Jetson105
Newbie
I've got a 97 C3500 Cheyenne CCLB.
When I got it at 183k, from a metal building construction company, the vinyl steering wheel was ugly and disgusting. So at the U-Pull-It junk yard I found a leather (or leather-like) GMT400 wheel, maybe out of a Suburban, I forget, with the airbag center/horn button and put it on.
For the annual Virginia safety inspection I've been going to the same guy for like 15 years. I've got 3 cars and the 2 year emissions test is a separate visit so I see the guy 3-6 times a year, and he knows that I maintain my cars and don't bring him junk.
He must have been on vacation or something because new guy inspected the C3500 on Friday. It failed for the cracked windshield which I wasn't sure of anyway, so no problem. But the guy also says my airbag light doesn't come on with the ignition. I told him the truck isn't wired for airbags and the only reason it has one is that I found a nice steering wheel in the junk yard and swapped it in. Of course he doesn't buy it, and the other mechanic "checks" by shining a flashlight onto the instrument cluster and sees the stencil for the AIR BAG light and by that determines that the truck is supposed to have air bags. The guy wasn't a jerk about it, and, really, it looks exactly like a truck would look if it had an airbag fault and somebody pulled the bulb to try to hide it. Also, it's one of the major items on the list to check, so the guy's just trying to do his job and is not being rude about it.
I can't find any "official" DOT type stickers anywhere that mention air bag, except the one sticker on the right side of the radiator support (that I also sourced from a junk yard Suburban due to mine being bent and halfway rusted out) that says "AIR BAG (if equipped)" which doesn't help.
The owner's manual says nothing about specific models.
The only thing I could find is the 1997 sales brochure, on the Options list
Air bags driver and front passenger; includes passenger-side suppression switch. Standard on Cheyenne trim, footnote 6
Footnote 6 says: Air bags not included in Regular Cab and Extended Cab models with GVWR at or above 8,600 lbs. or in Crew-Cab models.
This explains why it doesn't have air bags, but in my opinion doesn't exactly qualify as 'official documentation'.
Any suggestions on where the info on which trucks did/did not have factory air bags would be 'officially' documented?
Thanks!
James
When I got it at 183k, from a metal building construction company, the vinyl steering wheel was ugly and disgusting. So at the U-Pull-It junk yard I found a leather (or leather-like) GMT400 wheel, maybe out of a Suburban, I forget, with the airbag center/horn button and put it on.
For the annual Virginia safety inspection I've been going to the same guy for like 15 years. I've got 3 cars and the 2 year emissions test is a separate visit so I see the guy 3-6 times a year, and he knows that I maintain my cars and don't bring him junk.
He must have been on vacation or something because new guy inspected the C3500 on Friday. It failed for the cracked windshield which I wasn't sure of anyway, so no problem. But the guy also says my airbag light doesn't come on with the ignition. I told him the truck isn't wired for airbags and the only reason it has one is that I found a nice steering wheel in the junk yard and swapped it in. Of course he doesn't buy it, and the other mechanic "checks" by shining a flashlight onto the instrument cluster and sees the stencil for the AIR BAG light and by that determines that the truck is supposed to have air bags. The guy wasn't a jerk about it, and, really, it looks exactly like a truck would look if it had an airbag fault and somebody pulled the bulb to try to hide it. Also, it's one of the major items on the list to check, so the guy's just trying to do his job and is not being rude about it.
I can't find any "official" DOT type stickers anywhere that mention air bag, except the one sticker on the right side of the radiator support (that I also sourced from a junk yard Suburban due to mine being bent and halfway rusted out) that says "AIR BAG (if equipped)" which doesn't help.
The owner's manual says nothing about specific models.
The only thing I could find is the 1997 sales brochure, on the Options list
Air bags driver and front passenger; includes passenger-side suppression switch. Standard on Cheyenne trim, footnote 6
Footnote 6 says: Air bags not included in Regular Cab and Extended Cab models with GVWR at or above 8,600 lbs. or in Crew-Cab models.
This explains why it doesn't have air bags, but in my opinion doesn't exactly qualify as 'official documentation'.
Any suggestions on where the info on which trucks did/did not have factory air bags would be 'officially' documented?
Thanks!
James