Side Airbag Help Please

[ms700]

I'm still naive enough to think that I might get it sorted out here...   

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[Ninka]

I have side airbags in my car, and from memory I think that the sensors for the side airbags are located in the B pillar, quite near the bottom.

The reason your airbag light comes on, may be because these are missing.

Hope to have been of help

[Paradoxx]

Yeah there would have to be an extra pickup to tell the car that it has been hit in the side for the airbags to deploy. Cars without side windbags dont have that sensor, but I would be surprised if the loom wasnt already in place.

And the BCM/BEM might have to be reprogrammed by ASL... is that corect?

[Ninka]

Yeah there would have to be an extra pickup to tell the car that it has been hit in the side for the airbags to deploy. Cars without side windbags dont have that sensor, but I would be surprised if the loom wasnt already in place.

And the BCM/BEM might have to be reprogrammed by ASL... is that corect?

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Honestly, I don't think the BEM has anything to do with it!

I have swapped and changed BEM's without consideration for the side airbags, and I never had any issues.

There is actually a small module on top of the tunnel just underneath the ICC, and I think if I remember correctly, this module controls the restraint and airbag systems.

It may have the facility to just have the impact sensors added, and then will communicate OK on the CAN bus.

[Paradoxx]

Too many electronic bits!

[Ninka]

I've had a look at the diagram, and it is the ARS module (mentioned in previous post) which controls the airbags.

Looks like it has the provision of side airbags, so it is most probably sending an error code because of the missing side impace sensors.

I would suggest looking for a connector in the 'B' pillar, and if they are present, then it should be pretty easy to connect the sensors, and hopefully it will all work then.

Isn't it amazing how helpless some of the Fraud dealers are .

[4ST-XR6]

Its illegal to use second hand airbags, If you take it back to the dealer you went to the first time, and if he is still pissed at you, he could put an application into ford and void your warrant, If he hasn't already. You would have been much safer pulling your interior out and swapping the covers over, its not a hard job. An then no more dramas with the SRS.

[Ninka]

Its illegal to use second hand airbags, If you take it back to the dealer you went to the first time, and if he is still pissed at you, he could put an application into ford and void your warrant, If he hasn't already. You would have been much safer pulling your interior out and swapping the covers over, its not a hard job. An then no more dramas with the SRS.

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What in life is not illegal these days

Speeding

Under age drinking

Smoking in most places

Failing to stop at a stop sign

Some performance modifications

BOV to atmosphere

Noisy exhaust

You get the picture

If the airbag can be fitted safely, why not!!!

Edited 14/11/06 09:17 AM by Ninka

[bugster70]

Thanks Ninka, I gotta say I agree with you!

I'm afraid I'm still a little lost with all the technical stuff, but you seem to know a fair bit about it all. The other, more knowledgeable dealer said that it was possible to fix the problem by reflashing the BCM (which he wouldn't do), but according to you it's more than that? I need to connect some sensors in the B pillar too? What exactly would they connect to, 'cos I can't remember seeing any extra plugs?

That dealer also confirmed that the wiring looms were the same in all the cars, and that the facotry just flashed the computer accordingly if the car had side airbags fitted.

As for voiding the warranty, yeah, the d1ckhead had a go at that too - harped on about changing the whole engineering of the car, voiding mywarranty, etc. Sure. The onus is still on Ford to prove that my mods caused the defect, so good luck to 'em. I was totally upfront with the fact that I had Edit, injectors, etc, and am willing to pay for my playing. But if something else stuffs up on the car that has nothing to do with my mods, I think it's absolutely fair game to claim that on warranty!

[bugster70]

Oh, I should probably tell the rest of the story. I went back to pick the car up and, thankfully (in some respects), the initial service manager wasn't there. A really nice older fella served me and said that my handbrake had been fixed under warranty 'cos there was a TSB on it (thank you - I have a good mind to print out the TSB for service manager no 1 as he sounds like he needs to re-read it! ).

But the second issue, the guy had written "not touching that"!! The second fella was puzzled as to why this was, but there was another lady there who had obviously been prepped by my mate. "As you fitted aftermarket seats..." "Err, they're not really aftermarket, they're Ford items from another BA." "Whatever, they weren't on the car when it was bought so they are considered a modification." Alright, fair enough I think.

Then comes the clincher. "As it is a modofication, you will need to get an engineer's certificate!" Ah, right. It's at this point I realise what I'm really dealing with, so I nod and smile politely, thank them for fixing my handbrake, and leave.

Quite incredible.

Oh, the dealer is Gregory's Ford in the City in Braddon, Canberra. The rather special service manager's name is Andrew.