'98 Outback Air Bag Control Module Dies 3 Times

[Foveator]

Glad I found this forum. I've never seen this problem before.

 

My 1998 Outback, which has never been in any sort of accident, has gone through 3 air bag Control Modules. The dealer said that it was unusual for a car to go through even one. In each case, every 2 1/2 to 3 years, the "AIRBAG" light went on on one of the hottest days of the year, usually in July. In one case, the car sat in the driveway for 3 weeks, and when I started it after the hot spell, the airbag light was on. In one case, after being on for several months, it went out for a few weeks in the winter before coming back on. In one case, while I was driving it on a very hot day, the airbag light when on while while traveling on a bumpy road.

 

I find it hard to believe that I happened to get a batch of 3 defective modules. Do you think that there is some other component that is killing the controllers? Is there a way a dealer can reset them? Where is it located? The dealer was to speak to Subaru about the problem (current one is about 2 years old). No reply yet.

 

Any ideas what's happening?

 

Thanks!

[Cougar]

It seems to me that this problem must be happening due to something else being wrong with the system. You could not have run across a bad batch of controllers. I would really want to know what the problem is with the controller so that area of the circuit could be looked at.

[nipper]

In one case, the car sat in the driveway for 3 weeks, and when I started it after the hot spell, the airbag light was on. In one case, after being on for several months, it went out for a few weeks in the winter before coming back on. In one case, while I was driving it on a very hot day, the airbag light when on while while traveling on a bumpy road.

 

Ok so what i would figure out from the details above, you have a bad connection some place. The one common denominator to all the above failures is movement.

Hot weather, cold weather and vibration can all make a poor connection worse. They can all cause a poor connection to become open and (not knowing much about the SRS puter) cause a failure. Now since the failures go away for a while after the units is unpluged then re pluged in (assuming they arent playing with any of the other sensors) they first place I would look at is the harness and connector feeding into the computer. Next time it happens, also try just unplugging the unit, then plugging it back in.

Are there any trouble codes that can be read off the SRS puter?

 

Joe

[Foveator]

Dealer said it was the module, but I'll check back and get the exact code number.

 

Thanks!

 

Jeff

[Foveator]

Do you know where this sucker is located? Is it by the lower left part of the dash by where your left knee could bump it? I once thought I saw it flicker when I bumped that plastic cover.

 

Jeff

[1 Lucky Texan]

I'd be very suspicious of a bad ground, connector or cable. If there were a design issue that was temp related in '98s, I suspect there would've been a TSB or recall by now. The inside of a car can get over 150 degrees here in Texas. I suspect there are some localities that are worse.

[nipper]

The module is located under the cneter of the dash on the floor. iI am going to really advise you DO NOT TOY WITH IT unless you know how to disarm it. Once that is said, and done .... I would check the connectors. I do beleive all the SRS waires have yellow tape on them.

 

Joe

[Foveator]

I hear ya. Loud and clear.

I'll just try disconnecting the battery overnight first to see if anything resets itself.

This '98 is beginning to have some annoying problems that may start costing some bucks. The A/C comprerssor seized last month and needs replacing. The tires will have to be replaced in the next few months. Perhaps time to trade her in.

It's funny, but this car still runs fine. My old cars didn't have A/C and airbags and I didn't get rid of them until they were down to their last tire. Maybe I'm getting softer as I get older.

 

Replacing the tires is something that I expect after 40,000+ miles. UNLIKE my '04 Toyota Sienna AWD. It just hit 20,000 miles and needs new tires. It comes with "run flat tires", an invention of necessity to increase passenger area in the van. Unfortunately, the tires cannot be repaired, must be replaced as a set and cost about $1,200 per set!!! For 20,000 freakin' miles! Unbelievable!

It's time to trade that sucker, too.

 

Jeff

[nipper]

Some people dont stop to look at how much things like tires cost to replace on a vehical. I had one freind that neerly choked when he heard his SUV tires were 180 a pop not including balancing etc.

 

Joe

[1 Lucky Texan]

I hear ya. Loud and clear.

I'll just try disconnecting the battery overnight first to see if anything resets itself.

This '98 is beginning to have some annoying problems that may start costing some bucks. The A/C comprerssor seized last month and needs replacing. The tires will have to be replaced in the next few months. Perhaps time to trade her in.

It's funny, but this car still runs fine. My old cars didn't have A/C and airbags and I didn't get rid of them until they were down to their last tire. Maybe I'm getting softer as I get older.

 

Replacing the tires is something that I expect after 40,000+ miles. UNLIKE my '04 Toyota Sienna AWD. It just hit 20,000 miles and needs new tires. It comes with "run flat tires", an invention of necessity to increase passenger area in the van. Unfortunately, the tires cannot be repaired, must be replaced as a set and cost about $1,200 per set!!! For 20,000 freakin' miles! Unbelievable!

It's time to trade that sucker, too.

 

Jeff

 

Back to the temp issue - I wonder if there could be some kinda missing heat shield under the car directly beneath the airbag controller? Though I'd suspect your dealer would've mentioned it during one of the repairs.

 

I dunno.

 

Carl

[nipper]

The airbag module sits directly over the transmission, under the radio, in front of the gear shift. It doesnt sit on the floor, if I recall correctly, but on a bracket.

 

I wonder if that bracket has a broken weld.

 

Look for the simple stuff first.

 

Joe

[NOMAD327]

I've had a couple cars where the clockspring would work fine in warm weather, and trip airbag lights in cold weather. I don't know if it would work the reverse way, but it sounds possible. They are the only item in the system that commonly wears out as well.

[Foveator]

UPDATE:

The car is getting older. It now has 107,000 miles. Still runs well. A new airbag module was added in late 2005.

 

After functioning perfectly for about a year, the airbag light went ON again in late summer, again during hot weather. It stayed on throughout the fall and into the winter.

 

Now it gets interesting.

 

Occasionaly, during the cold days of winter, the light goes OFF and the system appears to be working fine. One day, with the light OFF, I was driving down the road and heard a "thump" which sounded like a heater baffle/damper closing quickly. It appeared to be located in the area of the lower dash right in front of my left knee, the same area I was suspicious about a couple years ago when the problem first started. Simultaneously, the airbag light went ON. It remained on for a few weeks and now is OFF. It has gone through periods either way.

 

I'm convinced it's not the module, but not sure what it is. And I may never find out. I'm thinking of trading it in for a newer model.

[nipper]

Its a electrical terminal in the connector thats coming loose, thats my guess. When the inside of the car gets hot, the connector expands and screws things up. If they do a scan and it comes up a bad module, i would look at the wires that power the module directly.

 

 

nipper

[Foveator]

Its a electrical terminal in the connector thats coming loose, thats my guess. When the inside of the car gets hot, the connector expands and screws things up. If they do a scan and it comes up a bad module, i would look at the wires that power the module directly.

 

 

nipper

 

Well, the AIRBAG light is back on pretty much steady now. It will be off one out of 10 times I start the car. It's a bit frustrating since the car otherwise runs very much like the day I bought it 110,000 miles ago. (Perhaps the driver's seat sags a bit.)

 

Last week, I traded it in for a new Forester. The dealer can deal with that tempermental airbag light now. BTW, I bought the new car from a different dealer than the one who couldn't solve the airbag light problems after 4 tries.