98 SUBARU LEGACY , AIR BAG LIGHT ON

[SHERRY ELGAN]

Just noticed after a regular service, that my "air bag light" is on. Is this serious?

Quote

 

 

[Stevo F]

It means there is a detected issue in your airbag/ SRS system so it is diabled. Also, in many states it will fail inspection. Just had this issue on my '98 Legacy and in my case, the clockspring, which is behind the steering wheel, needed to be replaced.

Also a common cause is if the wire connector under the driver's seat gets loosened by someones foot (in on our Forester a water bottle rolling around under there. With the ignition off, I would unplug and replug this connector a few times to see if that makes the light go off. If that doesn't work, there is a procedure out there to read error codes, but on our older Subaru's, the codes are fairly generic and not that useful. My mechanic had to use his scanner along with the older wiring harnesses to read it and diagnose the problem.

 

[3Pin]

if you cruise control does not work, & abs light on , then it is likely clock spring.

[lmdew]

What Service did you have done?

[forester2002s]

If it's any help, most of the air-bag wiring-connectors are Yellow

[SHERRY ELGAN]

Thank you

[SHERRY ELGAN]

1 hour ago, lmdew said:

What Service did you have done? 

I had a lube and oil change, an air filter, and axle differential seals replaced.

[lmdew]

They should not have been by Air Bag System.

[SHERRY ELGAN]

On 3/28/2020 at 1:45 PM, Stevo F said:

It means there is a detected issue in your airbag/ SRS system so it is diabled. Also, in many states it will fail inspection. Just had this issue on my '98 Legacy and in my case, the clockspring, which is behind the steering wheel, needed to be replaced.

Also a common cause is if the wire connector under the driver's seat gets loosened by someones foot (in on our Forester a water bottle rolling around under there. With the ignition off, I would unplug and replug this connector a few times to see if that makes the light go off. If that doesn't work, there is a procedure out there to read error codes, but on our older Subaru's, the codes are fairly generic and not that useful. My mechanic had to use his scanner along with the older wiring harnesses to read it and diagnose the problem.

 

 

[SHERRY ELGAN]

Thanks, will check the wire connector under drivers seat.

[SHERRY ELGAN]

On 3/28/2020 at 4:17 PM, SHERRY ELGAN said:

Thank you

Thanks, it was the wire connector under the drivers seat, found the yellow wire, and pushed it back . Air bag light went out!

[Mike104]

Thanks for letting us know.  I had a 2004 Forester that the airbag light would come on if the seat was moved.  Disconnect, reconnect always took care of it

[SHERRY ELGAN]

Thanks to all of you who replied!!!

[SHERRY ELGAN]

Well, the air bag light is back on. I checked under the drivers seat to see if it had come loose slightly like before, but it's in tight.

I even tried to pull  the wiring under the seat (which is yellow parallel with a black wire) completely apart, but couldnt, very tight n ow.

What would I be looking for behind the steering wheel , to find the "clock spring"?  Can any adjustment be made, or do I

have to go to a  mechanic to replace it? Also this time the seat belt light came back on, there was also an ABS light on.

 

[idosubaru]

On 4/1/2020 at 6:09 PM, SHERRY ELGAN said:

Well, the air bag light is back on. I checked under the drivers seat to see if it had come loose slightly like before, but it's in tight.

I even tried to pull  the wiring under the seat (which is yellow parallel with a black wire) completely apart, but couldnt, very tight n ow.

What would I be looking for behind the steering wheel , to find the "clock spring"?  Can any adjustment be made, or do I

have to go to a  mechanic to replace it? Also this time the seat belt light came back on, there was also an ABS light on.

 

I would not start guessing. 

Read the ABS and SRS codes - they're really easy on that car.  There's a black like 12 (i'm guessing) pin connected.  Ground the right pin and the ABS light or SRS light will flash the trouble codes and tell you which circuit is problematic.  You'll just have to google or ask which pin to ground.  First flashes are 10's digits and second flashes are ones.  So 2 flashes and then 4 is a code 24.  Watch the ABS light and start counting after you ground the appropriate pin.  Same with SRS code, just a different pin obviously.

Don't do anything until you know those codes. 

Those airbag connectors don't come apart unless you turn your clothes inside out, whistle, cross your eyes, and pull on them with two hands and 3 toes, while standing on your head. Those connectors are nearly impossible to get apart and basically inviting people to damage them they're so asinine.  There's no way that the one under the drivers seat was "randomly" loose.  It's damaged or something's been done to this vehicle.  

So - maybe it's caught on something, maybe somethign damaged it, maybe it was pulled very hard and damaged some of the associated wiring or pulled pins out of the connector, or maybe a rodent damaged some of the harness/connector.  If you found a disconnected connector I would go right back to where a known problem was and look for additional damage or causative agents. 

Has the car ever been wrecked? 
Seats pulled or swapped?
Previously rodent damage?

On normal, untainted Subaru's, the ABS light is almost always an ABS sensor at one of the wheels.  Needs cleaned or it's rusted/warn away. 

Some 90's models, I think it was like around 95-96 has an ABS relay issue, but that would result in the ABS activating when the car was off and the fix was to replace the relay, it didn't trigger the light.  But it may be worth looking up a TSB or more details about it once you find out more info (like the code or we hear additional symptoms/info). 

[3Pin]

https://www.partsgeek.com/gbproducts/DC/407-05617730.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ff&utm_content=DN&utm_campaign=PartsGeek+Google+Base&utm_term=1998-1999+Subaru+Legacy+Air+Bag+Clockspring+Standard+Motor+Products+98-99+Subaru+Air+Bag+Clockspring&utm_source=google&utm_medium=ff&utm_campaign=PartsGeek+Google+Basecid=6774379819&aid=79287199093&keyword=833170040784%3A%3Apla-833170040784&kid=833170040784&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmpb0BRCBARIsAG7y4zb2hZRJpUT4Q4jBC6_fdfr8yakHOonKL7ycnuEKQSxTFS7UjCpAp8gaAow-EALw_wcB

 

This is what  it looks like. The have decent you tubes on where they are and replacement.    Don't buy a new one, get on off car-parts.com

 

Does your cruise control work?

 

 

[Stevo F]

Sounds like my issue (the the light initially went out after messing with the under seat connector but came back). I was able to run the diagnostics and pulled a code of 12 which unfortunately has lists multiple issues. I was stuck at this point so my mechanic took it on. Unlike newer cars, which will list more specific error codes on the diagnostic scanners most mechanics use, the older Legacy's needed a series of connectors hooked up to scan the codes with more detail. Luckily my mechanic had the cables (being in the business for 40 years), and checking it this way, my mechanic first suspected the ABS computer module. I was able to get 2 used ones on Ebay for $25. My mechanic installed it and said not the problem.

He said the codes he was reading were also for the clockspring. Luckily I had a spare clockspring from my '98 wagon. I let me mechanic do the repair since it involves removing the driver's airbag and steering wheel. For me that took car of the problem. In hindsight, I would have tried the clockspring first as it is a common failure because it is a moving part.

Like was posted earlier, a sign of a bad clockspring is if the horn and cruise control don't function. In my case, the horn still did work and the cruise control has never worked since we owned the car.