why would the idiot light for airbag come on?

axeman

Founding Member

Feb 9, 2001

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Elizabethtown, PA

Aug 10, 2004

#1

• Aug 10, 2004

• #1

stupid light came on not too long ago. not the check engine light, but one for the airbag. what do you think it means? i guess i'll run the codes sometime soon.

 

_jb_

New Member

Mar 4, 2004

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Michigan, Berrien County

Aug 10, 2004

#2

• Aug 10, 2004

• #2

Yeah I would have that light checked out soon. You don't need an airbag going off when you are driving down the road. Don't know it will, but wierd crap always happens lol.

 

5.0 Nostalgia

10 Year Member

Feb 28, 2003

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CT

Aug 10, 2004

#3

• Aug 10, 2004

• #3

This just came up a little while back. I believe the conclusion was that the air bag light will come on when an air bag sensor is not working. This means that the air bag will not deploy in a collision.

 

axeman

Founding Member

Feb 9, 2001

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Elizabethtown, PA

Aug 10, 2004

#4

• Aug 10, 2004

• #4

well, i just ran the KOEO codes and came up with nothing. you know of any way i can find out which sensor isn't working?

 

5.0 Nostalgia

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Feb 28, 2003

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Aug 10, 2004

#5

• Aug 10, 2004

• #5

No, maybe you can take them off and have them tested. There are two on the front end. They are the plastic boxes held on by green bolts.

 

axeman

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Feb 9, 2001

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Elizabethtown, PA

Aug 10, 2004

#6

• Aug 10, 2004

• #6

thanks man

 

D

dromeda

New Member

Apr 17, 2004

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Aug 10, 2004

#7

• Aug 10, 2004

• #7

Be careful with those sensors. You don't want it going off while you're playing with them. If that turns up nothing that power supply might be bad. It's located underneath the dash on the passenger side. Let me know if you want help finding it. I have my dash apart and can take a pic showing it...

 

axeman

Founding Member

Feb 9, 2001

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Elizabethtown, PA

Aug 10, 2004

#8

• Aug 10, 2004

• #8

cool, how long until you get the dash back together? i'll do a little research to find out what all is involved first.

 

Venom4.6

Founding Member

Jun 30, 2002

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Saint Louis, MO

Aug 11, 2004

#9

• Aug 11, 2004

• #9

There's a diagnostic monitor system for the airbag that controls everything located behind the heater/AC control panel. It completes a self test everytime the ignition is turned on. If there is a fault in the system the Air Bag light will stay on and the system is disabled until the problem is fixed. There are 4 sensors. 1 behind each headlight, 1 behind the grille bolted to the radiator support and the 4th one is in the passenger compartment behind the trim panel in the left side B-pillar.

 

stanglx

Founding Member

Aug 8, 2001

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Mass.

Aug 11, 2004

#10

• Aug 11, 2004

• #10

My air bag light used to flash constantly. After a while it stopped (bulb burned out probably) and than a beeping noise started coming from the dash. It's pretty annoying.

 

5.0 Nostalgia

10 Year Member

Feb 28, 2003

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Aug 11, 2004

#11

• Aug 11, 2004

• #11

stanglx said:

My air bag light used to flash constantly. After a while it stopped (bulb burned out probably) and than a beeping noise started coming from the dash. It's pretty annoying.

Click to expand...

I have the same problem on my 91 coupe. When I turn the car on, a beeping noise comes from the dash. It beeps four or five pulses at a time for about two or three sets. Then about twenty minutes later, it happens again. I thought it was from the stereo being that it seems to be coming from that area. Anybody know what that is from? My airbag light goes on when I start the car but then goes off. The beep is pretty loud.

 

Venom4.6

Founding Member

Jun 30, 2002

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Saint Louis, MO

Aug 11, 2004

#12

• Aug 11, 2004

• #12

The beeping is one of the fault signals for the airbag. Not sure which fault. There is a bunch of faults. The "AIR BAG" light will stay on or it will flash or the beeping will happen. They all represent different faults with the airbag sysem.

 

5.0 Nostalgia

10 Year Member

Feb 28, 2003

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Aug 11, 2004

#13

• Aug 11, 2004

• #13

Venom4.6 said:

The beeping is one of the fault signals for the airbag. Not sure which fault. There is a bunch of faults. The "AIR BAG" light will stay on or it will flash or the beeping will happen. They all represent different faults with the airbag sysem.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the help. What exactly does this mean and how do I fix it? As I said earlier, my air bag light does not stay on. I really appreciate you shedding some light on this problem.

 

B

blk92stangg

New Member

Jan 30, 2004

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Hawaii

Aug 11, 2004

#14

• Aug 11, 2004

• #14

Thank god I am not the only one driving around with a flashing airbag light. Does anyone know how much the local dealer charges for airbag diagnostics? If its more than the cost of a new Grant steering wheel...

 

1

10HoleLX

Member

Mar 6, 2004

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Southern California

Aug 12, 2004

#15

• Aug 12, 2004

• #15

Check the fuse.
Should be a blue 15 AMP.

 

S

Silver85TC

New Member

May 28, 2003

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Aug 28, 2004

#16

• Aug 28, 2004

• #16

The other day on the drive home from work, I took one of the corner's in a "spirited" fashion. It was raining so the rear end swung out a bit on me. About 5 seconds later after I straightened the car out, the Air Bag idiot light starts flashing at me. It does this for about 10 seconds and then stays on steady! Now I'm saying WTF!?!?

At the next traffic light, I shut the car off to see if that would reset the light. Sure enough the light stayed out after I started the car again. It hasn't flashed at me since then, so obviously it was the minor skid that caused it to flash initially.

Has anyone else experienced anything like that before? If so, do you know why the air bag light was flashing at me and then stayed on?

 

axeman

Founding Member

Feb 9, 2001

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Elizabethtown, PA

Aug 28, 2004

#17

• Aug 28, 2004

• #17

no, mine's never come on like that. i ran the KOEO codes and it never showed up on mine. i said screw it, i unhooked the battery for a while a reset them. light hasn't come on since.

 

C

criticman

Member

Sep 7, 2003

723

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Rome, GA

Nov 10, 2005

#18

• Nov 10, 2005

• #18

Reviving an old post...mine came on yesterday, did the flashing crap, then pause, flashing, pause...I was on an open road with no one around, cut the car off, turned back on, light still doing it.

Did anyone ever find out the cost to have it looked at/fixed by Ford stealership?

I remember reading something about being careful abut touching the airbag fuse - is it something you can safely take out, inspect and replace without making the bag go off and break your neck?

 

2

2002BLGT

Well-Known Member

Dec 18, 2003

2,945

4

59

Bedford VA

Nov 10, 2005

#19

• Nov 10, 2005

• #19

probably a bad clockspring , its a piece that goes on the steering column that is common to wear out on these cars , cost close to 100 bucks at the dealer , installs easily behind the airbag and steering wheel

 

M

Mike92GT

Founding Member

Jan 23, 2002

583

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Florida

Nov 10, 2005

#20

• Nov 10, 2005

• #20

Air bag codes can't be rear with a code scanner. You have to count the number of times it flashes to get the code. Mine has a code 34 right now. 3 flashes, a short pause, then 4 more flashes. Then it starts over. Most common cause for the airbag light is a bad clockspring, located behind the steering wheel. Usually it will flash a code 32 when the clockspring is bad. Mine is showing driver side airbag circuit shorted or low resistance, haven't got around to fixing it yet...