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

Again... Sorry for so many posts! I must have bridged a solder joint or something because I double checked it with a unrelated power supply and the bulb lit fine... Installed and the cluster light light cleared.

Thanks so much for the write up Chris!!
 
That bulb linked on Amazon is a different wattage than what Chris mentioned:

" The specs on the Radio Shack bulb that Chris used was 12V at 25mA (0.3 watts). "

Amazon one is 0.72 watts - does it matter? I need to do this fix.
 
That bulb linked on Amazon is a different wattage than what Chris mentioned:

" The specs on the Radio Shack bulb that Chris used was 12V at 25mA (0.3 watts). "

Amazon one is 0.72 watts - does it matter? I need to do this fix.
It should be fine. It will draw a little more current and will probably be brighter but I would think it would still make the circuit happy by not showing as either an open (burned out bulb) or a short. You could also use a 470 ohm 1/2 watt resistor if you didn't mind it never lighting up. The leads of a 1/2 watt resistor might not fit through the holes in the circuit board, though. :unsure:
 
Well I did this, got use out of my Radio Shack (RIP) soldering iron, and now no more airbag light! And I only jammed my finger once for a blood blister!

Winning!
 
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Can anyone explain the process of “desoldering” and then soldering the bulb in for this fix? I have this issue. Cluster airbag light but passenger on off light does not work. I want to try this fix but I am looking for some guidance if anyone has done this. The builds seem to only be available in packs of 10 so 9 of us can go in on it together! Haha
 
Can anyone explain the process of “desoldering” and then soldering the bulb in for this fix? I have this issue. Cluster airbag light but passenger on off light does not work. I want to try this fix but I am looking for some guidance if anyone has done this. The builds seem to only be available in packs of 10 so 9 of us can go in on it together! Haha
I learned via YouTube video. You will need to first desolder it. I bought special a roll of desolder, think of it like a wick, you heat up the solder joint with your iron then hold the desolder wick on it, and it wicks up all the old solder once it melts.
 
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I learned via YouTube video. You will need to first desolder it. I bought special a roll of desolder, think of it like a wick, you heat up the solder joint with your iron then hold the desolder wick on it, and it wicks up all the old solder once it melts.
Thanks! I will do a YouTube search and hit the hardware store. I appreciate it.
 
I learned via YouTube video. You will need to first desolder it. I bought special a roll of desolder, think of it like a wick, you heat up the solder joint with your iron then hold the desolder wick on it, and it wicks up all the old solder once it melts.
@rdu-jeep , what bulb did you use and where did you find it? I am now educated on soldering and desoldering, thanks YouTube! Now I just need the bulb, did you get the 10 pack from Amazon linked above?
 
I just did this fix and it worked! I have never soldered anything, just read this thread and watched a couple YouTube videos on basic soldering and desoldering.
Dashboard cluster Airbag light is off when I turn the airbag on. Cluster light goes on and “off” light on the switch goes on when the switch is in off position.
Thanks to the OP of this thread and the follow up posts about bulbs to use etc.

Great to be able to fix this stuff on our own!
 
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)

View attachment 6039

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

View attachment 6040

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.

View attachment 6045

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

View attachment 6041

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.

View attachment 6042

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.

View attachment 6043

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.

View attachment 6044

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 love this forum. You can find everything you need here. Took my jeep in recently for an alternator issue and had them look at my airbag light while they were at it. Turns out its this bulb issue and they said they couldn't fix it because the switch isn't avail any more... now I have a fix I can try. Great write up! Thank you!
 
I love this forum. You can find everything you need here. Took my jeep in recently for an alternator issue and had them look at my airbag light while they were at it. Turns out its this bulb issue and they said they couldn't fix it because the switch isn't avail any more... now I have a fix I can try. Great write up! Thank you!
It is still fresh in my mind since I just did this so let me now if you have any questions. One tip, instead of trying to reach under the console like in the first photo I removed the shifter boot, easy access to the two clips. I also discovered a ripped interior boot when I did that and I ended up replacing that.
 
It is still fresh in my mind since I just did this so let me now if you have any questions. One tip, instead of trying to reach under the console like in the first photo I removed the shifter boot, easy access to the two clips. I also discovered a ripped interior boot when I did that and I ended up replacing that.
thx for the tip! Will keep in mind - I've got bulbs and soldering iron coming Sunday. If all this snow doesn't deter shipping time...
 
