Passenger Airbag Fault (1 Viewer)

[Riverbankannie]

Its a 2015 FIAT 2.3 truck base and the dash is showing a passenger airbag fault, it comes up about five seconds after starting and stays. The display also recommends looking at the handbook but that is next to useless. I have checked all fuses and all are well. Can anyone throw any light on the likely cause(s) or is it off to the garage?

Just moved our van to the supermarket snd back without going in ! Our airbag light also came on (2015 van)
Looks like we will be following this thread too.
Not low battery fault as been on EHU and has solar and battery master.

 

[Dorset Diver]

Hello Riverbankannie,

My dash odometer light started flashing after I altered the clock to summer time. The other faults were already there. I also have the van on EHU, solar and with a battery master or similar. I'm working on it and will report back in due course.

Personally I feel the van wants to get on the road and does not like this CV19 lockdown .

 

[Riverbankannie]

Remove carpeting in the cab (a couple of twist locks)
Lift floor in the cab (about six twist locks - I used a 50p piece)
Disconnect the vehicle battery (both -ve and +ves) and leave for 30 minutes
Disconnect the airbag control unit - two clipped multi-plugs on right-hand side looking forward (it's the silver box up close to the drivers left foot assuming rhd)
Remove three screws holding airbag control unit (think it was an 8 or 10mm socket)
That's you (about 20 minutes work excluding the wait time)

Let me know if you need further.

Gellyneck MOT time is beginning to draw near so have to do something about it. Having had the cover off the starter battery compartment it looks very scarey with all the stuff attached!
If disconnected while airbag ecu off to crash data, wont the alarm be a problem and also the radio etc etc.

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[joka250]

Gellyneck MOT time is beginning to draw near so have to do something about it. Having had the cover off the starter battery compartment it looks very scarey with all the stuff attached!
If disconnected while airbag ecu off to crash data, wont the alarm be a problem and also the radio etc etc.

There is, in my opinion and experience, no reason why you shouldn't reconnect the battery after removing the airbag ECU. I have done this frequently in the past without issue and it keeps the likes of Tracker calm. Although I believe driving the vehicle not an issue technically I wouldn't recommend from an insurance a nd possibly legal standpoint. Gellyneck description spot on, can't really go wrong following that.

 

[Gellyneck]

Gellyneck MOT time is beginning to draw near so have to do something about it. Having had the cover off the starter battery compartment it looks very scarey with all the stuff attached!
If disconnected while airbag ecu off to crash data, wont the alarm be a problem and also the radio etc etc.

Morning, sorry for delay in getting back.
Once you've disconnected the vehicle battery and uninstalled the airbag ECU (after waiting for the 30 minutes) you can reconnect the battery.
From memory, there were three +ve cables connected to the +ve terminal and I removed them individually (they were marked A, B, C) however there is an option to remove the complete multi-connector attached to the +ve terminal.
I was fortunate in that the radio has a permanent +ve from the leisure battery so no issue with having to enter a code to restart it. Having said that I do isolate the media unit when in storage and I've never had to re-enter a code.
I checked with our tracker supplier and he advised no issue with disconnecting and then reconnecting the vehicle battery.
Once the vehicle battery is reconnected the issues displayed on the dashboard will remain and you can drive it however I didn't need to before refitting so didn't check the insurance position with my underwriters.
Hope that helps and puts your mind at ease a little bit but give me a shout if I can help further. Currently travelling so may take a few hours to get back to you.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Gellyneck
These are our battery terminals! We can see it is there somewhere. What do we remove - there are more than 3 connections. Like I said, it looks scarey.

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[Gellyneck]

Photo 2 first. This is the -ve terminal that has a "clip-on" connector. Pull the white lever (to the right of the terminal) to the right and pull up off the battery terminal.
Photo 1. You've got a more complex array of connections than we have so would suggest you remove the multi-connector plate in a oner. It should be a matter of loosening \ removing the little red plate partly obscured by the black tape wrapped cable (top centre of your photo) as I think this holds the connector plate in place along with the connection to the battery terminal which is the lead grey item just to the left and "under" the connector plate. This appears to be a bolt on terminal. With the red plate removed and the terminal connection loosened it should be a matter of just pulling the whole assembly up off the battery terminal.
I've not done it this way personally so would seek confirmation from a.n.other Funster that this is the correct process.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Photo 2 first. This is the -ve terminal that has a "clip-on" connector. Pull the white lever (to the right of the terminal) to the right and pull up off the battery terminal.
Photo 1. You've got a more complex array of connections than we have so would suggest you remove the multi-connector plate in a oner. It should be a matter of loosening \ removing the little red plate partly obscured by the black tape wrapped cable (top centre of your photo) as I think this holds the connector plate in place along with the connection to the battery terminal which is the lead grey item just to the left and "under" the connector plate. This appears to be a bolt on terminal. With the red plate removed and the terminal connection loosened it should be a matter of just pulling the whole assembly up off the battery terminal.
I've not done it this way personally so would seek confirmation from a.n.other Funster that this is the correct process.

Thanks, would ask Lenny HB for confirmation but he is unfortunately currently otherwise occupied!
OK, well here goes.

