should i crimp and splice?

Soldering would be better than using crimp connectors. Twist exposed conductors/wires together, solder, heatshrink insulation around repair.

 

If practical I'd solder, then shrink tube.

 

#1 & #10 shouldn't be necessary, since that battery is automatically disconnected when the power switch is off. #2 & #9 probably aren't critical either, but do NOT try to drive the car part-way through the project. Otherwise, looks good to me.

 

#2 and #9 are critical, at least if you go by Toyota's warnings re: working on the SRS. Also a delay of at least a couple minutes after #2 for any stored energy in the SRS controllers capacitors to bleed off. Perhaps Toyota is hypercautious with their advice, but I'd go with it.

The airbag squib connector under the seat is supposed to have a little shorting spring in it; once you unplug the cable, the squib terminals should be safely shorted together and it won't be likely to deploy while you're taking out the seat. If you check the manual it may have more specific suggestions.

You mentioned more wires than I thought there were for a seat airbag, so I wonder if the puppy didn't only chew on bright-yellow airbag wires, but also some of the wires for the occupancy sensor in the seat. Naturally you'll be fixing those too....

I don't have a 2013 so I can't be sure on the details, but modern seat occupancy sensors are very sensitive things in late model cars (not the old more-or-less on/off switch saying 'yes, there's something in the seat'). Newer ones measure the weight and spacing of your sit bones so the airbag computer adjusts to your size, gender (!), and whether you are sitting forward or back in the seat.

They also can have a somewhat elaborate recalibration dance to go through if you have had the seat out and maybe changed the wiring resistance, and you'll have done both. Probably worth checking that in the manual too. Maybe someone who's been there will chime in.

-Chap

 

Would your insurance cover this under comprehensive? If so, I would suggest a dealer repair.
Officially, Toyota does not condone any wire repair on the SRS system, only replacement of the affected harness or component.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to solder and shrink wrap these severed wires after disconnecting the 12v battery.
Avoid using the new bacon and milk bone flavored shrink wraps

 

^ It took me SO long to get that, need coffee.

 

The procedure approved is to strip the wires and twist them around eachother for maximum contact. Have the shrink tube already on one wire.

SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM WIRING REPAIRS

This recommended procedure involves crimping the wires together with a splice band, soldering the crimped connection and, finally, sealing and protecting the repair. The crimp and solder ensure a strong mechanical bond that will always pass a pull test while also maintaining the conductivity and current carrying capacity of the circuit. The adhesive sealant and heat shrink tubing ensures the splice repair will perform as well or better than the original wire and be safe from potential corrosion or short circuits.

There is no limit to the number of splice repairs that can be made in one harness using this procedure. However, as has been past practice, multiple adjacent splices should be offset from each other. This wiring splice repair procedure is approved for harness side repairs only. Repairs and splices to pigtail wires on SRS components such as airbag units, seat belt tensioner units or clocksprings are not approved or recommended.

 

A "Proper" splice works as good as "Proper" solder for this system. When you deal with a capacitance circuit though...neither is good.

 

Insulated butt spilce . sold at auto parts store

 

The message for the main part was from an official write up from MOPAR about splicing SRS wires especially. As for your repair you did grand. The deal with crimps is not so much the resistance the wire to barrel connector will make but as to the difference in material the wire and the barrel are made of. Most of the time it doesn't matter but in this case the SRS is a very important function and every repair must meet a very high execution of repair by the technician. The matter of the crimp is that because of the dissimilar content of metals you can start to get Galvanic corrosion.

Galvanic corrosion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And that changes the resitance of the wires in the connection. As a technician you are made AWARE of this as the repair although works now starts to corrode after you finish. When will it compromise the SRS? I do not know..but it does... So sometime in the far future a wire repaired in this way may compromise the safety of the airbag when encountering an accident. Thats why some dealerships want to replace the whole loom for liability reasons and of course revenue...But in this case you did the right thing and can sleep tight!

 

I prefer environmental splices for a repairs like this...specifically Raychems. Call it the "coffee factor".

 

Great job on ur fix.

How the 1st dealer just shows that u can never trust most Stealerships


iPhone ?

 

...or the lawyers that tie the mechanic's hands.