ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

Hi guys, I've had the dreaded air bag light (but not the seatbelt light) on until yesterday when RUF in Dallas used the hammer to turn it off......just like he did 3 weeks ago. For some reason it's off for a week or so, then turns on again. The hammer shows error code 3, which is to change out the light bulb-which we did. So, before it comes on again, if I disconnect the battery and let it sit overnight to allow all electrical system discharge will I trip the airbag light if I disconnect the sensors to clean them?

BTW, I sat in the original Yellow Bird. Intersting car. has shaved rain gutters, aluminum doors/hood, no sound insulation, an air dam-like splitter (simple firm/flexible rubber strip about 2inches tall), very low-cant fit a finger in either wheel wells.

Jaime

Bill Gregory

After you disconnect the power, you only need to wait an hour before working on the airbag system, however, you can certainly wait overnight. I'm not sure what you're going to clean (as I recall the sensors in the trunk look like sealed units, however, I've never tried to take one apart), but with the entire system electrically shut down, I don't know how you'd trip anything electrical.

Dunasso

If there is a question to the reliability or functionality of the switches, then by all means you should replace them. Trying to disassemble the switches for repair or internal cleaning may not trip the system while the power is down, but if for some reason you got a piece in one of the switches assembled wrong, or incorrectly posissioned, then it could be the next pot hole you hit that deploys your airbag and not and accident.

Duncan

ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

Hi guys. I did a search here and seems reasonable to clean the contacts of the crash sensors first before trying to replace clock.

Jaime

JasonAndreas

All airbag faults are code 3, do you know if the fault was 3_58 or 3_59?

If your airbag controller software level is B-01 or greater than the waiting time for assembly operations is only 5 minutes, anything before that and you are supposed to wait at least 20 minutes. Obviously cleaning the contacts is not going to hurt anything but I also don't think its going to help in your case either. Fault codes 11 through 30 would indicate a problem with the sensors up front and if a replacement bulb hasn't completely solved your problem and the wiring is okay than the clock codes your seeing are probably a bad solder joint.

ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

update: after 24hrs with disconnected battery, I cleaned the crash sensors with Rat-shack cleaner, got behind the passenger side airbag and tried to clean contacts, but were too puny, so I just connected/discon. a few times, hooked up the battery and started the car. No airbag light! Now will need to wait to see how long it takes to turn on if at all, if so, will need to address the clock solders.

Jaime

Eric Kessel

Did you remove the crash sensors to clean them? If so, what did you use to remove the nuts on the crash sensors?

ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

Hi Eric. No, I just undid the connectors and got in there with the radio shack cleaner and a blow dryer to help evaporate the solvent.

Incidently, Radio Shack has two types of cleaners, one with a "lubricant"...I decided to go sans lubricant (without lubricant). Unless the lubricant is also an electrolyte, I would not recommend it.

craig001

Are you saying that you didn't need the Bosch KTS-300 to reset the system? It is my understanding that once the airbag light is triggered the "brain" remembers it until reset. If that's not the case then I need in on the secret.

ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

Hi Craig, no secret. My light had been turning on. I happened to be at Ruf undoing the "RS" alignment and while I was there I got my light "erased" using the hammer....but this was done one other time and the light reappeared a week or two later. This time, before it reappeared I decided to clean the sensors-hoping that this would fix the problem. So, before I disconnected the the battery, the light had continued to be off. I waited 24hrs for all electrical systems to discharge. Then I cleaned all contacts as much as I could-reconnected the battery, started the car and the airbag light contined to be off.

So, What I'd like to be the take home message for my car is that I can safely work on the airbag (cleaning) after 24hrs disconnected from battery and not trigger the airbag light afterwards.

Jaime

ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

Oh crap! Damn light came on again today. Guess will have to take the clock apart and re-solder all the appropriate areas. Well, I tried.

Jaime

Jim Howley

My understanding was that even once you resolve the problem you need the fault cleared using the hammer and the light comes back on if you do not as once the fault is logged the system isn't advanced enough to know when the problem has been resolved and clear the fault.

When I had the error cleared without resolving the problem it took 2 days before the light re-appeared.