air bag light reset using bad door trigger switch

[Goomz]

i have the dreaded air bag light on my dash. i have successfully reset it once. i had to do this by opening both front doors and doing the procedure with the ign on, press door trigger 7 times within the time limit etc. opening just the dvr door did nothing. months later, the light came back on. i tried the reset procedure a bunch of times, and nothing. my pass side door trigger stopped working. it does not sense the door being opened...ever. our cars have neg polarity door triggers. is there a way i can ground a wire on the door trigger harness to trick the car into thinking the door is open, bypassing the switch all together? there are 3 wires in the harness for the switch, im not sure which one it is. but even if i figure out which wire it is, will this even work? will the dash say "ok, pass door is open" and the dome light turn on?

[cashoit]

Why not jus get another switch from the JY??? Try that first.

These switches NC or NO? Cant remember.

I dont think u can pass inspection with airbag light on.

[DennisMik]

The door switches work by connecting the wires to ground.

All 4 door switches have a red/white stripe wire that connects to pin 35 of the BCM. So when any door is open, pin 35 is 0 volts.

The 2 front doors have an additional wire that goes to the BCM.
The driver's door has a white/blue stripe that goes to pin 29.
The passenger door has a red/green stripe that goes to pin 16.

The front doors also have a black wire going to them, which is a ground wire.

So to make the car (actually the BCM) think the passenger door is open, you would have to ground 2 wires.

There are 3 connectors on the BCM and I'm not sure how to tell you which one is which. The 2 larger ones have the wires that are from the door switches. Rhe red/white stripe wire that is shared by all the doors is on pin 35 of the BCM. Pin 35 is in one of the larger connectors, one of the corners on the side away from the locking clip.

The other wire from the passenger door, the red/green stripe, that goes to pin 16 of the BCM, is in the other large connector. It is a corner wire on the side that has the locking clip.

However, between taking off the door panel or getting to the BCM, personally I think it would be easier to just replace the door switch.

[Bufflomike]

FYI, typically when the door reset does not work you need to go to the dealer because there is something wrong with your airbag system.

[Goomz]

Originally Posted by cashoit

Why not jus get another switch from the JY??? Try that first.

These switches NC or NO? Cant remember.

I dont think u can pass inspection with airbag light on.

i did pass, actually like 2 weeks ago at the dmv with the air bag light on. i also passed in my 94 honda prelude with the air bag light on as well, at the dmv too. both at the DMV. now that i just typed that, i realized air bag lights apparently really like me. lol. i know the switch is like 13 bucks from courtesy. i keep forgetting, its something so small and stupid that it constantly skips my mind. im used to the air bag light flashing, i dont even notice it anymore. sad, huh.

Originally Posted by DennisMik

The door switches work by connecting the wires to ground.

All 4 door switches have a red/white stripe wire that connects to pin 35 of the BCM. So when any door is open, pin 35 is 0 volts.

The 2 front doors have an additional wire that goes to the BCM.
The driver's door has a white/blue stripe that goes to pin 29.
The passenger door has a red/green stripe that goes to pin 16.

The front doors also have a black wire going to them, which is a ground wire.

So to make the car (actually the BCM) think the passenger door is open, you would have to ground 2 wires.

There are 3 connectors on the BCM and I'm not sure how to tell you which one is which. The 2 larger ones have the wires that are from the door switches. Rhe red/white stripe wire that is shared by all the doors is on pin 35 of the BCM. Pin 35 is in one of the larger connectors, one of the corners on the side away from the locking clip.

The other wire from the passenger door, the red/green stripe, that goes to pin 16 of the BCM, is in the other large connector. It is a corner wire on the side that has the locking clip.

However, between taking off the door panel or getting to the BCM, personally I think it would be easier to just replace the door switch.

thanks for the detailed info, im bored at work so i may just remove the door panel and check it out anyway. easier getting a new switch...most definitely, but its on my mind now, and i dont have a door switch this moment. maybe a customer will pull up in a maxima and ill swap it for a few mins lol.

[Goomz]

Originally Posted by Bufflomike

FYI, typically when the door reset does not work you need to go to the dealer because there is something wrong with your airbag system.

i've heard about this as well, i think its the air bag control module under the center console that goes bad? i also heard the air bag harness under the seats are a lil short, and when the seats go back and forth, it tugs on the wire on the connecting harness, which trips the light. the research i've done also tells me that the dealers charge out the as$ for this and there is nothing free even tho it is safety related that they will do.

[MaxWgn]

I am curious here, in this situation - could one take a airbag ecu from a non-leather, non-side airbag car, and plug it in? would / could that clear the problem? Would it have to be the same year model?

[pmohr]

Originally Posted by DennisMik

However, between taking off the door panel or getting to the BCM, personally I think it would be easier to just replace the door switch.

