2010 Mondeo Airbag Light On

[2Btoo]

Quickie (hopefully):

Friend's 2010 Mondeo has an airbag light that stays on all the time. It's just failed an MOT because of it.

I've yet to plug a (generic) code reader into it but before I do, what are the likely causes of this? Passenger seat weight sensor seems to be one of them. What else, and where else should I be looking for problems?

ETA: Garage has quoted £800-1200 to sort it out, which to me sounds like they are making off with the urine.

[LuS1fer]

My Mustang was a seat belt pretensioner which a new belt cured but it could really be anything. Just check all the wiring and plugs for chafing and wear and get a code reader on it.

[Novexx]

The seat to loom connector plugs & the belt buckle are often a source of issue - spilled liquid, kicked, pulled & so on.

[bearman68]

80% of the culprits I look at are associated with the spiral clock cables.

Code reading is the answer.

[Howard-]

I had this with my 2010 Mondeo. I started by removing the steering wheel cowling and unplugging the connector from the clock spring, dousing it in contact cleaner, then plugging/unplugging it a few times. This cured the issue completely.

Chances are it's just a bad connection.

[2Btoo]

Guys,

Thanks for your help. The story has moved on a little:

I have a fault code reader (iCarSoft Euro PRO) which claims to read all modules from Fords of the relevant age. Having plugged it into the car it doesn't recognise a 'Restraint Control Module', which is the module that controls the airbags. I'm in contact with the supplier of the code reader as to whether this is a fault with the reader or the car and am waiting to hear back from them, but would you expect a faulty Restraint Control Module to show up on a vehicle scan or not? (I know, this is an unhelpfully vague question!)

Presuming that the module is faulty and not making itself known to the car then changing it seems to be the option. It is definitely present and the wires to it seem to be undamaged and plugged in correctly. Can I simply buy a second hand module and swap them over or will the new module need to be coded to the car? The existing module looks like this:



I can buy a second-hand one on eBay for £12, here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-MONDEO-MK4-2010-20...

All suggestions welcomed, thanks!

[Howard-]

I would be tempted to buy a proper Ford ELMConfig-compatible ELM327 module from eBay/Amazon and use Forscan on a laptop. If this doesn't pick up the RCM then you might be on to something.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154497769223

[Hugo Stiglitz]

Check all wiring under the seat and then at the sides.

Many manufacturers share wiring loom suppliers and many have this issue under the seat etc.


1200, what lovely lovely businesses that would do to a customer? Shameful.

[2Btoo]

Guys,

Thanks for the replies.

Howard, why didn't you tell me about such an adaptor before I shelled out a couple of hundred quid on an iCarSoft dedicated unit! I jest as the iCareSoft unit will be very useful elsewhere, but it's good to know that you can get some solid diagnostics kit for this little money. As it is I use Linux machines and ForScan won't run on them. but thanks for the link.

Do you think that the fact that the (semi-pro) tool I have hasn't detected an RCM means an RCM fault?

Hugo, thanks. I've carefully checked the seat wiring and it all seems intact. I don't follow your comments about 1200 ....

[bearman68]

Read something else on the CAN system - instrument cluster seems a good option. If the Airbag is 'incommunicado' then the instrument cluster will report as such. If there are no fault codes for airbag comms on the other units, then your reader is not reading it.

[2Btoo]

bearman68 said:

Read something else on the CAN system - instrument cluster seems a good option. If the Airbag is 'incommunicado' then the instrument cluster will report as such. If there are no fault codes for airbag comms on the other units, then your reader is not reading it.

Thanks bearman. This sounds positive.

I've checked the Instrument Cluster module and it reports the following fault codes, which also appear all over the system (i.e. on many other modules as well).

















It does seem to say that it has lost connection with the RCM but there are other codes in there as well. What does this suggest to you?

(Context: the car has 185,000 miles on it and has failed an MOT on airbag light being on. I am trying to get the airbag light off and through an MOT as a favour to a friend, but if this list of fault codes suggests that there are a LOT of things wrong with it then it may not be worth going any further.)

Thanks very much for your help.