Air Bag Warning Light Flashing

[Warhammer]

Be sure to double check my attachments. I accidentally doubled up on one of them. It's corrected now.

Sounds to me like they identified 2 things. The coil they're referring to is a spark plug coil? Interesting. The other says they need to replace the entire airbag controller? Wow...that's expensive.

They should be able to tell you specifically which coil needs to be replaced. These things are cake to replace if it's one of the 3 coils next to the radiator. The 3 that are next to the firewall take a bit of effort to get to since you have to remove the upper intake plenum assembly on the motor.

I've personally never heard of an airbag controller going out. Other threads I've posted on about airbag troubleshooting have resulted in well defined and easy to interpret flash sequences. This is definitely a first for me. If the airbag control unit is indeed bad, maybe it's just not communicating and throwing a false failure. Had this happen with an ECU computer for a 02 Sentra before. Just got a used one from another car, slapped it in, and it works fine.

Are you mechanically inclined? I hope you can do this work yourself. The Diagnosis Sensor Unit (DSU - airbag controller) is the brains behind the operation. It exists in the center console between the 2 front seats. I've torn apart the center console a few times in the past for odd end projects with the help of my service manual. If this were me, I'd disconnect the battery, tear apart the center console, remove the DSU, clean all connector contacts (wiring harness and DSU), clean the surrounding area, inspect the wiring harness, and then put it all back together and test it again. Might be some crud on the connectors or something causing an open circuit. You'd be surprised how dirty the inside of the center console gets over the years.

Also check your fuses. There is an airbag fuse located in the fuse block in position 13 according to the service manual. Maybe it's blown?

[jdubb]

Okay, #1, thanks for your time on this. Much appreciated.

2. Fuse is in tact.
3. I should have taken notes on the phone with the dealer. It must be the spiral cable, not coil. Spiral, coil, spring, all the same, right? So, spiral coil and control unit.
4. The very first troubleshooting pattern you sent is the one I have. 7 on and then it alternates between 2 off and 3 on repeatedly. That's it. I'm afraid I don't understand the note above about previous diagnosis results or about erasing the memory.

To your last point - I don't think I'm mechanically inclined enough to take the console apart without the service manual. I might make more problems than I fix!

[Warhammer]

Okay...first thing is first. I'm thinking that the DSU needs something done. I'd leave the spiral cable behind the drivers side air bag assembly alone for the time being. If you're trying to put the DSU into diagnostic mode and it doesn't work, then I'd start with the DSU. If you're not mechanically inclined, find a good used working DSU and have your mechanic replace it.

I've seen them for good prices on Ebay:
2006 NISSAN MURANO AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE | eBay
2005-2007 NEW OEM NISSAN MURANO SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR K8820-CB90A | eBay
2006-2007 OEM NISSAN MURANO SIDE AIRBAG SENSOR K8820-CC50D | eBay

It looks like these guys will exchange a good working DSU for your non working DSU and some cash. Maybe this is the way to go if you don't mind having your MO down for a week or so:

Nissan Murano *to 2012* Airbag Computer SRS ECU Module (exchange) | eBay

Good luck!

[jdubb]

Found out that the code the car is presenting is B1049, low voltage to the airbag. They found a loose connector under the seat that they say fixed the voltage ... But it didn't. Light still on. Battery tested fine (I tested that independently) Their opinion was that if this didn't fix it I'd need the airbag replaced. Now, the other guys said I needed the controller and spiral cable but that they'd also do the air bag to be safe. These guys don't say anything about those parts. What the...? Voltage to me says it's corroded or loose wiring to the equipment, not the equipment itself. Being a consumer sucks. You were on the right track with the console stuff, Warhammer. I've now paid $240 for two diagnoses that probably resulted in them lying to me. I hate to pay another $120 to have someone seek out a wiring issue and be no further ahead. Exhausting. They might win. They've beaten me down. Thanks for everyone's help.

[nitely]

Did they even try to reset the system again after the connector repair? They should have.....

Trouble shooting electrical issues takes time and airbags components does fail from time to time even if it was never deployed. However rarely it happens. You maybe the lucky one.

If you diy the replacement it could be a little cheaper. But after the 240 you drop to them maybe you can strike a deal, where the 240 will go to the fix. Its not a must do now repair if you are not feeling too paranoid and unlucky to accidents.

[Pilgrim]

You do NOT replace the air bag "to be safe". That's ridiculous. It either works or it doesn't, and if it has not been deployed, it's supposed to work as long as it's within its years of rated service life. Absolutely NO to replacing it...and the fact that they suggested it makes me extremely suspicious of them - they are lying to you.

I agree with Nitely - you need to have the entire electrical system re-set (that was the first thing that came to mind) before you do anything expensive.

[Warhammer]

Updates? Still failing?