Airbag light issue

[Retsacnal]

My airbag light is on. I'm trying to get my Z3 back on the road after a long hiatus (here).

Anyway, I've been plowing through all the threads I can find on this topic. Here's what I've done so far:

I got an AC808 ** and the codes are 38, 2 & 14. Per the booklet, in table 38, code 2 is "warn lamp" and 14 is "Sensor, side airbag, left, data fault."

I double-checked all the under-seat connections and everything seems ok. With the seat out, I pulled the carpet apart to check the impact sensor (based on the photo below that I found in another thread--thanks JoshS).

Given the 14 code, that's where I expected to find a problem, but the compartment is bone dry and the sensor and connection look brand new!

Anyway, I retested after putting it all back together and double-checking all the connections. Light won't go out, and the codes remain the same.

So, questions:

• Is that not the correct sensor? Under the seat on the frame rail?
• Does "data fault" mean that perhaps the sensor itself has failed? Not just a loose or corroded connection?
• And if the sensor needs to be replaced, is it something I can do w/o risking deploying the airbag or some other catastrophe?

Thanks in advance!

** btw, I will probably give INPA (sp?) a try at some point, but I had already ordered the AC808 a while back.

[328 Power 04]

Assuming your car is a 2000 Z3M Roadster:

Code 2 is for Belt Tensioner Driver's side
Code 14 is for Belt Lock driver's side.


The booklet is wrong. One of the reasons why I don't trust those tools.


As long as your ignition is off and your key is out, you can connect and disconnect components as you wish. For added safety, you can disconnect ground battery terminal if you want.

[Retsacnal]

Assuming your car is a 2000 Z3M Roadster:

Code 2 is for Belt Tensioner Driver's side
Code 14 is for Belt Lock driver's side.


The booklet is wrong. One of the reasons why I don't trust those tools.


As long as your ignition is off and your key is out, you can connect and disconnect components as you wish. For added safety, you can disconnect ground battery terminal if you want.

Thanks for the feedback! Yes, it's a 2000 Z3M Roadster.

Are the correct diagnostic codes listed somewhere online?

Those code descriptions make a lot of sense, because the light actually turned on when I was re-snapping the belt into the buckle (it would sometimes take a couple of tries to "click"). In fact, I was even considering just replacing the belt buckle because of that before I even ordered the AC808. And the tensioner isn't very strong anymore--sometimes I have to "help" the belt retract after getting out of the car.

[z3forlife]

The tensioner is part of the buckle assembly. It’s a pyro tensioner and is a common reason for trouble lights. I’d check the harness plugs from the buckle and make sure the wiring is intact. You can try contact cleaner on the plugs after separating otherwise I’d order a new buckle/tensioner assembly. They’re not to much around $100-150 iirc

[rf900rkw]

From what I've seen, the codes are in the booklet. table 38 should point to table 40, not table 2. This is a problem that is not unique to the B800. The error was originally done by Peake, and dutifully copied by the Chinese rip-offs.

If you have an old laptop laying around, look at setting up INPA. Abel has a most excellent thread on doing such.

[Retsacnal]

I was wondering if perhaps the tensioner was the explosive thing on the buckle assembly (and not the regular seat belt tensioner I was first thinking of). Anyway, I was in town earlier, so I stopped by the dealer parts department to see if I could pick one up, but they didn't have one in stock, so I'll probably just order online.

Since it's generating two codes, I wondered again if it could just be the wiring, but I've had the seat in and out twice lately, messing around with it. I'd think that'd probably reseat the connectors if that was the problem (right?).

I wondered about that because there was a service tech standing there while I was at the counter, and he said the part does not come with the wiring, so it'd sorta suck to buy one and discover the wiring was still bad...

[Dakar Ole]

The tensioner is part of the buckle assembly. It’s a pyro tensioner and is a common reason for trouble lights. I’d check the harness plugs from the buckle and make sure the wiring is intact. You can try contact cleaner on the plugs after separating otherwise I’d order a new buckle/tensioner assembly. They’re not to much around $100-150 iirc

Personally, I would also consider contact cleaner spray into the buckle opening as well.

[Tallyho322]

I had air bag code issues emanating from the seat belt tensioner also. I took each connector apart, sprayed each side liberally with contact cleaner, plugged and unplugged them a few times, and now no air bag lights or errors.

Maybe i I was lucky.

greg

[Retsacnal]

Personally, I would also consider contact cleaner spray into the buckle opening as well.

Thanks for this suggestion. I was a little skeptical, but...

Monday night my girls and I were re-watching an old movie, so--since the seat was out--I decided to change the seat rail bushings at the same time. I figured I couldn't really order a new buckle until Tuesday anyway (given the holiday, nothing would ship). After finishing and lugging the seat back out to the garage, I sprayed contact cleaner into the buckle. In fact, I jammed the tube deep into the buckle housing, and sprayed copious amounts of cleaner into the buckle. I wondered if I'd see 20 years of accumulated crud come out, but it ran out clear.

Anyway, when I hooked it back up, and cleared the codes, the light seemed to stay out! It was late at night, and I hadn't fully reinstalled the seat (just connected the wires), so I didn't drive it (which I assumed would re-run diagnostics at some point).

I reassembled it all yesterday morning, and drove it around my subdivision a bit and the lights remained out! Later in the day I headed to my preferred inspection shop. Since the tag is expired, I snaked through a number of subdivisions and back roads to get there! They told me that it'd probably be "tomorrow" before they'd get to it, but near the end of the day they called to say it was ready and had passed all safety and emissions checks!

I'm planning to swing by the DMV this afternoon to get new decals so it'll be legal again!

[Dakar Ole]

Thanks for this suggestion. I was a little skeptical, but...

Monday night my girls and I were re-watching an old movie, so--since the seat was out--I decided to change the seat rail bushings at the same time. I figured I couldn't really order a new buckle until Tuesday anyway (given the holiday, nothing would ship). After finishing and lugging the seat back out to the garage, I sprayed contact cleaner into the buckle. In fact, I jammed the tube deep into the buckle housing, and sprayed copious amounts of cleaner into the buckle. I wondered if I'd see 20 years of accumulated crud come out, but it ran out clear.

Anyway, when I hooked it back up, and cleared the codes, the light seemed to stay out! It was late at night, and I hadn't fully reinstalled the seat (just connected the wires), so I didn't drive it (which I assumed would re-run diagnostics at some point).

I reassembled it all yesterday morning, and drove it around my subdivision a bit and the lights remained out! Later in the day I headed to my preferred inspection shop. Since the tag is expired, I snaked through a number of subdivisions and back roads to get there! They told me that it'd probably be "tomorrow" before they'd get to it, but near the end of the day they called to say it was ready and had passed all safety and emissions checks!

I'm planning to swing by the DMV this afternoon to get new decals so it'll be legal again!

Waaay cool that it worked. Decades of who knows what can find it's home in that large opening.

[Retsacnal]

If the codes in the AC808 booklet had been correct, then I might have started with a squirt into the buckle! But since I erroneously thought I had to take the seat out, at least I also changed the bushings and repaired the up and down motor too, so it wasn't a total waste of effort.

Anyway, got it re-registered and been driving it again!