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Hi guys, this is the Taurus SEL with the 3.0L DOHC engine, 170,000 miles. Airbag light is flashing a "1 9" and the computer has stored code B2293. The guy my son bought this car from had it taken to a dealer and they scanned it and PID "D_ABAGR2" shows 0.20 Ohms, which I understand to be out of spec - low. I believe this PID relates to the Driver Side Airbag inflator. The tech at the dealer told the owner that his guess was that this was likely the clockspring or the airbag itself, but he couldn't know until he tore into the system further. Owner declined. All of the other controls on the steering wheel (horn, cruise control, etc) work fine, which make me think the clockspring might be OK. My son bought the car in hopes that throwing a clock spring at it will solve the problem. I told him that before we do that we should try to pinpoint things further. The only thing I can think of to do next is just short of parts-changing, which is to take the steering wheel apart and inspect the clockspring. I have done a clockspring on a Chrysler minivan before. But can you guys suggest some logical next steps? Beyond visual inspection, how does one check the clockspring? Verify continuity from pins to ground? Or how to check the airbag inflator module itself for that matter?
I fully realize us DIYers might be in over our heads on this one, and my son just might have to bite the bullet and take it to a dealer.
Hey Pop! FWIW, I find that airbag stuff is usually pretty straightforward. Easier than engine performance issues. It usually comes down to figuring out where to install the test resistor. :silly:
A scanner that will read OEM from the Restraint Control Module will go a long way. I don't recall, do you have a scanner? If not, an
ELM 327 dongle
and
Forscan Lite
will work perfectly. Forscan is an incredible value for all the diagnostic capability it puts in your hands.
It could also be a short in the wiring sub-harness that runs up the steering column to the clock spring rather than a a clock spring or the airbag igniter.
Air bag igniter pyrotechnics generally have a resistance of 2 to 3 ohms. I am no expert on air bags but what I would do is remove the airbag and run the scantool diagnostic again if the fault is in the airbag itself the resistance should change to an open circuit --- ie infinity.
If the short is still showing 0.02 ohms in diagnostic scan then I would remove the clock spring and run the diagnostic again.
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
The 2005 Taurus shared a lot with Jaguar S type of that period so I had a chat with a Jag tec pal he thinks B2293 can be either driver or passenger side but more likely to be the drivers. He reports he has changed quite a few clock springs on these however it is usually for high resistance rather than low.
He confirmed the airbag control module looks for a resistance of 2 ohms in the igniter circuit for each air bag (and per-tensioner) at key on self-test.
2 ohm is a very common value for the resistance of the igniter pyrotechnic (squib) in air bag systems on most cars.
This is very handy because it means when tracking down an air bag or clock spring or pre-tensioner fault a 2 ohm resistor can be used as substitute for the part.
Because the fault code points to low resistance (a short to ground) I suspect the fault isn't in the airbag itself but to eliminate the air bag remove it and substitute (for test purposes) a 2 ohm resistor in to the connector it plugs into on the clock spring.
If this dosen't clear the fault code, remove or unplug the the clock spring from the car wiring and substitue a 2 ohm resistor for the clock spring.
If this dosen't clear the code suspect the wiring sub-harness that runs between the clock spring and the main wiring harness of the car,
Air bags are relative safe to handle once unplugged as the connector has a safety feature a "shorting bar" that shorts out the air bagtests once it is unplugged. If I was working on this car because it may have damaged wiring I would remove the car bag from the vehicle before doing any inspection or tests on the wiring.
" We're trying to plug a hole in the universe, what are you doing ?. "
(Walter Bishop Fringe TV show)
Bear with me, really dumb question. Can someone provide me a link to a correct 2 ohm resistor I can buy? Amazon seems to have them, but I am not sure if some are only for AC circuits, others seem to have differing wattages, etc. if you can provide a link to something that will work for this test that would be great.
Any 2.2 ohm resistor will do.
www.amazon.com/Projects-Resistors-Watt-C...antity/dp/B071NXGGXM
Just another thought on what was mentioned a few posts up. The "shorting contact" can sometimes be the fault. When a plug is pushed in on an airbag harness it has a flat piece that lifts the shorting contact up off the terminals. I have had a few airbag issues where the flat part of the plug was either worn or the plug wasn't pushed in all the way to lift the shorting contact - so it could be as simple as pushing a plug in all the way somewhere on the harness.
I might have gotten ahead of myself. Having trouble getting steering wheel/airbag assembly off. I have removed the clamshell trim at the flasher button and ignition lock cylinder, figuring that access to the bolts holding the steering wheel on would then be accessible. They are not. How can I get to these bolts? Thx Pop