 

[Cal54]

TeamBandS - exactly the same happened to me earlier this year on a Peugeot Boxer, 2013. Luckily my trusty mechanic had dealt with this problem a few times so was confident he could sort, and he did. Down side was the new ecu cost £190 and that wasn’t from Peugeot!

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[Gellyneck]

Thanks, would ask Lenny HB for confirmation but he is unfortunately currently otherwise occupied!
OK, well here goes.

That's who I was going to suggest but ..........................
Remove the -ve first and go easy on the +ve and you should be OK.

 

[Hettie's Crew]

Riverbankannie You only need to remove the black negative wire to break the circuit, try it, once it’s disconnected nothing will work.
This is all I did. when I did ours, just leave it for 15 minutes before disconnecting the ECU. You can remove the 10 mm nuts whilst you’re waiting.

 

[Gellyneck]

Riverbankannie You only need to remove the black negative wire to break the circuit, try it, once it’s disconnected nothing will work.
This is all I did. when I did ours, just leave it for 15 minutes before disconnecting the ECU. You can remove the 10 mm nuts whilst you’re waiting.

Believe that should be OK but when I spoke with crashdata they said "to be sure you may want to remove +ve as well".

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[Hettie's Crew]

Believe that should be OK but when I spoke with crashdata they said "to be sure you may want to remove +ve as well".

They’re giving different information then, because when I spoke to them they said negative only but be sure to leave it for 15 minutes before disconnecting.

 

[Riverbankannie]

They’re giving different information then, because when I spoke to them they said negative only but be sure to leave it for 15 minutes before disconnecting.

After disconnecting battery?
And how many minutes after opening doors to get in. 3 or 30 ? Currently sitting in back watching Giro on ipad doing the 30 minute wait. Have to keep restarting as got wrong spanner!

Or is that 30 min Gellyneck after disconnecting battery so just an alternative to Hettie's Crew 15 minutes?

 

[Dorset Diver]

Riverbankannie You will see that I started this thread and went through the process. Frankly I found it unnecessary to remove both terminal connections. Just removing the earth connector isolates the battery and worked fine for me. I did extend the 3 minute wait to about 30 as I went for a cup of coffee, but 3 is fine.

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[Riverbankannie]

Fallen at the first.
Cannot move the lever on the earth terminal

 

[Dorset Diver]

Slide a flat blade screwdriver under the lever and give it a careful twist / flick.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Gone for WD40 so starting the 3 minute wait again (PVC so all doors connected to central locking)

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[Riverbankannie]

Slide a flat blade screwdriver under the lever and give it a careful twist / flick.

Ok thanks, will give the WD40 a chance and then try again.

 

[Dorset Diver]

Don't use WD40 original. It's a mineral oil and not suitable for use on your battery.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Don't use WD40 original. It's a mineral oil and not suitable for use on your battery.

It was PTFE spray apparently.
I am the supplier of information, the gofer, the holder of the torch, the finder of dropped screws, the puller upper (of himself from the floor) and the encourager - “you can do it“
I have held this position for over 50 years!

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[Rugeley Tim]

Had the same problem earlier this year for the same van base but a 2013 model, having gone around the houses trying everyone and everything (trapped wires, flat batteries etc) an auto electrician gave the ECU prognosis. Apparently they are a sealed unit and cannot be fixed and it cost me £250 to replace.

 

[jezport]

Mine is the same at the moment, Im going to replace the battery at the same time as the van is 4 years old and a good battery is only £100.
My mechanic is coming to read the code later today.
BTW my autowatch alarm should be left disarmed for 5 minutes before cutting power otherwise the battery backed up sounder will activate.
Im going to lock all doors with the remote with no alarm and then enter and exit through the rear door or drivers door, otherwise the van would be left open for the days the ecu is off at crashdata.

 

[Riverbankannie]

Still need help Gellyneck and Dorset Diver How do you release the green things holding the cable to the ECU?

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[Geoff185]

Hi, you need to press in the catch below the green locking arm. See where the screwdriver is pointed in pic. I’m just doing the same

 

[Riverbankannie]

Thanks, having a rest and a cup of tea. Will report back.
Why is everyone having the same problem ?
To add insult to injury I took the car out yesterday.
Pre-crash system failure light
Lane assist failure warning light
Message saying braking power reduced
And 2 other warning failure lights!!

 

[Riverbankannie]

Hi, you need to press in the catch below the green locking arm. See where the screwdriver is pointed in pic. I’m just doing the same
View attachment 431174

Looks like you don’t have the cup holder making things more difficult. Have you removed it?

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[Geoff185]

No on mine a small bolt in panel is below the glove box. Two screws and it lifted away. Mines a 2012 X250 so may be different

 

[Riverbankannie]

GeoffChausson, that was the final bit of information. Husband off to lie down in a darkened room and I am doing the crashdata booking form and then off to the Post Office with all my car warning lights going!

 

[Geoff185]

Glad you got it out, posted mine this afternoon. The girl I spoke to says they repair loads of them . Let’s hope once repaired it’s more reliable. Hope nothing too serious with the car

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