V6 airbag warning light flashing in groups of 6 flashes

[Ron Miel]

Six short flashes, repeated at regular intervals, with a three second gap after each group of six flashes.

Does anybody know whether this indicates a specific SRS airbag system fault (driver and passenger side front airbags are fitted), or whether it's just a generic SRS failure indication? Altenatively, does anybody know where I might get the info?

I've tried re-setting the SRS computer by disconnecting the battery, without success.

Thanks

[g8dhe]

Check the cable connecting the bag to the system under the steering wheel cover, there isn't "much" to the testing system itself, it only checks to see if the bag is present, and if not flags the lamp.
There are two connectors for the drivers bag S-03 and S-04;

located behind the bag and at the base of the steering wheee;

[lpgimports]

Pulled this from a 626 site might help?

You may actually have a two pairs of flashes when you watch it close, so maybe 2 and 4 meaning 24 code or 5 and one meaning 51 code.

Not sure if you get a warning code it will reset on a bongo, some other cars but some need it cleared with a scanner.

Contacts between the steering wheel and the column are suspects on most cars.

Pasted from here.

This is what I found that I had downloaded and I'm pretty sure it was from a Ford Probe site. My appologies to the person who put so much effort into it and I am not able to give them credit for it. Doesn't show a code 47 but here it is:

Supplemental Restraint System Diagnostics
1994-1997 2.0L 4-Cylinder/2.5L V-6 Engine

1994 to 1997 Probes were equipped with driver and passenger supplemental air bag restraint systems.
The Air Bag lamp on the instrument cluster should illuminate for 6 seconds after the ignition is
turned on. If not, it could be a sign of something wrong. When the air bag system detects a problem,
the air bag diagnostic monitor will display a fault code through a serious of flashes through the Air
Bag lamp.

Interpreting The Pulses/Flashes
The flashes on the Air Bag lamp light translate into two digit codes. The Air Bag lamp will flash the
first digit, followed by a one second pause, then it will flash the second digit. After a three second
pause, it will repeat the code. For example, four flashes, pause, then one flash would be a code 41.
Only one code will be displayed at a time. If two or more codes are present, the code with the highest
priority will be displayed first. Once that fault has been corrected, the code with the next highest
priority will be displayed.

Diagnostic Fault Codes
PRIORITY CODE FAULT DESCRIPTION
Highest — No Air Bag Lamp - Inoperative Lamp Circuit or No Ignition Voltage to Diagnostic Monitor
— Continuous Air Bag Lamp - Diagnostic Monitor Disconnected or Inoperative
12 Low Battery Voltage
13 Air Bag Circuit or Crash Sensor Circuit Shorted to Ground
21 Center Cowl Safing Rear Air Bag Sensor Not Mounted to Vehicle Properly
22 Center Cowl Safing Rear Air Bag Sensor Output Circuit Shorted to Battery Voltage
23 Center Cowl Safing Rear Air Bag Sensor Input Feed/Return Circuit Open
24 Center Cowl Safing Rear Air Bag Sensor Output Feed/Return Circuit Open or Low Resistance in an air Bag Sensor
32 Driver Side Air Bag Module Circuit High Resistance or Open
33 Passenger Side Air Bag Module Circuit High Resistance or Open
34 Driver Side Air Bag Module Circuit Low Resistance or Shorted
35 Passenger Side Air Bag Module Circuit Low Resistance or Shorted
41 Air Bag Sensor Circuits High Resistance or Open
44 Right Hand Fender Primary Crash Sensor Not Mounted to Vehicle Properly
45 Center Radiator Primary Crash Sensor Not Mounted to Vehicle Properly
46 Left Hand Fender Primary Crash Sensor Not Mounted to Vehicle Properly
51 Diagnostic Monitor Internal Thermal Fuse - Fuse Blown Due to Intermittent Short to Ground
52 Backup Power Supply - Voltage Boost Fault
53 Internal Diagnostic Monitor Fault

Lowest — Rapid Continuous Flashing or Air Bag Lamp - All Primary Crash Sensors Disconnected

[Ron Miel]

Thanks Geoff. Not even a similar test on the passenger side bag's connectivity, then? No accelerometer/sensor test? Safe to fiddle, presumably, once the battery's been disconnected for a minute or two? Regards, David

[lpgimports]

more pasting for MX5's

I would be first checking too see if there is an air bag fuse and checking it then secondchecking out the steering wheel to column connection.

