Airbag light on after factory seat swap/trade? Stumped....

[slvr08gt]

I recently traded my factory recaro seats for the base cloth seats with a buddy of mine. Now the guy that I traded seats with and I both have the airbag light on in the instrument cluster.

His 5.0 is a 12' and mine is a 13'. Both seats are non powered and non heated. Any way of removing/resetting the airbag light without taking it to the dealer?

I did a similar seat swap about a year ago with the same seats and both vehicles didn't get a airbag light. It was a plug n play swap. However this time, the airbag light issue happened.

All connectors are plugged in snugly so we're sure that isn't the issue. Pretty stumped at this point. No codes are showing off my X3 also.

Also tried disconnecting the battery for over 30 minutes. No change

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

-Nick

 

[BadHabit2Break]

did you unplug the battery first and remove the air bag fuse before changing the seats out?

 

[slvr08gt]

did you unplug the battery first and remove the air bag fuse before changing the seats out?

No. I swapped the seats the same as I did the time prior.

Unbolted and unplugged them and then swapped seats. Bolted and plugged them back in. Didn't get a airbag light last time using that method.

-Nick

 

[zeroescape]

Are the connectors the same? Ford says they changed the connector mid 2012. Id look for the build date on the 12'. What year of car were you successful with?

 

[86GT351]

Look into the connector. If you can find someone with an appropriate scanner that checks Air Bags it can be reset without going to the dealer

 

[slvr08gt]

Are the connectors the same? Ford says they changed the connector mid 2012. Id look for the build date on the 12'. What year of car were you successful with?

Connectors were the same.

The seat swap that was done last year was with a 11' model and mine was a 13'.

 

[slvr08gt]

Look into the connector. If you can find someone with an appropriate scanner that checks Air Bags it can be reset without going to the dealer

I might try oreileys or autozone to see if they can clear it. Im thinking the dealer may be they only one to do it though.

 

[86GT351]

What you need is a shop that has a real scanner not just a code reader or an advanced code reasder. You need something that has the ability to communicate with the body control modules as well as the PCM

 

[slvr08gt]

What you need is a shop that has a real scanner not just a code reader or an advanced code reasder. You need something that has the ability to communicate with the body control modules as well as the PCM

I agree. Same reason I think only the dealer will be able to clear it.

 

[AlbertD]

Just throwing this out there, but perhaps the side air bag resistance reading is different between 12'-13' models. Something to look into...

 

[C.Love]

^that. resistance is diff for 11-12 and 13+ you need to figure out what the resistance for 13 is suppose to be and use resistors to make it correct. the 11-12 years ohms should be between 1-7 and 2.78. The FSM will give you ohms for 13

 

[slvr08gt]

^that. resistance is diff for 11-12 and 13+ you need to figure out what the resistance for 13 is suppose to be and use resistors to make it correct. the 11-12 years ohms should be between 1-7 and 2.78. The FSM will give you ohms for 13

I dont have a FSM for a 13' but I will definetly look in to it.

Weird thing is that I didnt have this airbag light issue the last time I did a seat swap, and that was done with a 11' and a 13'. Same scenario, recaro and base seat swap.

 

[slvr08gt]

Anybody by chance know the ohm resistance for the 2013 driver and passenger seat airbags? I've searched my ass off the past couple days and can't find anything in specific for the 2013's.

Lets just say hypothetically, the ohm resistance is in fact different between the 12's and 13's. How would I install the resistors in the factory wiring to keep the airbags working?

Most, if not all the threads I have read on this subject has been in reference to folks installing the resistors to eliminate the airbag light after installing aftermarket seats without airbags. I'm trying to retain the airbags without the light in the dash, lol.

Seems I have a pretty uncommon issue. I would really like to avoid having to take it to the dealer since they told me they charge $140 just for the diagnosis, then extra to fix/reset/clear the light "if" they even can.

-Nick

 

[86GT351]

I agree. Same reason I think only the dealer will be able to clear it.

