Auto Airbag System Repair: saturn 1996 air bag, airbag warning light, clock spring

Question
hey doug, my name is brian. I am also an expert at this site for ford repair. hoping you can help. 1996 saturn slt. pretty much the guys clock spring internally blew up/shorted while driving. air bag light on, horn started blowing by itself and cruise inop. had multiple codes incluing one that saidm deploment commanded. though there wasn't one. i replaced the clock spring which was shorted worse than i've ever seen. replaced cruise fuse that blew. disconnected battery for 1 hr. all is o.k. now except still have 6 flashes for the airbag. hoping you can help and should you need ford help. please write

Answer
Hi Brian:

Sorry about your car.  
It sounds like you have done what was needed.  The airbag warning light should initially flash 6 times and then go out.  If it remains illuminated, then there is still a fault code.  You mentioned that a 'deployment command' code was present.  If that is still true, then there is no way to erase that code and a new SDM (control unit) is the required replacement repair procedure. (Sorry)
It's not uncommon to see these fail when there is a serious short in the system.  The fact that you had a blown fuse and multiple circuits shorted together would justify the need for a new SDM as the deployment circuit inside is probably shorted as well.

Thanks for the offer in Ford.  I may take you up on that one day.

Good luck
Doug