Paul



Postby Richardn » Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:44 am
From Miata.net

The warning light is flashing a code Long flash=10 short flash=1
eg 2 long lashes followed by 3 short =23

Here's my 'almost famous' airbag diagnostic code chart.
The following are POSSIBLE causes for a '93.
on steady: faulty diagnostic module or poor connection at module
2 flashes: poor ground of D-sensors

3 flashes: open circuit or poor connection of power source circuit

4 flashes: faulty S-sensor

5 flashes: faulty D-sensor (D-sensor remains on)

6 flashes: faulty air bag module or poor connection of clockspring connector

7 flashes: poor ground of wiring harness

8 flashes: poor ground of D-sensor

9 flashes: open circuit between diagnostic module and D-sensor

10 flashes: faulty diagnostic module (system down, fuse burned)

Each of these codes include multiple pages of diagnosis and testing proceedures. These are not guarranteed fixes.


Lance Schall later added: "The above posted clarification is accurate. For '90 to '93, a single series of diagnostic flashes is generated. For '94, the Miata gets 2 airbags and the diagostic flash codes indicate 2 digits with a pause between. In '95 to '97, the airbag system is changed completely, the crash sensors are integrated into a single unit with the airbag computer (which is located where the S sensor was) and the diagnostic codes change again, this time greatly simplified."

More by Lance: "1994 Airbag Diagnostic Codes

The comuter self diagnostic got smarter for '94. The number indicates the flash code, "12" for example means 1 flash, pause, 2 flashes.

Light remains ON - Poor connection at airbag computer
12 - Open circuit power source
13 - D sensor ON
21 - Poor installation S sensor
22 - S sensor ON
23 - Open connection S sensor feed circuit
24 - S sensor diagnostic circuit open
32 - Open circuit driver side airbag module
33 - Open circuit passenger side
34 - Short circuit driver side airbag module
35 - Short circuit passenger side
41 - Open circuit between D sensor and computer
44 - Poor installation of right side D sensor
45 - Poor installation of center D sensor
46 - Poor installation of left D sensor
51 - System Down fuse open
52 - Damaged back-up battery
53 - Damaged computer
Flashes continuously - Poor connection of all D sensors

'95 - '97 blink codes:

remains on - bad computer
3 - bad power
6 - driver side airbag
7 - passenger side airbag

and '99+

1 - computer connector
2 - bad computer
3 - bad power
6 - driver side airbag
7 - passenger side airbag
49 (4 long pulse then 9 quick pulse) - passenger deactivation switch

[g8dhe]

Yes there are checks for the Passenger side but 6 flashes tends to mean Drivers side, gleaned from comments made on other car forums, but seems to apply to Mazdas as well.

[Ron Miel]

...and thanks Paul. Thought it was a steady six flashes group but will check again. Ah, just scrolled down and saw your later post with MX5 codes, with single digit flashing, so perhaps I was right - will go through that in a minute. No SRS fuse listed in the fuses info I've got but I guess there's got to be one somewhere, so I'll nose around some more in daylight tomorrow. Meanwhile, the pasted ?Probe data refers to a back up power supply, which worries me a bit. Does that mean there's an inbuilt battery, which leaves it live for a while after disconnecting the main starter battery? Regards, David

[Ron Miel]

Yes there are checks for the Passenger side but 6 flashes tends to mean Drivers side, gleaned from comments made on other car forums, but seems to apply to Mazdas as well.

Yes, the MX5 data Paul's pasted in refers to driver's side against '6' several times - it's that back up power supply bit in the ?Probe info that worries me!

[Ron Miel]

BTW, the lushprojects airbag page shows only the two airbag modules plus one other module ("Unit, SAS"), which I assume is the airbag control computer, presumably with inbuilt crash sensor(s)* as per later MX5s in Paul's second post.

*(....and inbuilt back up power supply?????)

I guess if it does contain a long life lithium or other battery, rechargeable or not, it would be very likely to be dud after 10 years. Can't really tell from the lushprojects drawing, exactly where that box is - could be under the driver's seat or in the front compartment attached to the bulkhead in front of the driver. Anybody know?