Absolutely not. At my shop there are multiple scan tools from various manufacturers that can clear it. Snap On, OTC, Launch, Auto Enginuity, etc. They are expensive professional level products. Oriellys or Auto Zone have just an advanced code reader. They are just a generic tool used to help them sell parts! Just remember there is "NO" scan tool that diagnosis a car for you. The code if stored does not tell you specifically what is wrong with the car. It tells you what circuit is having an issue and further testing still needs to be done!

 

[RocketcarX]

Absolutely not. At my shop there are multiple scan tools from various manufacturers that can clear it. Snap On, OTC, Launch, Auto Enginuity, etc. They are expensive professional level products. Oriellys or Auto Zone have just an advanced code reader. They are just a generic tool used to help them sell parts! Just remember there is "NO" scan tool that diagnosis a car for you. The code if stored does not tell you specifically what is wrong with the car. It tells you what circuit is having an issue and further testing still needs to be done!

THis, any worthwhile shop, hell even a lot of techs, will have a scan tool capable of this.

Why don't you OHM the connectors while unplugged across the terminals and see it the resistance is the same at the same pin in the same place on each seat? Maybe it's best to start by scanning one of the cars and seeing what the computer's issue is, the way the industry stresses working on or around air bags is enough to make you wanna say, "no thanks".

 

[Alfiedagr8]

If the light is on. There is an issue. You need a scanner to tell u what's ping on like a dealer or equivalence. Now a Most likely the side air bags are different. Only way to fix it is to install the proper air bag. We have air bag simulators at the dealers to help in diagnosis. Your best bet is to either switch back or take to dealer.

One more thing. In some cases cars with air bag module and driver seat module. (I would have to look up for this car ) both memories have to be cleared by a scan tool to clear the light. Clearing one module won't work as it will get the code from the other module.

I'll try to remember to look at the books. PM me tomorro to remind me to look this up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Makaveli]

I have the same problem, i swapped cloth seats to leather seats and my light is on now.. Did you fix it?

 

[slvr08gt]

If the light is on. There is an issue. You need a scanner to tell u what's ping on like a dealer or equivalence. Now a Most likely the side air bags are different. Only way to fix it is to install the proper air bag. We have air bag simulators at the dealers to help in diagnosis. Your best bet is to either switch back or take to dealer.

One more thing. In some cases cars with air bag module and driver seat module. (I would have to look up for this car ) both memories have to be cleared by a scan tool to clear the light. Clearing one module won't work as it will get the code from the other module.

I'll try to remember to look at the books. PM me tomorro to remind me to look this up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I appreciate your help with this more than you know.

Being located in Hawaii has made it tough to find local shops that have the proper scanners that can read it to diagnosis it or clear it. The past couple days I haven't been able to locate a shop that has been able to tell me that they have the correct scanners.

If it makes any difference, the connectors in both cars were exactly the same. They all plugged in cleanly and clicked securely.

The only things that I can fathom that are currently causing the airbag light to remain on are"

- We didn't disconnect the battery or remove the airbag fuse prior/during the seat swap

or

- The air OHM resistance is different between the 12's-13's

I would like to once again thank everyone that has tried to help me figure this debacle out, lol.

-Nick

 

[slvr08gt]

I have the same problem, i swapped cloth seats to leather seats and my light is on now.. Did you fix it?

Negative. The light is still on.

-Nick

 

[slvr08gt]

Installed 2013 airbags in the 2012 seats last night and the light is still on. Prior to installing them, I removed the RCM fuse(#31 in the SJB) and disconnected the negative battery cable per the Ford FSB. Airbag light still continues to illuminate after start up sequence.

I can only narrow this remaining airbag light issue down to a couple other things that it may be:

- The airbag fault that the car was seeing when it had the 2011 airbags installed in it was stored as a "hard code" in the PCM that won't clear it self even after the proper airbags are re-installed. Possiibly the RCM module just needs to be reset by the dealer to clear the light at this point?

or

- There is something else in the 2012 seats that is still triggering the airbag light, even with the 2013 airbags installed

I'm borderline tempted to purchase a VCMII off fleabay to attempt to reset the RCM module myself. It would more than likely be cheaper in the long run opposed to taking it to the dealer here. At least I would have the VCMII to use in the future if I chose to take this route.

Can any Ford techs here point me in the right direction?

-Nick