Hello to everyone!!!
I thought I would post a question about a code error that I am having on my 99 Expedition (5.4L).
I have done a search here, but come up blank for the most part.
I believe the code means the following;
41: RH Front Air Bag Sensor and Bracket Feed/Return Circuit Open, or
right radiator primary crash sensor feed/return circuit is open. Now these reference an Aerostar & Bronco, does this apply to the Expedition as well?
If this does apply, how can I fix this problem? Money is short (layed off), and I can't pass my safety inspection to get my sticker because of this.
Any help would be appreciated

 

just wondering, how did you get that code?

Air bag codes usually start with a "B" and dont show up with a typical code scanner.

take a look at this:
http://www.bba-reman.com/content.asp...ic_Fault_Codes

hit "Ctrl + F" on your key board and type in "air bag", and it will highlight the air bag codes.

FYI, to access these codes, you usually need to have a high end diagnostic tool, usually only dealerships will have these since they cost in the range of $5k-15k

verify that you have the correct code and go from there. if it is a sensor circuit open, it means one of your sensors is showing a high resistance, which could mean either the sensor is bad or a wire is cut.

 

reivax, thanks for your input. The code come up on my dash, airbag light comes on when I start the truck, and flashes the code 4-1. It does this 4x then stays lit.
Am I reading the code incorrectly?
Your comment to airbag codes coming up with a "B" must be off of a scanner.
You are correct about hooking up a scanner to it, and not getting anywhere, did it a couple of times (buddies have scanners), and did not get anywhere.
I would like to know with some certainty if the flashing 4-1 code means what I have come up with, right side radiator sensor bad or wire leading to/from it might have been compromised, as you had mentioned.
Trying to do this on my own, so troubleshooting it as close as possible to the actual failure, would be beneficial to me (save me time & money).

 

you're welcome. Unfortunately im not overy familiar with the codes you can pull on the dash aside from knowing that those are basically the "cliff notes" version of the "B" series codes. i believe the mustang (car i am most familiar with) and the f-series have different codes that will show up on the dash that correlate to the same "B" code, so i cant help you too much here.

how did you pull that code from the dash? is it similar to this article?
http://www.mustangworld.com/ourpics/fcar/dtcodes.htm

as far as the code you are pulling being related to the radiator sensor (im assuming its a coolant temp sensor, not radiator sensor), im not sure. i can guarantee you that if it does mean something with the radiator/cooling system, it wont have anything to do with your airbag.

Your airbag light is flashing and then staying lit because your SRS (safety restraint system) system has detected a fault, either with the drivers side air bag or the passanger side. with the f-series/expedition, it is VERY common for the clock spring behind the driverside air bag to give out, causing the SRS system to lose communication with the airbag, so as a safety feature, it will deactivate the air bag.

Let me ask you this.....do your horn and cruise control buttons still work? If not, its a safe bet to say that its the clock spring that gave out on you, causing the airbag light. if the horn/cruise control still work, it might still be the clock spring, but i would suggest you get the vehicle looked at by a Ford dealer just to make sure its not something more serious.

my car currently has the clock spring issue, and i have a new clock spring from ford (it was cheap, less than $60 from ford i think) ready to install. my horn and cruise control stopped working because of that.

 

The HEC Dealer Test Mode is not relevant for the SRS system.

It is necessary to ALWAYS use the correct factory DTC table for the specific vehicle in question. Failure to do so will likely cause wild goose chases as evidenced above.

For the 99 Expedition, the WSM offers the following brief description of LFC 41: "External Crash Sensor Open Circuit or Shorted to Battery "

Here's the expanded description:

The WSM then walks the tech through several voltage and resistance checks to pinpoint the fault.

 

Thank You for everyones input/help up to this point.
Just to clarify, this has to do with my airbag light on my dash
coming on when I start the truck, and flashing a code 41.

I'm trying to understand what that means....exactly.
If I understand correctly, this is something that a dealer
can only troubleshoot for me?

I'd like to add that my steering wheel column, when adjusted up or
down, will cause some funny things to happen, for instance,
right rear blinker & break lights stop to work.
I have to play with it a bit to get those to function again.
Once I have the steering wheel in the "sweet spot"
blinker & break lights work just fine.
Depending on where I position the steering wheel, I will
sometimes hear a sound, like it's shorting out (?).

My horn works fine, and last time I used my cruise control it also funtioned fine.
This issue is driving me up a wall....lol

 

The intermittent signals are unrelated to the airbag system fault.

The intermittent signals are due to a wiring harness on the column that is "too tight" and gets stretched in certain column positions, opening connections in one of the connectors. Pretty common problem and is easy to fix by correcting the harness securing points and by reseating the connectors.

You can troubleshoot the SRS problem yourself with a meter and the diagnostic procedure. If you are unfamiliar with electrical troubleshooting or are not familiar with safety concerns necessary while working on an airbag system, you'd be best advised to hire someone who is properly trained.

 

projectSHO89
Your help with this matter, has gotten me further along with this issue, than anyone around me has been able to get,
so I truly appreciate your assistance with this.
Well, when it comes to electrical, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but really only know the basics. I do not own a volt
meter, but have friends who do, some of which are very proficient at it.
Can you elaborate some more, as to where I (we, as in friend with meter) would begin to trace this issue?