'02 XLT: Airbag Flashing FLC 19 = Clockspring?

[sfbayjay]

Airbag light is showing flashing code (FLC) 19. According to workshop manual:

FLC 19 = "Restraint System - Air Bag Status (Driver Front Air Bag Circuit Fault)"

I've read here in the forum that code 19 may indicate bad clockspring, especially if horn/cruise aren't working.

For me, the airbag FLC is my only "symptom." Cruise and horn work fine. According to free OBD scan at AutoZone, there are no trouble codes being thrown by computer (Although the Ford Workshop Manual suggest FLC 19 should also throw a DTC B2293...)

My Ex will be visiting the dealer on Monday for a tranny fluid change and to get an estimate to get the airbag light turned off...

I can get a new OEM clockspring online for $80 top $100. If that's what the issue turns out to be, how hard is it to replace? Gotta pull the steering wheel, and working around airbags makes me nervous... I'm guessing dealer cost to do the job would be a lot -- 3 hours labor? That means like $400! Ouch...

Has anyone done this job themselves? Should I just have the dealer do the work?

 

[sfbayjay]

Dealer visit yesterday. Diagnosed this FLC 19 code to be clockspring ("most likely") Quoted $270 for repair. Part is ~$100.00.

I'm considering letting them go ahead and do it. Don't really want to mess around with airbag components myself...

 

[sfbayjay]

Called the dealership yesterday morning to schedule the clockspring replacement work.

Immediately afterward I went for a drive and, wouldn't you know it -- the airbag light is OFF! :

During their inspection, the Ford tech told me that the airbag fault was not actually occurring during their scan of the system, but that the computer had logged the fault at some point in the recent past. This past fault logged in memory continues to trigger the warning light for some period of time even after the fault doesn't exist...

So this definitely sounds like a short or a broken wire or something -- consistent with a degraded clockspring. I imagine the light will come back on at some point, but I may wait 'till then to have it serviced!

 

[Drummadude]

I had the airbag light. May have been a different code, but what I found was that there is a plug for the airbag switch or sensor underneath the driver's seat; the wires were not long enough, so I simply added a few inches and voila, no light! I am 6'3" and have the seat as far back as possible, and it was pulling the plug the slightest bit.