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Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - clueless1984

Hey everyone. So I have a 2003 Ford Focus which has been running absolutely fine, no warning lights or anything until the other day. Suddenly the Airbag warning light appeared and has stayed on ever since. I have checked the wiring underneath the seats, and have discovered that my puppy the little rascal, has chewed right through the plastic tubing under the passenger seat, and has chewed straight through the wires. Tere are 2 wires now showing, a blueish one and a greenish one.

Just wanted to get abit of advice really, on how to go about fixing it. I called an airbag specialist in my area, and he quoted me £60! and that would be to "reset the light, and fix the wires with insulation tape".Is this a job I can do myself? Anything particular to be careul of? Or is it best left to a professional? I have attached a link so you can see a photo of how it is. Any advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Darren

postimg.org/image/h9dp2vk6x/

Edited by clueless1984 on 10/12/2015 at 14:10

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - RobJP

Personally, I think £60 is pretty decent for the job. Though I'd ideally want them choccy-blocked and then taped up.

Do be VERY aware that, if you decide to do the job yourself, you need to ensure there is no residual current in the system. Usually this means disconnecting the battery and then walking away for 20 minutes before starting work.

There have been a few horror stories over the years of airbag systems being worked on and firing. Probably due to the battery being left connected, and the connection surging while it's all put back together again.

So if you do it yourself, make sure you give it that spare time. Because having the airbags go off and needing to replace them would probably cost well in excess of £60 !

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - clueless1984

Hi RobJP. Thanks for the swift reply. So do you think if I disconnected the battery for couple hours, then masking taped up the 2 sets of wires separately, will the light auto reset? Or is there a tool for that. Might have to wait till after new year to do it as funds are not available till then. Wouldnt want to risk the airbags going off coz I didnt do a proper job. What do u recommend? Leave it to pro?

Thanks again

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - RobJP

I don't know whether the light would go out on it's own, or would need to be reset on a diagnostics.

However ... there is another regular poster on here (elekie &a/c doc) who will hopefully see this, and if anyone would be likely to know, it's him. So if you give it until this evening / tomorrow, then with any luck he'll post a reply up too.

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - Benet

You're quite right to want to fix it properly. But you can drive a car quite safely with the airbag light on, and get it through the MOT as well - my old Fiat Panda had the light on for years

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - RobJP

You're quite right to want to fix it properly. But you can drive a car quite safely with the airbag light on, and get it through the MOT as well - my old Fiat Panda had the light on for years

Since March 2014 it is a failure item on the MOT.

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - Benet

My Fiat passed in March *this* year. It was an intermittent fault - maybe I got the benefit of the doubt. Anyway, it's gone for scrap now.

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - bathtub tom

But you can drive a car quite safely with the airbag light on, and get it through the MOT as well - my old Fiat Panda had the light on for years

I think that should read 'you used to be able to get it through the MOT'. The presence of that warning light on is enough to warrant a fail nowadays.

Furthermore, the light being on usually denotes the SRS (Supplementary Restraint System) is inoperative. That's airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and anything else that's fitted.

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - elekie&a/c doctor

This wiring is easily repaired if done correctly.Disconnect the battery for at least 15 mins.If there is enough length on the wiring,then re-join them colour to colour using crimp terminals or a solder joints.Then wrap with insulating tape.Re-connect the battery.The airbag light should re-set itself as this is an older model Focus.The airbag warning light indicates that there is a fault in the system,not necessarily that the whole system is inoperative.

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - clueless1984

Hi Elekie. Thanks for that. I think I will do it myself when I have the right bits, like the crimp terminals or solder joints. The light has only come on since the dog chewed through the wires, so that most probably is why the lights come on right?

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - clueless1984

Also, the wires are showing a bit. Is there any chance of the air bags going off if any of the wires touch each other? Thanks in advance

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - clueless1984

Nah my M.O.T centre said that will be a fail now. Wouldnt have been couple year ago he said, but would be now

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - elekie&a/c doctor

re join each wire ,one at a time,and insulate each with tape,then go around the two with extra tape.Should not be a problem.

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - clueless1984

Hi again guys.

So M.O.T is due now and Im only getting around to this now! I am going to detach the battery overnight, to make sure theres no residual charge, and connect the wires in morning about 7am.

2 questions....

1) Disconnecting the battery overnight wont cause any power issues will it? I wont reattach it in morning for school run and it wont start? LoL

2) After taping up the wires, is it ok to just immediately reconnect the battery and start up the car?

Thanks in advance

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - elekie&a/c doctor
No problems,in answer to both questions.
Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - clueless1984

thanks man. will report back in morning and let u guys know how it went. fingers x

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - clueless1984

Morning. OK so I have done it, and the light has gone out! Whoop. On the bad side it looks like a dogs dinner! It was so hard to get to it and try tape it up as the wires were so small. Not really happy leaving it like that. Will put it through MOT today, and then disconnect it again, because I'm worried what would happen if they touched? Would the airbag deploy?? I have kids and they're always in back of the car kicking under the seats etc.

Will have take out the seat and do a proper job of it. Choc block it etc.

Thanks for your help with this though. If you could just please let me know what would happen were those 2 wires to touch.

Regards

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - elekie&a/c doctor
Nothing would happen,other than the airbag light would illuminate.
Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - clueless1984

Oh right lol. I was worried the airbags would deploy or something. Anyway just back from MOT and it passed with flying colours. Once again, Thank u so much for your help with this

Regards

Darren

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - Gibbo_Wirral

Disconnect the battery, half an hour should be sufficient.

Unbolt the seats and then you'll have much easier access. I've done a few Peugeot 306s and 307s which suffer with this.

Ford Focus 2003 - Airbag Light & Wiring Problem! Please HELP someone - Cyd

I'd agree with lekie, but would suggest you use shrink wrap not PVC tape. When the interior of the car gets hot in the summer the pvc tape simply can't hack it and will peel, dry out and come off.

The airbag won't go off if the key is out of the ignition. Those horror stories are just that, horror stories. I'd advise disconnecting the battery for good measure all the same.