Wife has been driving my 97 lately and she told me that the air bag light had been coming on. I told her to watch for the code that it will blink. Next day she said it didn't come on and several days later it stay off. Then one day it came on again and she said it was blinking 3 times for six times in a row. I figured since she has no sense of time she didn't know a short pause from a long pause that it was code 33. Well I drove it around several times and never did see it issue a code again. She called me Monday and said it came on again but she noticed that the times she didn't have her purse sitting in the passenger seat that it never came on it only does it when she has it sitting there. The only code info I could find was for a 98 but the code 33 passenger air bag module cicuit low resistance or open. Is this a sensor in the seat? I wasn't aware that this model truck had one but it stands to reason it would since it only seems to happen when my wife has her camping bag (I mean purse) on the seat or when a passenger is there. BTW it came on again last night when my daughter was riding with her. This is a 97 F150 SCab XLT with the bucket seats and console. Am I on the right track? Next question does this code get locked into memory or does it go away when the key is turned off as the air bag light doesn't come back on when it is started back up? Reason I ask is I need to get the state inspection done and if I don't get this resolved would it be an issue that would cause it not to pass inspection. Right now she turned the passenger side air bag off until I get time to work on it this weekend. Sorry for the long post.

 

The 97 does not have a sensor in the seat.

Airbag systems usually aren't part of any state inspection program. Check with your state's AHJ for details.

LFC 33 on a 97 F150 does indicate a high resistance in the passenger side airbag. it might be a corroded connection somewhere in the circuit or a faulty airbag or RCM.

If you don't know what you're doing around airbag systems, you'd be advised to defer to a trained technician.

 

Well I thought it might be coincidental about something or someone sitting in the seat. I'll prolly just take it to the dealership first part of next week as I really don't have time to mess with it nor am I knowlegeable enough. Last thing I need is to make it worst or trigger the bag.