Intermittent Airbag Light on 2002

[desertkj]

After doing a search through the website, I haven't been able to find my particular problem. Every so often (probably about 1 out of 5) starts, my Jeep throws the "Airbag" light on the instrument cluster along with the chime. I've noticed that I can aggravate the problem by moving around in the seat while it's doing it's startup procedure. Usually, when it does happen, if I turn it off, switch the key on accessory, then restart it, I get no light. I seem to remember hearing about a sensor within the seat, but I've had no luck finding it through Google searches. Does anyone have any ideas?

(By the way, it's a 2002, so there is no passenger airbag indicator light or dash-mounted grab handle)

 

[HoosierJeeper]

All I have to say...is welcome back! (I was wjkj...if you weren't here when I changed it...)

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Plug on the driver's seat is fubar. Take it apart and inspect for corrosion and/or fit

 

[Billwill]

The fact that things change when you move about in the seat would seem to indicate a problem with the seat sensor as mentioned above. I have a 2002 2.5 CRD (European spec) and for a long time I had an intermittant airbag light come on. I eventually found that the driver airbag, after the clockspring, connects into a four pin...if I recall correctly....connector located under the steering column. The contacts in this connector would make bad contact...I would clean the male/female/ contacts and re-tension them and it would work for a few more weeks then fail. I eventualy bypassed the connector block and wired the cables directly one to one accross the connector and it has worked perfect since then. It is interesting to note that the connector on the side going towards the airbags has a metal plate that shorts out all of the contacts together as you pull the plugs apart....probably to short out the airbags so they do not pick up any back EMF or stray spikes that may trigger the airbags to go off!

 

[desertkj]

All I have to say...is welcome back! (I was wjkj...if you weren't here when I changed it...)

Thanks! I'll try to surf around a little bit, but I definitely wont be on here anywhere near as much as before.

As for the light, I'll take a look at the seat connectors. There's a few under there, so that'll be a saturday project. I know it's not the seatbelt latch. I had that a few years ago and it gave me a consistent indicator, not off and on like it is now. Like you said Billwill, it is really that seat sensor that is the top possibility in my head. However, I can't find a part number or where it is anywhere online and I'm not a professional mechanic, so I like to know what my goal should be before I go tearing it apart.