[lpgimports]

could be the clock spring unit between steering wheel and column, this goes all the time on french cars.

S38A66CS0 66CS0 SPRING,CLOCK

http://www.lushprojects.com/bongopartsm ... mgno=.html

Has the horn stopped working? if so more than likely this unit.

Paul

[Ron Miel]

Thanks again Paul. Yes, I noticed that the clock spring was referenced against '6' as one possible cause, in the MX5 info. Fault only appeared today, and haven't used the horn lately, so that will be the first check tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I'm still worried about the possibility of a back up battery keeping the system live for a while, even though I will disconnect the main vehicle battery before going beyond the horn and fuse checks. Seems logical there might be one provided as otherwise it's just feasible that a crash could remove main battery power before the system fires.

All I can get from the petrol engined Bongos "service manual" is a warning to consult "the SRS section" before attempting to remove an air bag, or other SRS, module - and, of course, "the SRS section" hasn't been included! The more I use the two ("Engine" and "Chassis") petrol Bongo manuals, the more I realise that a lot of vital stuff isn't in them. If "the SRS section" happens to be in the 2.5TD service manual though, and somebody who has it could pass on the gist, I would be very grateful.

Otherwise, I'll play safe and leave the battery disconnected for a couple of days before meddling - hoping that only very limited back up capacity would have been provided, if any.

Regards

David

[Ron Miel]

BTW, the lushprojects airbag page shows only the two airbag modules plus one other module ("Unit, SAS"), which I assume is the airbag control computer, presumably with inbuilt crash sensor(s)* as per later MX5s in Paul's second post.

*(....and inbuilt back up power supply?????)

I guess if it does contain a long life lithium or other battery, rechargeable or not, it would be very likely to be dud after 10 years. Can't really tell from the lushprojects drawing, exactly where that box is - could be under the driver's seat or in the front compartment attached to the bulkhead in front of the driver. Anybody know?

Just saw the diagram on P.59 in the "owner's handbook". Looks like it's behind the instrument panel, and yes it also contains the crash sensor.

[g8dhe]

There are two fuses for the controller, click the wiring diagram above and hover the mouse of the two green 15Amp fuse symbols.

[Ron Miel]

There are two fuses for the controller, click the wiring diagram above and hover the mouse of the two green 15Amp fuse symbols.

Thanks Geoff. Hadn't realised they were clickable images - will do in future, They indicate fuse positions 9 and 10 in the cabin fusebox - shown in the "Fuses" factsheet as "Engine Management System" and "Dashboard" respectively. If the controller runs off fused supplies with those main functions, wouldn't I have seen other symptoms while driving today, had one or both of them blown? I didn't, anyway. I'll check 'em of course, and let you know. Regards, David

[Ron Miel]

>
>
Meanwhile, I'm still worried about the possibility of a back up battery keeping the system live for a while, even though I will disconnect the main vehicle battery before going beyond the horn and fuse checks. Seems logical there might be one provided as otherwise it's just feasible that a crash could remove main battery power before the system fires.

All I can get from the petrol engined Bongos "service manual" is a warning to consult "the SRS section" before attempting to remove an air bag, or other SRS, module - and, of course, "the SRS section" hasn't been included! The more I use the two ("Engine" and "Chassis") petrol Bongo manuals, the more I realise that a lot of vital stuff isn't in them. If "the SRS section" happens to be in the 2.5TD service manual though, and somebody who has it could pass on the gist, I would be very grateful.

Otherwise, I'll play safe and leave the battery disconnected for a couple of days before meddling - hoping that only very limited back up capacity would have been provided, if any.
>
>

Found this - "There are also some special precautions for working on the system as each of the SRS devices contain back up power devices that hold a charge for at least 90 seconds and are quite capable of deploying the device..." here: http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/ ... opic=80221, referring to the RAV4.....

...and this - ""This model ford does not disable the airbags with the fuse the battery must be disconnected in order to disable the airbags. You must also wait the one minute for the back up power supply to power down" here: http://www.justanswer.com/car/19cxx-srs ... rquis.html, referring to an American Ford.

OK, sounds likes capacitors are used, not batteries - again, logical, so I'll assume Mazdas have the same, and she'll be safe to work on a few minutes after disconnecting the battery (both batteries, starter and leisure).