Airbag Module

The Pontiac

Got my 00 Ford Focus checked today by the main dealer and my airbag module needs replacing to the cost of over €300. The airbag light is on and the NCT is this Thursday. I asked about finding a secondhand one and he said most will be from crashed cars so won't be any good.

Anyone with an idea of a cheaper alternative? Maybe a spurious one, or a secondhand one. Are they hard to fit?

Am I better off going ahead with the NCT anyway (he won't have the part for Thurs) - is the airbag light only a visual inspection the next time?

Thanks.

concussion

Hi folks,
does anyone have any info on this? Same story with my Focus, airbag light is on and the Ford dealer ran a diagnostic. They say it's the airbag module and are looking for >€300 for a new one. The NCT is up and it's not worth the cost of replacing through the main dealers, but I can't afford another car either.

I have sourced a second hand one on eBay and apparently it is as simple as plugging it in under the center console - assuming the replacement module is clear and working fine, is this all there is to it?

Thanks!

paultronix

yes you can use a 2nd hand module and if it comes from a crashed car it will need to be reprogrammed but is alot cheaper than a new one,just make sure the numbers on the sticker re the same and then just plug & play.

Zcott

Pretty sure only a dealer can reprogram these :-(

concussion

Hi folks, thanks very much for the quick answers.

Am I correct in saying that the airbag module is located behind the steering wheel while the control unit (Restraint Control Module) is the plug-in unit in the center console?

I must get clarification from the dealer as to which is the problem as he just said the airbag module is the problem - I don't mind replacing the unit in the center console but don't fancy going at the airbag itself!

George Dalton

The module is usually another name for the control unit, which is under the centre console as you say.

If you get one from a scrapped car that has not had the airbags deployed and if the part numbers are the same on both control units then it should be plug and play except for a bit of code clearing.

For future reference a good independent garage will be far cheaper than a main dealer for diagnosing and repairing these kind of faults. It is madness bringing a 10 year old Focus to a Ford dealer IMO.

Plug

I agree with George and I work with Ford, these are a piece of piss to do. Don't get one from a crashed car as it might have excess crash memory stored and won't work.

The Pontiac

Thanks for the advice, two years later.

concussion

Hi George,
thanks for the info, it has confirmed everything I have read elsewhere on the matter. I actually brought it to two independent garages - one couldn't connect and the other couldn't confirm anything more than "there's a load of warnings on your ECU which I can't access". After that it was main dealer and job done. Time to track down that module!

concussion

Hi folks,
my module has the product number 98AG 14B056 AF. I can find a good few second hand but they all end in AE instead of AF - are these compatible?

Thanks!

Grimreaper666

Why not just go to a good auto-electrician, he'll fix or reprogramme your own module in the car. Saving you more in the long run.