Hey guys,

I've had my '01 XJ for over a year now and never had any electrical issues or any dash light issues but a week ago I had to replace the windshield washer pump, so I go into the wheel well, unclipped the plastic clips and pried the wheel well cover down and swapped out washer pumps. Put the cover back in place and put all the plastic snap in things back in, and since then the airbag light comes on and turns off at random times and for random duration while driving.

I believe most vehicles have impact sensors in the front fenders, and I'm wondering if I possibly loosened up a wire up in the wheel well that is part of the airbag sensors system while prying down the plastic inner wheel well cover.

I searched the forum and read about folks having steering wheel clock spring issues, but I don't think that's my issue. I hate to put 2 and 2 together to make 5 but I haven't done any other work in recent months to the Jeep and the random airbag dash light thing started the same night I put the new washer pump in.

Anyone else ever have this issue or knows if there are any wires or connectors in the front left fender that deal with airbag stuff? if so what color are the wires and connectors that I should be looking for? I'm hoping it's a cheap fix and just a loose connector block in the wheel well.

Jeep is just my daily driver grocery getter and does not get abused or shaken around or dragged over boulders, etc.

Thanks,
Squelchtone

 

Next time the light is 'on' see if the horn works.

 

Yeah most air bag problems are the clock spring its part of the steering column/steering wheel.Like said next time see if your honk works it goes through it also.

 

Hey guys, it's been a busy month, but I've had the chance to do plenty of testing and the horn still works just fine when the airbag light is lit up, so does cruise control. I have noticed though that at the beginning it would turn on and then turn off for minutes and then turn on for a a minute and off for a few minutes, but now it's pretty much on all the time and only off for a minute, so something seems to be getting worse. I haven't had the chance to take the plastic wheel well cover off to poke around and see if I can find a loose connector up there, which is still my hope.

will update here when I find out the problem.

Thanks for everyone's replies and suggestions!
Squelchtone

 

You won't find anything under the plastic wheel well cover.


Most airbag faults are the Air Bag Control Module or a bad ground for the module.


Your ABCM should be mounted under your floor console but as a bit of a caution/warning, I wouldn't fool with it unless you've had the battery negative post connector removed for at least 5 minutes.


It's expensive but I think you should take your Jeep to a Chrysler/Jeep dealer and have them hook up their DRB III tool to see what's wrong. The Air Bag system has its own diagnostics system that will not trigger a Check Engine light. The DRB III can find the fault.

 

You rock man, because of your advice, I figured it out and I can reproduce the light turning on and I can get it to turn off. It was a loose molex connector on the back of the ABCM under my center console. I took my console apart, looked down below the AC/heat ducts that are Y shaped and saw the connector plugged in at an angle. Got my hand down there and pressed it in all the way.

Thinking back I do remember one night getting into the Jeep and I elbowed the center console pretty hard, the floor mount bracket that is usually broken on these was already broken so the whole center console moved quite a bit.

I know there is another thread where a member was making metal replacement console mounting brackets, I think it might be time for me to pony up for one.

Thank you for your wisdom and advice, Happy Thanksgiving!

Squelchtone

 

Glad you got it squared away. Happy T-Day to you as well.


For the benefit of others, Here's the connector that brother Squelchtone was talking about.

 

Mine was going on and off, no cruise, horn worked sometimes, so I purchased a new clock spring. Well I got the cruise and horn to work, but airbag light still comes on and off. I have a '98, and I can see where the module was mounted under the seat, but moved due to a recall. Where was it moved to? I want to check the wires and ground before getting a new module.

Is it in the same place as the pic above? Havent taken anything apart yet.

 

Colnajoe: did you ever locate your air bag module in your '98?

I wanted to follow up and say that I got the steel console bracket, and have not had any trouble since.

Thanks again,
Squelchtone

 

I purchased a used but tested module off Ebay for 10 bucks. Took minutes to put in, and the light hasn't come on since. Mine had already been moved to under the armrest, just a bad module. I had replaced the clockspring, didn't fix it but now I have my Cruise control back

 

I had the same issue with the airbag light going on and off intermittently, but no other issue. Horn, cruise, everything else worked just fine when the light was on or off. Interestingly, the issue started happening after I had the hand brake cables and assembly replaced. I looked under the seat and saw no airbag control module, so I knew it had to be under the center console. I unplugged the connector to the module, sprayed some QD Electronic Cleaner on both ends and cleaned them with a pipe cleaner, and plugged them back in. Haven't had an issue since. I'm assuming they unplugged it when they were working on the hand brake assembly and it was just dirty.