Air Bag Light suddenly came on?!?!? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Air Bag Light suddenly came on?!?!?

dmac0923

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August 10, 2006
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City, State
Yorktown
Year, Model & Trim Level
2002 ranger xlt
started the truck up and as usual all the gauges and idiot lights are going through their self checks but for somereason the airbag light stays on steady.

drove to where i had to go with it still on, shut the car off and back on, the light is still on.


i havent done any recent work on the truck. just suddenly illuminated

now im assuming the airbag system is the same as the ABS system, meaning that if the light is on, the system is malfunctioning and will not operate in the event of a collision????

i dont have a scan tool, is there any way to pull a code to see if a sensor is bad?
 



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i dont have a scan tool, is there any way to pull a code to see if a sensor is bad?
Turn on the ignition and watch the airbag light immediately afterward. It will flash out a pattern that will give you a 2-digit code like 1-9-1-9- or 2-7-2-7- or something like that. The flash pattern repeats maybe 5 times before going solid. Count the flashes to get the code, then post it here.
 






the light does not flash at all. from the moment the key goes to the "On" position the light comes on steady and stays on steady.
 






i tried cleaning the terminals and leaving the battery disconnected for several minutes.
and ive also tried disconnecting and cleaning the connectors under the driver and passenger seats.

light still comes on steady no flashes
 






the light does not flash at all. from the moment the key goes to the "On" position the light comes on steady and stays on steady.
In that case, the shop manual has just a couple of possibilities: The Restraints Control Module has lost power and/or ground or it is dead. I would check fuses 2 and 26 and the ground point near the RCM on the trans tunnel. It's a smart move to disconnect the battery whenever you work on the restraints system.
 






driving to the store i noticed that the HVAC controls were not working. figured then a fuse was blown

sure enough like rwenzing stated, fuse #2 was blown. replaced everything works as it should

not sure why the fuse would suddenly blow
 






I'm actually having this same problem as of yesterday - turn on the vehicle (2002 explorer xls), air bag light flashes 3x (1 second pause) 3x then a 3 second pause - this cycle repeats about 5 times, then turns solid.

Can someone help me diagnose this? I called the dealer who told me something like "bring it in and we can diagnose it... oh, but we are booked up through next week, don't get in an accident your air bag probably won't work" answer.

Help! :)
 
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Clean the yellow plug under the front seat. It's a resistor which periodically throws a code if it gets a little dirt on the connection.
 












Thanks for letting us know that it worked!
 






hi im getting a code 46 from my 2002 ranger edge air bag light. i have no book and could use the definition. thanks for any help you could spare! there is a fault in the cruise switch as some knuckle head put a club on the thing and broke it so im guessing its a short in the harness or clockspring. no bad fuses.
 
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hi im getting a code 46 from my 2002 ranger edge air bag light.
Light Flash Codes for the Restraints System are not standardized across years and model lines. So, you'll need the LFC list from the shop manual for the exact vehicle.

LFC 4-6 on a 2001~2003 Ranger is for incorrect resistance in the driver seat belt pretensioner circuit. (LFC 4-7 is for a similar problem in the passenger pretensioner circuit).

This is a common problem on Rangers and is usually caused by a poor connection under the seat. Turn off the ignition, open the connector, clean the pins and reassemble. Applying dielectric grease to the pins should make the repair last longer by inhibiting corrosion. In rare cases, for repeat offenders, the connector might need to be replaced.

It is a good idea to avoid storing things under the seats because contact with the connectors can sometimes trigger the problem too.
 






The Explorer has a yellow plug under the seat with a resistor plugged into it. What color is this plug on the Ranger? Does the Ranger have a resistor in the same area?
 






The Explorer has a yellow plug under the seat with a resistor plugged into it. What color is this plug on the Ranger? Does the Ranger have a resistor in the same area?
I think you're referring to the yellow resistors on some Explorers that take the place of side air bags when they are not optioned. Rangers don't use resistor plugs under the seats, yellow or otherwise.

2001+ Rangers have seat belt pretensioners and the connectors under the seats mate the pretensioner subharnesses to the interior floor harness. These connections often get dirty or loose, which changes the total pretensioner circuit resistance and triggers the Restraints code 4-6 or 4-7.
 






Thanks for the information!
 






Turn on the ignition and watch the airbag light immediately afterward. It will flash out a pattern that will give you a 2-digit code like 1-9-1-9- or 2-7-2-7- or something like that. The flash pattern repeats maybe 5 times before going solid. Count the flashes to get the code, then post it here.
I know I didn't start this thread, but I have the same problem with my 02 Ranger, it's flashing 4-7 4-7.... etc.. Any thoughts? thanks!
 






I know I didn't start this thread, but I have the same problem with my 02 Ranger, it's flashing 4-7 4-7.... etc.. Any thoughts? thanks!
Read post 13 in this thread.
 






Air Bag Codes

Hey guys I'm brand new to this site because I'd love some insight on how to take care of my new ranger...so I'm getting the airbag code, 1-9-1-9...what does this one mean?? Hope it's not major :( thx for any replies
 



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Welcome to this forum! I didn't see a code 19 on the list.
 






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