outbackusjunkus Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Now that I'm up and running its time to address the air bag light thats been on for awhile...97 OBW, a mechanic told me it was probably the clock spring ($280 for part alone and local Subaru dealership), but I've never heard of that on a legacy. This car did go deer hunting a while back, took out the lt headlight, radiator, etc, but bag did not pop. light didn't come on until months later, so no obvious connection. I have an OBDII reader, but it can't access the srs computer. Disconnected the batt to clear codes, but it came back. I know I should just take it in and spend the $80 they (subaru) told me it would cost to run the codes (someone has to help pay for those expensive machines). But I was hoping there might be some things I could check first, maybe someone else had this happen to them. BTW, I had to replace ALL dash lights except in the gauges, even the 5 in the radio. Is this normal???? Yes, I checked the fuses... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea#3 Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Try this to pull codes Hope this helps SEA#3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest D1Driver Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 I would start by checking the airbag sensors and their connections. 1. Take battery terminals off!!! 2. Check airbag sensors under front end. I know one of my sensors is behind the drivers side fog lamp. Typically, any wires dealing with the airbags are coated with a yellow cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackusjunkus Posted September 27, 2006 Author Share Posted September 27, 2006 Try this to pull codesHope this helps SEA#3 This is a huge help, pulled codes 12 and 14, will now dig deeper (and check up front as D1Driver suggested). Off to battle with the evil wire gremlin... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackusjunkus Posted September 27, 2006 Author Share Posted September 27, 2006 I would start by checking the airbag sensors and their connections. 1. Take battery terminals off!!! 2. Check airbag sensors under front end. I know one of my sensors is behind the drivers side fog lamp. Typically, any wires dealing with the airbags are coated with a yellow cover. Holy crap. Took the plastic inner fender off and NO AIRBAG SENSOR! Both sides. Even double checked in the Haynes manual for proper location. You can see were something used to be bolted to the stud there, but no sensor, no yellow wires...starting to freak out. Only thing I can think of is when vehic was repaired, they did not re-install...Anyone know where the wires that go to these sensors end up??? I can't find any cut wires, or empty plug-ins...any other ideas before I put the hit out on the body shop???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Hate to say it but that happens. Another bad thing is people put phoney airbags in for cheap collision repairs. Good luck on finding bits for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackusjunkus Posted September 27, 2006 Author Share Posted September 27, 2006 Hate to say it but that happens. Another bad thing is people put phoney airbags in for cheap collision repairs. Good luck on finding bits for it. Am trying to attach a picture of what I've got going...if anyone can tell me where the wires are supposed to go...then I can trace back and know what I have to go find...I know where a rear-ended outback is...this sucks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Cool, if that Outback has all the stuff you should be fine. Sometimes the light has been sabotaged so you might have harness problems too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OB99W Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 Holy crap. Took the plastic inner fender off and NO AIRBAG SENSOR! Both sides. Even double checked in the Haynes manual for proper location. You can see were something used to be bolted to the stud there, but no sensor, no yellow wires...starting to freak out. Only thing I can think of is when vehic was repaired, they did not re-install...Anyone know where the wires that go to these sensors end up??? I can't find any cut wires, or empty plug-ins...any other ideas before I put the hit out on the body shop????I don't have any fresh ideas at the moment, but I do have an observation; you previously said "light didn't come on until months later, so no obvious connection." Does anyone here know if the airbag diagnostics could be "fooled" into ignoring the supposedly missing sensors for that long, and then have the system finally recognize the problem? Seems a bit strange to me; if someone fudged things, I'd usually expect that to be long-term (until corrected). Could it be a second airbag system issue in addition to the sensor question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackusjunkus Posted September 27, 2006 Author Share Posted September 27, 2006 I don't have any fresh ideas at the moment, but I do have an observation; you previously said "light didn't come on until months later, so no obvious connection." Does anyone here know if the airbag diagnostics could be "fooled" into ignoring the supposedly missing sensors for that long, and then have the system finally recognize the problem? Seems a bit strange to me; if someone fudged things, I'd usually expect that to be long-term (until corrected). Could it be a second airbag system issue in addition to the sensor question? Thats what I'm starting to think...whatever was done to hide the problem could be causing the light. Anyone out there a criminal genious? Where would one look to find the "bandage"? There has to be one somewhere, or the light would have always been on. Maybe too, thats why there is more that one problem code thrown... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Boncyk Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 I'm not an expert in Sube airbags, but I know a little about the theory behind why they work. There are several crash sensors that should be located in different places in the front of the vehicle; it takes a circuit closure from more than one of these in order to fire the airbags, and the airbag diagnostic module determines if the trigger is legitimate enough to fire the bag deployment circuit. The diagnostic module in most vehicles monitors the resistance of the crash sensors; too low or too high a resistance indicates a fault in the cct, and causes the airbag light to come on. So missing sensors SHOULD immediately trigger the airbag light, unless someone was clever enough to substitute a resistor of appropriate value for the crash sensors that had been removed. I suppose its possible that someone did that in this case, and that if there were resistors in place of the crash sensors that they somehow just came loose after some months of driving, but that's a bit of a stretch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subarunation 713 Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 I don't have any fresh ideas at the moment, but I do have an observation; you previously said "light didn't come on until months later, so no obvious connection." Does anyone here know if the airbag diagnostics could be "fooled" into ignoring the supposedly missing sensors for that long, and then have the system