Passenger airbag switch light fix (which turned off cluster airbag warning light)

Chris

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A couple weeks ago my cluster airbag warning light turned on. I didn't realize it at first, but my passenger airbag switch's light blew out, thus setting off the cluster warning light. Now many folks will say it's the clockspring when the cluster light goes on, but mine has never been wet and my horn and cruise control work flawlessly, so I figured I should look elsewhere first. After a little searching and posting, I was lead to the passenger airbag switch as a possible source of the cluster warning light. Thanks go to Jonny Jeep for providing this information from his 03 FSM body supplement:

Faulty switch will trigger the airbag lamp in the cluster, resistances found too...

The ACM continuously monitors the resistance of the Passenger Airbag On - Off Switch circuits to identify the switch position and to provide switch circuit diagnostics.

* ON Position: Passenger Airbag On - Off Switch resistance = 175 to 190 ohms
* OFF Position: Passenger Airbag On - Off Switch resistance = 820 to 870 ohms

If the ACM detects that the PAB On - Off Switch circuits are open, shorted to ground, or shorted to battery voltage, it will set Active and Stored DTC’s. When a DTC is detected by the ACM, it will transmit a PCI bus message to the Instrument Cluster to illuminate the Airbag warning indicator.

passenger airbag switch contacts 3 and 6 should be used to measure the resistance. they are the ones that the light green/orange and yellow/light green wires go to.

Alright, so I measure the resistance and all is normal, so the switch portion is fine. Then I start thinking about what happened when the cluster light came on. The passenger airbag switch light flickered a bit, then went out. So I check the bulb's continuity and find out it's blown. Well, an entire switch assembly is around $35-$40 online (plus shipping), so I figure that's not too bad to replace, but why even pay that when I'm still troubleshooting and I'm not even sure that little light working or not will set off the cluster airbag warning light (it does BTW, that's what this little story and write-up is about).

So after spending $1.50 at Radioshack (part # 272-1141) and a few minutes with a soldering gun, I now have not only fixed my passenger airbag switch light, but in turn have turned off the cluster warning light. You will need to strip away the wire insulation on this particular bulb. Radioshack had another bulb without insulation, but it was not in stock at the time and the salesman said it was really tiny compared to the bulb it was replacing. The bulb I used and indicated above is physically the same size as the bulb it is replacing. Not sure of all the voltage/wattage specs of the stock bulb, but the new one seems to be working fine.

[EDIT: RS part # 272-1154 works too and does not require stripping wires - this is what I used the 2nd time]

1) Wedge your fingers under the edge of the console (picture #1)

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2) Press the little tab forward on each side (picture #2)

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3) Picture #3 shows how the back of the switch has tabs that slip under the console. So you just release the front 2 tabs and slip it rearward.

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4) Slide down the red plug lock, and disconnect the switch (picture #4)

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5) Unscrew the 3 screws (picture #5) This picture also shows the pins you use for the resistance testing in case the entire switch is bad and not just the bulb.

IMG_2510-web.jpg


6) Take a small flat screwdriver and gently pry each side a bit to release the tabs and pull the 2 main halves apart. (picture #6) The green circuit board will slide upwards out of the plastic shell making it easier to work on.

IMG_2511-web.jpg


7) Picture #7 shows the two halves, and the two small spots where you'll need to desolder the existing bulb and solder in the new bulb.

IMG_2514-web.jpg


8) Reassemble and enjoy a fixed passenger airbag switch light and reset cluster airbag warning light (checks automatically, no need to do anything but turn the key)

I hope this helps. I know it's a bit verbose, but I wanted to provide troubleshooting information along with the fix.
 
I'm not entirely sure what the part number for the harness is. You'd probably have to comb through the factory part diagrams.
 
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Do I need to disconnect the battery when doing this .. I'm going to try replacing the bulb tonight... any extra info appreciated, thanks


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You shouldn't need to, but it's not a bad idea just to be safe.
 
Thanks a ton for the write up! I had failed inspection over this but after a little soldering, am good to go! I took the lazy man's approach and clipped the wires close to the bulb and soldered the new bulb leads into the pre-existing wires- just seemed easier that way. Going forward, I'll keep the passenger airbag key position set to "on" so the bulb stays off which will in turn maximize the life of the bulb. Thanks again!
 
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My light is in the dash. Does the same part exist in the dash?

My understanding is the light in the dash is your Airbag warning light that when lit is telling you there is something wrong with the system. The fix described above actually has to do with the passenger air bag on / off switch that some TJ's have in the console just ahead of the shifter. That switch has a small 12v light bulb that lights to tell you that your passenger air bag is turned off. When that bulb fails the system recognizes it and turns the dash light on.
 
My understanding is the light in the dash is your Airbag warning light that when lit is telling you there is something wrong with the system. The fix described above actually has to do with the passenger air bag on / off switch that some TJ's have in the console just ahead of the shifter. That switch has a small 12v light bulb that lights to tell you that your passenger air bag is turned off. When that bulb fails the system recognizes it and turns the dash light on.
I sure hope that's all it is in mine. Will check the bulb in my on and off switch ahead of the shifter.
 
My dash airbag light as been going on an off lately and I had the passenger airbag panel off running CB wires and cables thru that area. Will have to check out the bulb!
 
I have this issue with my soon-to-be-sold 2001 TJ. Since ye old Radio Shack is no more, I did some searching and was just in time to get the info on the bulbs Chris referenced.
The specs on the Radio Shack bulb that Chris used was 12V at 25mA (0.3 watts).
I actually found a bulb on Ebay with those exact specs but they only had one. However, with some quick searches, I found what looks to be a very good replacement candidate in the Eiko Incandescent Miniature / Automotive Light Bulb #2174. This is a 40mA (0.48 watts) bulb but would very likely be just fine. Also, the size of these look to be doable for the job.
 
I just finally got around to doing this and thank you so much OP (original poster in case any other newbies like me didn’t know what that meant). Thought I’d add my pic of workin on it and also the links of what I purchased to fix it: I’m sure there are other options but these seemed to be the current ones as there aren’t any radio shacks near me anymore and the parts were sold out online. Just over $20 total for both these items :) heritage4x4 shop down in Otay Mesa junkyards near me wanted $40 for the switch... I didn’t want to take the chance on another used one having the bulb burn out, rather teach myself to solder and put a brand new bulb in, win win!
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Bulbs:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L8BR76A/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Soldering iron:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H1IFT54/?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
I've tried different bulbs and even a resistor in place of a bulb but the dash light doesn't go anywhere. Odd!

hmmmmmm
 
Does anybody know if any of the radio harness wires are related to the passenger air bag module? This all started when I installed a new radio.

Sorry for spamming this thread!