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thx for the tip! Will keep in mind - I've got bulbs and soldering iron coming Sunday. If all this snow doesn't deter shipping time...

Success! I was able to reach under as OP described pretty easily (small hands) so I went that route. The de-soldering/soldering was way easier than I thought it would be. I will say that a tip I'd give to anyone else who tries is if you can to have someone hold the piece with the circuit board for you while you desolder and solder - since its so small and awkward shaped there was no good way for me to have it sit steady and hold the soldering "gun" and the desolder vacuum down tightly to get the old solder out. (I don't have access to a vise of any sort)
 
Success! I was able to reach under as OP described pretty easily (small hands) so I went that route. The de-soldering/soldering was way easier than I thought it would be. I will say that a tip I'd give to anyone else who tries is if you can to have someone hold the piece with the circuit board for you while you desolder and solder - since its so small and awkward shaped there was no good way for me to have it sit steady and hold the soldering "gun" and the desolder vacuum down tightly to get the old solder out. (I don't have access to a vise of any sort)
Glad it worked out! I agree that it was much easier than I thought it would be.

To hold the board I bought this when I got my soldering gun, it came in a cheap bundle with flux.

411IuJgsIEL._SY180_.jpg

Neiko 01902 Adjustable Helping Hand With Magnifying Glass | Dual Alligator Clips
 
I just did this fix. Thank to all who figured it out and shared it. I remember this happening in about 2003 after I washed my Jeep's interior. A scan said the switch was the problem so I went to the dealer and asked about a switch. Instead, they brought me the little circuit board. I recall it costing $10! So when it happened again and saw the only thing available was the whole assembly was $180, I was glad I found this thread.

The only bulbs I could find came in quantities of 100. I now have 99 left. If anyone needs some, I'll gladly drop a few in the mail. They are 12v 50mA.
 
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I just did this fix. Thank to all who figured it out and shared it. I remember this happening in about 2003 after I washed my Jeep's interior. A scan said the switch was the problem so I went to the dealer and asked about a switch. Instead, they brought me the little circuit board. I recall it costing $10! So when it happened again and saw the only thing available was the whole assembly was $180, I was glad I found this thread.

The only bulbs I could find came in quantities of 100. I now have 99 left. If anyone needs some, I'll gladly drop a few in the mail. They are 12v 50mA.
I might have to take you up on that offer for a couple bulbs. I am pretty sure this is my exact issue.

Good find and great guide!
 
I might have to take you up on that offer for a couple bulbs. I am pretty sure this is my exact issue.

Good find and great guide!

PM sent. I still have 99 left if anybody needs a few. Better PM me though, I might not see replies here
 
I just did this bulb replacement about 2 weeks ago with the same bulb linked above (CEC Industries 7219). In my tests over this past weekend, I haven't had any issues with it when I forced it to light up by changing the passenger airbag switch to disabled.

Just to check the bulbs, I hooked one of those bulbs up to a regulated power supply. Let it run for about 8 hours straight at 12v. It operated fine and the temp sat just under 150F the entire time while pulling 0.06 amps:
20211220_130326s.jpg

20211220_130543s.jpg


I've now set one up to run at 14V for a few hours...just to see how it runs against a likely upper limit. It's been on about 20 minutes with no issues. I'm not ruling out faulty bulbs, but at least the batch I received have at least one good one in it. And the one in my Jeep seems OK as well.

Bad bulbs or improper installation seem like the most likely two issues. But maybe you've got a voltage spike happening in your circuit? Might be worth a test with a voltmeter if you can manage it while everything is connected properly. Be careful!

UPDATE: i ran that same bulb overnight at 14V and it was still running fine. I know that it's not a 100% simulation since it was just sitting there in the open, but I think the bulbs themselves seem OK. Will update later with more real-world data if things change.
 
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PM sent. I still have 99 left if anybody needs a few. Better PM me though, I might not see replies here
Hey Rattler, do you still have any of those lights left? Sorry I would PM, but I am still too new to the board. I think I can respond if you PM me first.
Thanks CH.

Scratch that, found a 5 pack on Amazon. All good, thank you.
 
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