finally recognize the problem? Seems a bit strange to me; if someone fudged things, I'd usually expect that to be long-term (until corrected). Could it be a second airbag system issue in addition to the sensor question? I never have fresh ideas so you are way ahead of me! :-) My for fun car is a Miata. On the Miata.net site there are several posts about fooling the airbag system. You place a resistor (I think it was 3 ohms or something) in the steering wheel connection going to the module. This allows someone to take off their Miata factory wheel and put on a Momo or Nardi wheel with no airbag and not have to deal whith a blinking light or beeping should the airbag light go out. If the same was true on airbags systems in general someone could have put resistors or some other sort of device in the connector going to the module. This may keep the light from going on. Your "adventure" with Bambi may have knocked the "fix" loose and after some driving and vibration the "fix" came out. Just a thought but Miata/Ford (the module is shared with a Tarus) airbag systems may be a world apart on a Subaru. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Boncyk Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 I never have fresh ideas so you are way ahead of me! :-) My for fun car is a Miata. On the Miata.net site there are several posts about fooling the airbag system. You place a resistor in the steering wheel connection going to the module. This allows someone to take off their Miata factory wheel and put on a Momo or Nardi wheel with no airbag and not have to deal whith a blinking light or beeping should the airbag light go out. If the same was true on airbags systems in general someone could have put resistors or some other sort of device in the connector going to the module. This may keep the light from going on. Your "adventure" with Bambi may have knocked the "fix" loose and after some driving and vibration the "fix" came out. Just a thought but Miata/Ford (the module is shared with a Tarus) airbag systems may be a world apart on a Subaru. Greg Exactly. The same IS true of airbags in general. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackusjunkus Posted September 27, 2006 Author Share Posted September 27, 2006 Thanks to all for the help...I'd be willing to bet that resistor is in there somewhere, but looked everywhere and cannot find...my bet is it is where the wires from the AWOL crash sensors plug in or were cut,...any bets where that is? I pulled airbag control unit, looks good inside...no burnt circuts or signs of tampering. Have to find those wires... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackusjunkus Posted September 27, 2006 Author Share Posted September 27, 2006 Traced the front impact wires back from the airbag control unit, they come up by the driver's side door post and get lost in the maze under the dash. I dug around under there for a while, then switched outside. Pulled the wiring cover off the main line going to the front, but could not find any cut or spliced wires. I am hoping someone out there has one like this they can look at, to see where the wires from the crash sensors go. Or I could part out, it's pretty much disassembled.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted September 27, 2006 Share Posted September 27, 2006 When I changed my heater core, after I finished the air bag light was on. Thinking I had left one unplugged I started checking they were all plugged in but the lock device was not pushed foward on one of them. After pushing it foward the light went out. Check each yellow connector and make sure that it is locked. You probably will only need to check the ones in the area you worked and the places the other people worked. Traced the front impact wires back from the airbag control unit, they come up by the driver's side door post and get lost in the maze under the dash. I dug around under there for a while, then switched outside. Pulled the wiring cover off the main line going to the front, but could not find any cut or spliced wires. I am hoping someone out there has one like this they can look at, to see where the wires from the crash sensors go. Or I could part out, it's pretty much disassembled.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest D1Driver Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 Whatever you do, do not ground any of the yellow coated wires. Be careful when messing around with airbag wires. Don't want you to have one go off accidentally. I will see if my workshop manual has anything in regards to airbag module wiring this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackusjunkus Posted September 28, 2006 Author Share Posted September 28, 2006 Whatever you do, do not ground any of the yellow coated wires. Be careful when messing around with airbag wires. Don't want you to have one go off accidentally. I will see if my workshop manual has anything in regards to airbag module wiring this weekend. Stopped by local Subaru dealer for more dash bulbs, asked if my Outback for sure had impact sensors. They checked the year on the computer and said...yes. Maybe run the VIN to be sure...no. He could not explain why, exactly, but obviously not all Outbacks in 97 have impact sensors. Short story longer, three plugs did not have the lock thing engaged, including the one at the control unit. That cleared one code, and a slight gamble on a junkyard roll connector ($45, not $280 at the dealership) took care of the other. Happy days! Air back light off, dash lights back on. And I found a better junkyard with alot of Subies to cannibalize. Thanks again to all who helped out, D1Driver, couldn't have done it without that airbag manual... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest D1Driver Posted September 28, 2006 Share Posted September 28, 2006 Any Legacy Outbacks in the yards to visit. I need a fog light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackusjunkus Posted September 29, 2006 Author Share Posted September 29, 2006 Any Legacy Outbacks in the yards to visit. I need a fog light. Check your PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avk Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 There are no sensors outside the control unit. Only the older system (identified by horn buttons on the steering wheel) had them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outbackusjunkus Posted September 29, 2006 Author Share Posted September 29, 2006 There are no sensors outside the control unit. Only the older system (identified by horn buttons on the steering wheel) had them. What years are you thinking of when you say "older"? The guy at the parts counter pulled up a schematic on his computer screen for a 97 legacy which showed front impact sensors and part numbers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avk Posted September 29, 2006 Share Posted September 29, 2006 My understanding was that the new system was found on the Legacy from 1996 and on the Impreza starting in 1995 mid-year (my '95 wagon doesn't have front sensors). But now I have looked at the collision parts catalog at subarugenuineparts and it does show front impact sensors for Legacy. If they should be there, hopefully yours still are. The discounted price is $256.19 each. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.