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Who has unplugged their airbag system?


jimmyess333

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I've been driving my 2007 Ranger with an airbag light on for months.
I tried messing with the connections under the seat but nothing seems to make the light go out and stay out. Since the bags aren't functional with the light on anyway is there something that I can unplug that will make the light go out and not trip a trouble code when I get it inspected?
I thought about getting it looked at but I don't want to spend $300 to fix something that may just come back. I heard this light comes on a lot with these trucks.
 


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There is no way you can unplug anything to disable the airbag system. It is integrated into too many necessary circuits.
If the light is on, the trouble code is already set, and will stay set until you have it reset. Resetting requires a diagnostic tool. It is a hard (stored) code, so disconnecting the battery won't work. You can remove the light in the dash to eliminate the distraction, but the code is still there.

BTW, the code is flashed when you start the truck. Count the flashes before the pause and after, each represents a number in the code. Ex: 2 flashes, pause, 9 flashes is code 29 and can be used to find the trouble to repair it. If you unplugged any part of the airbag system and then applied power to it, you just have to have it reset.
 

jimmyess333

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Ok, I have the standard OBD-II diagnostic tool but it doesn't pick anything up.
I think it's only good for codes that trip the check engine light.

Do I have to buy a special diagnostic tool to read the airbag system and reset it?
 

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i unplugged it from my bro's 00 ranger for a while. it had both lights out, so the 3rd alret was in, and thats an annoying chime everytime u start the truck. its like 20 beeps.

if the main light is on, check if the pass airbag switch's light is working. when i plugged the airbag controller back on his, i replaced the dash bulb, and it kept flashing cuz the other one was still burnt.

i think airbags are still functional evenwith the light on if they havent been triggered and the module is still plugged.
 

jimmyess333

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Everything is still plugged in for the time being.
I don't have a passenger airbag switch, it has a seat sensor that automatically senses when something about the weight of a car seat with baby is placed on the seat and turns off the pass bag.
No passenger= no "passenger airbag off" light
Adult pass= no "passenger airbag off" light
Heavy backpack or car seat on pass seat = "passenger airbag off" light
This light is still working fine.

The light I'm having the issue with is the problem light on the gauge cluster.
Pardon me for my ignorance but the only scanner tool I've ever had to deal with is the standard OBDI and OBDII scanner tool for a check engine light.
After some recent research it looks like I need additional scanners for the airbag system and ABS system if I ever want to check and/or erase codes for those.
Is this true?

...you just have to have it reset.
Do I have to go to the dealer for that? If so, I'd prefer to do it myself.
One of the reasons I bought this truck is I hate having to take my vehicles to someone else. The complexity of modern vehicles is getting to the point where we are at the mercy of the manufacturer who can charge as much as they want and invent an ever increasing number methods to nickel and dime the end user to death. I was looking for the most basic and simple vehicle I could find so I could avoid all that, perhaps I failed. Maybe no such vehicle exists anymore.
 
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i think that airbag system requires a different tool.
ive seen a connector for it on the module i think
 

jimmyess333

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Thanks for the reply honduran. thats what i was afraid of. i guess ill be out pricing airbag scanner tools.
 

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Unless you're made of money and are willing to drop a couple thousand on a code scanner...you're SOL for reading AirBag and ABS codes yourself. Only the dealers and those who spring for the major computer code scanners have access to those codes. All the manufacturers are like this, as the liability of giving the end consumer the ability to mess with these systems is too much.

When you start your truck, you'll see the air bag light on the cluster flash. It'll be a sequence. two flashes, pause, 4 flashes. This means a code 24...or something like this. Then just google for Airbag codes and see what comes up.

By unlpugging random airbag connectors, people have set off their airbags by accident in the past. Be careful with these things, they are classified as an explosive and can kill or seriously hurt you if they went off by accident and you're in the path of them.
 

jimmyess333

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Unless you're made of money and are willing to drop a couple thousand on a code scanner...you're SOL for reading AirBag and ABS codes yourself. Only the dealers and those who spring for the major computer code scanners have access to those codes. All the manufacturers are like this, as the liability of giving the end consumer the ability to mess with these systems is too much.

When you start your truck, you'll see the air bag light on the cluster flash. It'll be a sequence. two flashes, pause, 4 flashes. This means a code 24...or something like this. Then just google for Airbag codes and see what comes up.

By unlpugging random airbag connectors, people have set off their airbags by accident in the past. Be careful with these things, they are classified as an explosive and can kill or seriously hurt you if they went off by accident and you're in the path of them.
Thanks for the heads up.
Airbags are scary and I want to mess with it as little as possible.
However, I'd like to fix the issue without getting a dealer involved.
They could tell/charge me whatever they want to...or worse, charge a ton just to look at it and not fix anything.
With inspection coming up I might have a perfectly running paperweight soon.
Now that's frustrating.
 

jimmyess333

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$300 for a new code reader?...and I would still have to buy the parts once I find out what's wrong?
I'm beginning to hate this truck.
I wish I could rip all this go-back-to-the-dealer computer crap out.
 

jimmyess333

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I haven't even touched anything yet and now the horn is out.
What's next?
A 3 year old vehicle shouldnt be having problems like this.

So, I look in the service manual for the location of the horn relay and it doesn't have a standard relay. Instead, the manual directs me to the "SJB"(smart junction box) and tells me to use yet another scan tool.
This is BS!
A bypass with a regular and easily accessible relay may be in order.
 

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seems like im gonna keep my 99 for a loooong time.
it has a simplier electrical system lol.
besides it has given me 0 electrical issues. maybe someone messed yours too much
 

pillen140

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dont hate the truck! usually they will pass inspection with an airbag light on, mine does here in NY state, and our inspections are pretty thorough. read the code like they said when you start the engine, then just look up what that code means.... horn stuff, i dont think things have changed much as far as the horn stuff goes... go buy a $5 test light and see if the actually horn is getting power when you press the horn button! if it is, then just replace the horn! like $10 at autozone.
 

pillen140

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did you get the code? i had one pop up yesterday too! lol. mine was a code 12, which is a loss of power.... it was the fuse under the hood. a $1 fix. after i replaced the fuse it threw a code 52 out.... which just needs to be cleared. to clear the code (the code must be 52 or higher to erase) there is a 2 wire test plug coming from it.... at least on a '95 there is. turn the key on and let it flash the code at least once, then use a jumper wire and connect the two contacts in the plug together for about 5 seconds until you hear a quick beep. then unhook the wire. that should reset the light. and if your horn isnt getting power at the horn itself, sounds like it could be the clock spring code.
 

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Thanks pillen.
It makes sense that it's the clock spring.

BTW- I tested the horn first and it wasn't getting power, then I looked for a relay and opened this can of worms(no relay).
The fuse is good and the problem is intermittent.
 
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