Air Bag Light stays on

[sixiron]

did the searches....air bag light stays on continually...upon engine startup it will flash 4 times pause and flash 6 more times...code unknown....afterwards the light stays on continually...
No codes stored in computer.. diagnostic port scanned and clear
history: replaced my original seats (no arm rests) with arm rest seats out of a wrecked 01 cargo van.....
the light and code flashing started then...so installing the 01 seats are part of the problem...seats installed OK..tensioners work fine etc... searches of the SVE bulletins have gotten me confused, there are posts about body upfitters changing passenger seats or eliminating the passanger seat on cutaway chassis and then having to install a different electronic crash sensor module...etc...etc..??

anyone got a handle on how to get the light off... [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]

thanks bill

[ddog]

Are Seats and wiring to seats identical except for armrests? Kind of a PIA but does it go out if you put your seats back in? Does your van have one or two airbags? Did the seats come out of a van with one or two Airbags?I know some seats have a switch in the bottom to tell if someone is in the seat. My van has two airbags and there is a wire going to the bottom of my passenger seat. Maybe one of the switches/sensors in the seat is bad or you may have to take the seat sensors from your old seat and swap them with the ones in the '01 seats. Check the airbag fuse and see if it blew during the seat swap.
If its a coincidental failure, something on a van with your miles is check for continuity through the clockspring,the thing in the steering wheelthat transfers electric from the column through the wheel to the horn, airbag, cruise. One of my prior posts has a description on how it works if your not familiar with it. You can check it with the wheel on,but you have to pull the wheel to change it. Don't forget to disconnect the batteries and wait thirty or so minutes before working around the air bag.That's all the ideas I have.
ddog

[sixiron]

Thanks Dog, I have been searching more and found some more info:
code 46 via ford probe air bag fault codes is: LH crash sensor not mounted to vehicle properly

The other info I found states : look for a disconnected connector (grey 2 prong) under driver or passener seat. If both are connected look for a frayed wire

Anyway :
My 98 only had the drivers side airbag...01 van replacement seats were driver side only air bag ...

all tensioners work fine...

Will have to research where the "air bag sensor" fuse is..

I have had the clockspring replaced before..it also controls the horn and the cruise control .. those 2 items are working fine..

The "butt" switch is new one on me...but I shouldn't have any problem activating that one [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

thanks bill

[ddog]

from a 94 Ford Service manual for E150-350,F150-350 and Bronco, DTC 46= Open Splice Radiator Support Center Air Bag Sensor Ground Monitor. It gives this code if resitamce to ground across pin 22 is more than two ohms.The downside is if resitance and wiring checks out ok, it says to replace the Diagnostic Airbag Monitor. The 98 Ford Service manual I have access to only covers F150-250, No E-series and trouble codes only go to 45. You'll probably need the 98 E-series manual to accurately troubleshoot this. By tensioners do you mean the seat belt tensioners? Did the '01 seats appear to have the same connectors and wires as your 98 seats? If putting the old seats back in fixes it, then you know its related to the seat wiring. You could always swap the seat backs with arm rests and use the 98 bottoms since that is where the wiring is. You can also try disconnecting batteries to see if it resets itself.
ddog

[toalpi]

Did you reuse your original short section of the seat belts or did you use the new ones? If you used the new ones, it is possible that the "PRE"tensioners (or whatever they are called) have already been deployed or exploded.

[sixiron]

Thanks to all...Got'R'Dun....my old seats eliminated the flashing code...so it was the 01 wiring that was setting off the dash air-bag warning...the wiring looked identical though...the 2 plastic connectors with a dead on match with all wires [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]

anyway thanks ddog....I had to use my 98 seat bottoms and install the 01 arm rest uppers ...pia but its not flashing any codes

bd

[fordmastertech]

[ QUOTE ]
I had to use my 98 seat bottoms and install the 01 arm rest uppers ...pia but its not flashing any codes


[/ QUOTE ]
Couldn't you just swap the seat belt pretensioners over to the new seats? [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[sixiron]

Yes... now that I look back on it, that would have been an easier way ...tks bd