Why take off the door panel? The door switches are located body side, a single 10mm head bolt (IIRC).

Originally Posted by goomzthegeneral

i've heard about this as well, i think its the air bag control module under the center console that goes bad? i also heard the air bag harness under the seats are a lil short, and when the seats go back and forth, it tugs on the wire on the connecting harness, which trips the light. the research i've done also tells me that the dealers charge out the as$ for this and there is nothing free even tho it is safety related that they will do.

There was a TSB about the side airbag harnesses, I believe. Basically yes, the harness is too short and their response was replacing the airbag with one that has a longer harness.

Originally Posted by MaxWgn

I am curious here, in this situation - could one take a airbag ecu from a non-leather, non-side airbag car, and plug it in? would / could that clear the problem? Would it have to be the same year model?

From a quick look through the FSM, it appears the SRS module's wiring harness connectors change throughout the years (just compared '95 and '99, you'd have to check yours vs the donor car's year).

[Goomz]

update bump...i got a chance (months later, i know) to take the door switch apart and this time get a good look at it. well one of the 3 contact pins was depressed in the switch just a little bit too much, thus missing the other contact when the door is open and the switch is popped out. so with my pick tool, i bent the contact up a little, gave a quick little "i hope this works" in my head, reinstalled the switch, and 10 times of me opening and closing the pass side door, i have success! the switch works again! which makes me smile, but now the air bag reset procedure wont work. im guessing its the module. i have 2 long flashes and 1 short flash in diagnosis mode. im trying to survey the fsm to see if it can tell me what i need to get done.

i do have access to alldata, i might check there too.

[barrylaud]

Goomz- your problem is the side air bags. There's a connector (yellow) at the bottom of each seat. This connector builds up resistance over time. Here's what my air bag friend told me to do.

1. Turn off car, pull key out
2. Unplug both connectors (below the seat). Replug them in. Unplug the connectors, replug them in. Do is about 10-15 times. It cleans the connectors are removes the resistance.
3. Do the normal door pin reset method. If there's no other issues (clock spring, etc) it will clear it for many years to come.

I mine would clear for 6 months, then pop back on. One I removed the resistance it has not come back on for two years.

Good luck.

[GGENIUS]

yeah and hope that it doesnt blow up in your face

[Goomz]

yeah i work on cars and know all about air bags and the precautionary measures

[GGENIUS]

lol im just warning other people working on airbags that dont know, theres always a chance it could blow no matter how cautious you are.

[Goomz]

oh yeah i agree...never know if you might have snagged a wire in the harness and plug it back in and BOOM.

imagine their reaction tho..."oh **** my airbag"

edit: i did this and am going to wait a few to reconnect my batt and retry the reset procedure

[GGENIUS]

i have removed an airbag before, placed it on a table 10 feet behind me, took a couple steps and BOOOM!!!

[Goomz]

one time we faced an airbag down outside in the lot in my old school, and my teacher tagged 12v to it and it deployed and shot up in the air for boredom reasons lmao

[Goomz]

heres to the noobs how to unplug your air bags w/o having them blow up, from alldata.


1998 Nissan-Datsun Maxima SE V6-3.0L (VQ30DE) Air Bag(s) Arming and Disarming Service and Repair, Procedures



Print Text OnlyPrint Image(s) Only


DISARMING AIR BAGS
1. Turn the ignition switch OFF, disconnect both battery cables and wait for at least 3 minutes.
2. Disconnect Air Bag Module connector.

CAUTION: For approximately 3 minutes after the cables are removed, it is still possible for the air bag to deploy. Therefore, do not work on any air bag system connectors or wires until at least 3 minutes have passed.

CAUTION: Do not use electrical test equipment on any circuit related to the SRS unless instructed. SRS wiring harnesses are covered with yellow insulation either just before the harness connectors or on the complete harness, for easy identification.


ARMING AIR BAGS
1. Connect Air Bag Module connector.
2. Connect both battery cables.
3. Conduct Self-diagnosis to ensure entire SRS operates properly. Refer to Testing and Inspection / Self-Diagnostic Procedures.

[Goomz]

Originally Posted by barrylaud

1. Turn off car, pull key out
2. Unplug both connectors (below the seat). Replug them in. Unplug the connectors, replug them in. Do is about 10-15 times. It cleans the connectors are removes the resistance.
3. Do the normal door pin reset method. If there's no other issues (clock spring, etc) it will clear it for many years to come.

ill be damned, it worked like a charm, the 1st time i tried the reset procedure, after un and replugging in the air bag harness. thanks for the tip that worked!

[robsst]

One note: Sometimes the switch gets dirty.

Open door, car on, hit switch several times.... trick was failing to reset the light.

On two separate cars, I have had to remove the switch, and spray it with electrical contact cleaner. That allowed the switch to work properly.

One that was done, I was able to reset the airbag light, first try.

Rob.