"Air Bag" light came on yesterday..............

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94StewFord

94StewFord

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did ya do it with the key on? now check all the fuses under the hood.

After that I would start by checking the switch in the door panel

Checked continuity prior to turning the key on and then after, all were good under dash and engine compartment. However, 10a for the antilock brakes under the hood was suspect, so we replaced it.......
 

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Still wanting to figure out the Air Bag light........

Where is the control module or diagnostic monitor located?
pretty sure it is a blue box mounted on the trans hump almost at the firewall. My electronics bible says there is a diagnostic to follow in the diagnostic manual. I just need to find it now as I thought there was a way to read codes on it to help it point to where you need to look.
 

95opal

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Still wanting to figure out the Air Bag light........

Where is the control module or diagnostic monitor located?
Module is located on the trans tunnel in the back towards the firewall. Little blue box. The harness connectors are located on driverside back lower part of dash. Ya cant miss them theres two bolts that hold the module bracket in and the harness is right above them. Just unplug the module and be done unless you plan on replacing the module.
 
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94StewFord

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So where is PIN 13 and 14 located exactly?

The air bag diagnostic monitor measures the voltage at Pin 14 of the air bag diagnostic monitor connector. Voltage at Pin 14 should be equal to battery voltage. If the voltage at Pin 14 drops to less than 8 volts, the air bag diagnostic monitor will flash out on the air bag indicator a DTC 12. If the voltage at Pin 14 drops to less than 5 volts, the DTC 12 will also be stored in memory. Should the loss of battery voltage at Pin 14 be intermittent or repaired, the air bag diagnostic monitor will flash out a DTC 52 (or higher priority code if one exists) on the next ignition switch cycle.
Low voltage at air bag diagnostic monitor Pin 14 can be caused by:
  • An open in the battery circuit that would prevent battery voltage from reaching air bag diagnostic monitor Pin 14.
  • A short to ground on the battery feed circuit between the fuse and Pin 13 or Pin 14 of the air bag diagnostic monitor.
  • A concern in the charging system causing battery voltage to drop below 8 volts.
 
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94StewFord

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Found this on another page.


Removed the 4 bolts for the unit and now I just have to figure out how to squirrel that thing out of there. It's hot in my garage today! ;)
 

ttocs

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well maybe. You can often find burned spots or something that is visible but just not seeing anything wrong does not mean its good.

let me see if I can find my diagnostic manual. I think it might have some steps to check to figure out what is wrong. I have not seen it for a minute since so much of my car has been rewired.
 
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94StewFord

94StewFord

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let me see if I can find my diagnostic manual. I think it might have some steps to check to figure out what is wrong. I have not seen it for a minute since so much of my car has been rewired.

Any luck?
 

ttocs

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ok I found it, then the search really began but I found it. The book is as thick as a large phone book(so that wasn't hard to find) but then to find the right page for "passive restraints" instead of anything that says "airbag" led to a bit of a search. Now I hope you were not wanting something fast/easy as this is a multi-step diagnostic that the first step says to remove/disconnect both airbags to ensure they do not go off. You might be able to get the pass side from the glove box but the drivers side probably has to be removed(only 4 bolts). You are then supposed to plug in the rotunda air bag simulator 105-00010 to the harnesses the bags were plugged into. A quick google search and they come up on ebay.
 

ttocs

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there is no reason to be afraid of them. Like I said the pass side can probably be disconnected with out removing anything, the drivers side by removing 4 bolts.
 

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Be sure to disconnect the battery before unplugging the air bags. You really don't want that thing popping in your hands.
 

ttocs

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Lol seems like unscrewing the bulb sounds like a better idea...
no again, that will only leave the car beeping at you for 30-40 seconds every time you start the car as it tries to warn you that you have a warning light out. Its better just to stick some electrical tape on the back side of the gauge shroud to stop the light but allow it to work.
Be sure to disconnect the battery before unplugging the air bags. You really don't want that thing popping in your hands.
It really isn't a worry, they do not just go off in your hands. After installing for over 20 years there was only one time I ever heard of an installer setting off an airbag when he used a test light that he shouldn't be using(for this very reason) to probe some wires and hit the bag wires. I actually saw one installer mistake the old GM VATS wiring(security system with the resistor in the key) for air bag wires on a remote start install and wired the system up wrong so every time he tried to start the car it was sending voltage down the air bag wires. He tried to start it at least a half dozen times before he asked me to take a look and see if I saw anything wrong and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. I am not sure how stoned he must have been that day to do this because the airbag wires were wrapped in a bright yellow loom with a tag every 18 inches telling you not to probe the airbag wires or...... The best part was that he was training a new installer on how to do remote starts at the time :) in reality he was talking/explaining things(like the vats system bypass) and at some point just grabbed the wrong wires but OH MY GOD I seriously do not know how he didn't pop one that day.
 

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