I've seen a couple other posts that look similar to my issue but they either were for later year vehicles or were old enough posts that I assumed wouldn't still be getting much attention. Besides, I hate it when someone tries to hijack another poster's thread and I don't want to do that myself.

My friend owns a 2002 Chrysler Town & Country Limited AWD van. The SRS light has been coming on for several months now. We've discovered that if we disconnect the yellow connector up under the dash that goes to the passenger airbag and then reconnect it the SRS light always goes off. But invariably, hours, days, or even weeks, later it will start coming on and going off intermittently until it finally just remains on and blinking all the time. Nothing predictable, certainly not reproducible, about when or why. Btw, as you might expect, that connector looks good and has a nice tight feel to it when you plug it in and close/lock it.

A few years ago [with the original owner] it apparently rolled down a hill into a wood fence and damaged the driver-side front corner -- lights, fender and hood. I don't know if the airbag deployed and don't know how to contact that owner to ask.

We have not taken it in to a dealer to have the code read because (1) we'd like to try first to fix it ourselves and (2) we'd like to save the $90-$100 that the area dealerships charge to read the code for you.

I have an Innova 3160d code reader that purports to read the ABS and SRS codes for a lot of vehicles, Chrysler being one of them. When I plugged it in to the van yesterday it came up with "05 Chrysler SRS Lefthand Crash Zone Sensor Circuit". Great we thought. However, when we connect the reader to Innova's online SmartSolutions service it doesn't find a corresponding SRS code and shows us "P0005" which is an engine code.

During my online search I ran across a similar thread here (https://www.chryslerforum.com/forum/...-sensor-20844/) as well as others that gave the same symptoms, and a couple that even used the same scanner and got the same reading, but implied that it was not a recognizable SRS code and all of the threads ended without anything definitive.

Does anyone know if Innova's scanners accurately report the 2002 Chrysler SRS codes or not?

Better still, from what I've described here, does anyone know what the likely issue is?

Thanks in advance,

Howard

 

Constant cyclic light or is it blinking a code?

 

Hi Raptor. It's a constant blink -- no code.

 

Well that shoots that idea. Only thing I can suggest is to check with a local parts store, AutoZone, OReilly's, Advance Auto etc and see if they're using a scanner that can check SRS codes. Many will scan it for free. Most will have the typical powertrain scanner but I've been reading lately some are now using more advanced scanners. Take what you get there and compare to your scanner.

 

Thanks again Raptor. I had already checked with all of the autoparts stores before buying my scanner. None of them could scan SRS codes -- that's why I bought one that said that it could.

Do you know where I could find a listing of all of the valid SRS codes for this vehicle? The service manual discusses symptoms but does not list any codes.

 

I've a hunch here after reading your fault description carefully.
I would check every single connector in the wiring especially around the crash area for poor intermittent connexion. The best way is prob. some contact-cleaner and in-out, in-out ten times with the connector. Include any connectors you think couldn't possibly cause the fault you have -- you never know with these kind.
If you have squibs in the seat belt anchorages, check the length of each anchorage for one which is slightly shorter. I had that one in my Jag. The squib firing element had fired and tightened the belt as it should, so it was shorter than the rest. As the element was o/c instead of two ohms, I substituted a 2ohm resistor and bingo -- the light stopped flashing.
Best of luck...

Leedsman.

 

Leedsman - Any idea what a flashing SRS light means as apposed to the normal constant light indicating a failure. Can't find anything. On some cars it can blink indicating a code. Apparently not on these vans.

 

Can't find Chrysler specific codes but these are generic codes. They fall under what's called "Body codes" and begin with a "b".

OBD-II Body DTC Trouble Codes

 

Thanks folks and I owe you an apology. The SRS light is on steady, not blinking. Using the key dance doesn't yield any codes -- I think it must only report "P" codes -- and disconnecting and reconnecting the passenger side squib connector will make it go out for days at a time -- every time. Removing the other end of that same connector at the ACM has no effect. I have examined the SRS connectors and wiring for all of the seats as well.

We removed the squib connector and used a scribe to bend all of the contacts which very noticeably tightened the connection. As it has every time, the SRS light went out and stayed out for nearly a week before coming on when the van was started up a couple of mornings ago.

This is probably the 6th time we have done this -- all but the bending the contacts part that is -- and I am now at the point of what Einstein called insanity -- doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Does anyone know of someone with a DRBIII reader in the Seattle area? Besides all of the dealers of course.

 

@Leedsman: I read these when you first posted and meant to respond with a thanks at the time but something interrupted me and I didn't get back to it. Thanks for your two posts and sorry about not responding.

While my light is steady it can be reset and stay clear for weeks at a time just by disconnecting and reconnecting the squib connector for the passenger side airbag. I'm guessing that if, like you, it was because the firing element had been fired then it would not reset, or at least would come back on immediately after resetting.

The fact that disconnecting and reconnecting the squib connector will reset it every time keeps leading me back to that connector. With the connector plugged in and the SRS DTC active I read the resistance across the connector from the airbag side all the way down to the other end on the ACM connector. The resistance was less than 1 ohm. I'm guessing that the total resistance that the ACM is looking for is for the whole circuit from the ACM to and through the airbag and back to the ACM. I'll get back to this in a few days and will let you know what that reading is.