveling near high power AM broadcast or FM broadcast transmitters would trigger them. Using a hand held two way radio inside the vehicle would trigger them. Passing a guy on the road running a crappy install CB with a linear amp would trigger them. Passing a police car or fire engine using a 110 watt VHF or UHF radio would set them off.

Auto manufacturers test this sort of stuff. I don't think it's anything to be concerned about.