Side Airbag Help Please

[bugster70]

I just took my car to my local Ford agent for a couple of issues and, unfortunately for me, the service manager seemed to have a real attitude problem and totally unwilling to help/be cooperative. Think he just took a dislike to me, despite me trying my very best to be as polite as I possibly could and NOT being a smart arse.

First issue was the handbrake, it hasn’t been holding for ages (it’s been ‘adjusted’ twice already) and is making the infamous rubbing noise. He said it’d be $110 to adjust it. I politely said that I thought there was a TSB issued on it, to which his response was, “Who told you that?!” I said I thought that it was pretty common knowledge and he then tried to tell me that it applied to a limited number of VIN numbers which only covered about 3,000 vehicles. Yeah, right, sure. I’ll take him a copy of the TSB if I have to (found the link on the forum, thanks guys!!).

Second issue is my ‘new’ side airbags. I recently managed to find a leather interior for my car (swapped for my cloth one plus cash adjustment). An unexpected bonus is that the leather seats have side airbags fitted to them. Now, I have been told that all I need is a reflash of the Body Control Module (not the ECU) to tell it that I have side airbags fitted. At the moment my airbag light on the dash comes on and stays on.

Anyway, I tell this to the service manager and again he asks, “Who told you that?! What, the wrecker you bought it from I bet!” Nice. Anyway, he reckons I’ve changed ‘the whole engineering of the car’, that as a result I have now ‘voided my warranty’, etc, etc. Also reckoned it would be major work with possibly a new wiring loom required!!!

I told him that if that was really the case, please don’t go ahead with the work, but I’d be grateful if he could check it out for me anyway.

Apologies for the long winded post, but my question is, is there anybody out there who knows more about this? Is it as simple as a reflash of the BCM? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks guys!!

[cobrav8]

Sounds like it would be a good move to find another dealer!

Best of luck.

My car is a mk2 - and I had the Handbrake TSB applied to it - no dramas, and it has been good, no dragging, and it works!

Edited 13/11/06 11:35 PM by cobrav8

[bugster70]

Thanks mate. My problem is that I only ever take the car to Ford for warranty work, and this dealer is by far the most convenient as I can drop the car off, get free parking, and walk to work.

But yeah, if he continues to be a pr1ck, I may just lose my patience and let him know what I really think.

You're right, I printed off the TSB and it applies to ALL BA Falcon sedans.

[cobrav8]

Then drop a big wheelie as you leave the workshop by his desk

[Iconic Bionic]

Name and shame the service department on here, so the rest of us can avoid them.

[bugster70]

Name and shame the service department on here, so the rest of us can avoid them.

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Well, I don't want to blame/write off the whole agent on the attitude of one idiot (who made it very clear to me that he was the service manager, etc, etc - well then, you should KNOW the TSB applies to all BAs then, shouldn't you? I didn't say that to him BTW), and I still haven't seen what they will or won't do yet, so I'll leave any mud slinging for now.

I told him to ring me before going ahead with any work and he wrote in big letters on my form 'Refer to XXX (his name)' and I still haven't heard anything yet, so I can only assume they haven't got around to my car yet.

[XR68UZ]

tell the guy to go *uck himself. I dont know why some of these service managers are so tight assed.

[turbomuz]

Sounds like you're getting great customer service there Bugster. Although I'm no expert, a reflash of the BCM seems feasible and hopefully can be done for you.

Do you know if the handbrake TSB can be done on cars out of warranty free of charge or am I dreaming?

Muz

[bugster70]

Sounds like you're getting great customer service there Bugster.  Although I'm no expert, a reflash of the BCM seems feasible and hopefully can be done for you.

Do you know if the handbrake TSB can be done on cars out of warranty free of charge or am I dreaming?

Muz

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I certainly hope you're right re the BCM, fingers crossed!!

Whilst I'm sure the TSB can still be carried out on your car, unfortunately I believe you'll have to pay for both the labour and parts if it's out of warranty. The TSB states that the warranty on this issue applies to all BA sedans "for the duration of the factory warranty of 3 years" and, if it just needs a park brake service kit the fitment will be covered for sedans that have done up to 100,000km or, if brake shoe replacement is needed this will be covered on sedans that have done up to 50,000km.

[Headsex]

If there is wiring loom to plug the airbags into under the seat region, I'm sure a reconfig / reflash of the Airbag PCM would fix that problem..

Looking at the wiring diagrams, it would seem as though there are tempory resisters placed where the side airbags would normally plug.. Is this what you noticed? Althought I would have to look at it in great detail.

Dan