after one of my club members read the error code (not avail on torque), the clock spring was id'd. dealer replacement (waaaaaaay too expesive, but it is a safety item) solved the issue....no srs light 
Air Bag Light, Diagnosis and Repair - write up
- Thread starter Cosmo Kramer
- Start date
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What code were you getting?after one of my club members read the error code (not avail on torque), the clock spring was id'd. dealer replacement (waaaaaaay too expesive, but it is a safety item) solved the issue....no srs light
HankBear
SILVER Star
Just corrected my flashing airbag light on 2000 470. This thread saved the day.
Got codes from using wire in engine fuse box and counting flashes.
Couldn't get any ohm reading on tensioner (read 0.0). Didn't need to remove seat btw.
Sent into the Safety company, mentioned here, anyway, quick turnaround. My mechanic was impressed with cost and time.
Installed refurbished tension. No more light, and better chance airbag/ belts work if needed.
Got codes from using wire in engine fuse box and counting flashes.
Couldn't get any ohm reading on tensioner (read 0.0). Didn't need to remove seat btw.
Sent into the Safety company, mentioned here, anyway, quick turnaround. My mechanic was impressed with cost and time.
Installed refurbished tension. No more light, and better chance airbag/ belts work if needed.
mdcoa
SILVER Star
@Cosmo Kramer , thanks for this thread--Our 1999 JDM's airbag light just started flashing. I didn't feel like jumpering and counting flashes, so I thought I'd see if Techstream would work--it did. Pulled up a B0131 code.
Now I'm researching that in the FSM--the first thing it says is DO NOT test resistance of the pretensioner (page IN-14 in my 1999 FSM), and a little research indicates there's some (probably very very small, since nearly everyone seems to do it) risk using a multimeter to measure resistance, so I just put a brake light in the circuit (thanks @DCTLC1) and the error code went away, confirmed with techstream (showed in history but not current).
So now I just need to figure out when we can live without a driver’s side seatbelt for a week!!
Now I'm researching that in the FSM--the first thing it says is DO NOT test resistance of the pretensioner (page IN-14 in my 1999 FSM), and a little research indicates there's some (probably very very small, since nearly everyone seems to do it) risk using a multimeter to measure resistance, so I just put a brake light in the circuit (thanks @DCTLC1) and the error code went away, confirmed with techstream (showed in history but not current).
So now I just need to figure out when we can live without a driver’s side seatbelt for a week!!
I'm following this procedure right now, trying to clear a B0131 DTC. A couple of things I've learned along the way:
- "Squib" refers to the explosive charge in the tensioner that is triggered by a voltage pulse from the vehicle's SRS system. It's like firing a small bullet in tube that's pulling a cable, that snugs up your seatbelt.
- The guidance to disconnect the battery before disconnecting the squib terminal is to allow the capacitor that holds reserve charge to drain. Airbags can still be blown for about 90 seconds after battery disconnection.
- The leaf springs that touch the squib's connector prongs are a tiny shorting circuit. They connect the two prongs together when you remove the yellow plastic terminal. They exist to minimize the chance that a static charge or other transient might set off the squib when the terminal is removed and the prongs are exposed. If this were a gun, the grounding springs are the safety.
IMPORTANT: when you use the Q-Tip method (or any other way to disable the grounding bar 'safety,' you run a slightly higher risk of firing the squib. A multimeter set to resistance puts out a small amount of electrical energy to obtain the reading, so in keeping with the analogy, you are very lightly pulling the trigger on this 'gun.' With a high-quality DMM like a Fluke, it's not much of a risk, but a cheaper multimeter with an unregulated output is a little dicey. THIS IS WHY THE FSM WARNS NOT TO MEASURE RESISTANCE ACROSS THE SQUIB PRONGS.
That said, disabling the grounding bar is the only way to get an accurate resistance reading and determine for sure if your squib is open or lower-than-spec. Mine ranges from 1.3-1.7 ohms and my dash light comes on intermittently, so I'm guessing the floor of the spec is somewhere in that range. A tech I spoke with at Safety Restore said squibs should read between 2-3 ohms, universally.
The light bulb trick works great to eliminate your wiring as a root cause. I plugged in a 3 ohm bulb and the dash warning indicator disappeared, which suggests that the system found the resistance it was looking for and the vehicle wiring is not the problem. Helpful to know before removing and sending the seatbelt out for repair. Safety Restore has raised their price to $120 btw - $100 for the rebuild + $20 for return shipping.
- "Squib" refers to the explosive charge in the tensioner that is triggered by a voltage pulse from the vehicle's SRS system. It's like firing a small bullet in tube that's pulling a cable, that snugs up your seatbelt.
- The guidance to disconnect the battery before disconnecting the squib terminal is to allow the capacitor that holds reserve charge to drain. Airbags can still be blown for about 90 seconds after battery disconnection.
- The leaf springs that touch the squib's connector prongs are a tiny shorting circuit. They connect the two prongs together when you remove the yellow plastic terminal. They exist to minimize the chance that a static charge or other transient might set off the squib when the terminal is removed and the prongs are exposed. If this were a gun, the grounding springs are the safety.
IMPORTANT: when you use the Q-Tip method (or any other way to disable the grounding bar 'safety,' you run a slightly higher risk of firing the squib. A multimeter set to resistance puts out a small amount of electrical energy to obtain the reading, so in keeping with the analogy, you are very lightly pulling the trigger on this 'gun.' With a high-quality DMM like a Fluke, it's not much of a risk, but a cheaper multimeter with an unregulated output is a little dicey. THIS IS WHY THE FSM WARNS NOT TO MEASURE RESISTANCE ACROSS THE SQUIB PRONGS.
That said, disabling the grounding bar is the only way to get an accurate resistance reading and determine for sure if your squib is open or lower-than-spec. Mine ranges from 1.3-1.7 ohms and my dash light comes on intermittently, so I'm guessing the floor of the spec is somewhere in that range. A tech I spoke with at Safety Restore said squibs should read between 2-3 ohms, universally.
The light bulb trick works great to eliminate your wiring as a root cause. I plugged in a 3 ohm bulb and the dash warning indicator disappeared, which suggests that the system found the resistance it was looking for and the vehicle wiring is not the problem. Helpful to know before removing and sending the seatbelt out for repair. Safety Restore has raised their price to $120 btw - $100 for the rebuild + $20 for return shipping.
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