My air bag light has been coming on occasionally. It will flash like five times than go off and repeat the same about four or five more times and than stays on. But after I shut it down and wait a while I can get back in and it wont come on. I cant figure it out. I dont really have the money to get it checked out. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas why this might be happening.

 

sounds like a faulty sensor. you should get it checked out or pull the fuse for the SRS system

 

count the exact # of flashes, then pm bob (rwenzing) nicely and he should be able to tell you what it means

 

i had the same problem, i just google'd the code # i don't remember what my code was but it turned out to be a loose connection at the seatbelt plug under the driver's seat

 

I had a bad sensor in my passenger seat... replaced under warranty of course...

 

YEah get this thing fix ASAP. You don't want to mess with the SRS system unless you know what your doing.

 

As of right now it has stayed off for a few days. I will pay more attention to the number of flashes next time. It is off more then it is on. Thanks for the answers.

 

FYI - By law, the restraints system has 5 yr / 50,000 mi factory warranty, even if you are not the original owner. If you're still under 50K, take it to a Ford dealer for a freebie. Even though the air bag light is off right now, the Restraints Control Module should have a stored trouble code that can be accessed by a dealer diagnostic tool.

 

Is the switch for the passenger air bag light on or off?? The bulb in the switch may have gone out, it will cause the air bag light to come on, but it may be something else, but see if the light for the airbag "on/off" is still working. The bulb is soldered to a circuit board, if the bulb blows than the current does not complete, just solder a new bulb from radio shack in and problem solved. DO NOT go to Ford...it will cost you out the *** and its just a burnt bulb. There is a write up on this somewhere if thats what it is.

 

The bulb still comes on when I first start the truck. Then goes out after a few seconds. I dont know. It hasnt come on for over a week now. dont know what the deal is. I am at 55,000 miles. Of course it would happen now after I hit 50,000. But thanks.

 

Go get the code and find out whats wrong. You want it to work when you need it.

 

Well it came back on finally. It flashes three times then seven times. It does that about three times and then stays on. Anyone know what this means?

 

I got this from someplace else:

"LFC 3-7 is for an improper voltage level in the side airbag on the passenger side of your truck. This could be caused by a short to ground or, more likely, a high resistance connection between the Restraints Control Module and the PS side airbag assembly.

Even if your truck doesn't have the optional side airbags, it still has the wiring for them and uses a yellow resistor cap to simulate the side airbag. Same story - probably a poor connection at the RCM or at the resistor cap under the passenger seat."

"

HTH

 

I would just take it in... the light flashing means something's f'ed up and you don't wanna screw with airbags

 

There is no 3-7 code on a 2004 Ranger. You need to recheck the count the next time it happens.

 

4-7 my bad. It is once again off though. No rhyme or reason for when it seems to come on and off.

 

That is the code for incorrect resistance on the seatbelt pretensioner circuit (code 4-6 driver side, code 4-7 passenger side). It is a common problem and is usually caused by a poor connection under the seat. Turn off the ignition, open the connector, clean the pins and reassemble. Applying dielectric grease to the pins should make the repair last longer. In rare cases, the connector might need to be replaced.

It is a good idea to avoid storing things under the seats because contact with the connectors can sometimes trigger the problem.

This may not apply but your Restraints Warranty lasts for 5/50,000 and this repair should be covered if your truck is still within those limits.