I have just bought a 1997 F150 Lariat S-Crew that had been in a minor wreck which caused airbag deployment. The previous owner put junkyard airbags and clock spring in it, but the airbag light stays on constantly from engine start to off. I just bought an airbag control module off eBay that was listed as "tested and working". I disconnected battery, waited, disconnected old module and plugged in replacement but did not bolt it in. SRS fuse is good. Airbag light remains on. My scan tool unfortunately does not read SRS codes.

Thanks. Jeff

 

You need the code to tell you what part of the system is in trouble.
From an accident is could be an open, a short or a missing ground any place in the system.
It would have been cheaper to get the code than spend for parts and time with no results.
Could even be if the truck has been repaired, the shop left something off or missing.
Good luck..

 

I was told that if the light wasn't flashing a code, then the control module was bad, so I bought a used one for $20. Ford dealer wants $120 to pull SRS code, and one local shop thinks they can pull it for $45.

 

I'm not sure about the 1997, but some models have seat belt pretensioners that deploy when the airbags do. They are not serviceable but can be tricked with a resistor.