humaras

Guys, I have a serious dilemma and need some assistance with any information you may have. As you may know I have been experiencing a problem with my airbag lights for the last few months. I took it in last week and the dealer's computer said the car was fine. Now, after the light tripped again, I am told that the wiring in the harness is bad. In any case, long story short is that I had the airbags stolen a long time ago and was replaced (about 3-4 years ago now on my 97) and the dealer said the work done on it was okay--but there were cuts to the wiring of the airbag harness and they can't patch it up again. Now, he said the old wires were patched up with "buck connectors?" anyone have any idea as to what these are and why they can't use the "buck connectors" again to reconnect the wires. the guy from the dealer said the wires were too short and only way is to replace the harness. $300 for harness plus 3-4 hours of labor in addition to the 2 hrs they spent on finding the problem. wheww. lots of $$.
In anycase--how about I just tell them to turn off the airbags--would that solve the problem of the blinking lights?
any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

pocketrocket

iTrader: (1)

Most dealers will not 'repair' an airbag harness, let alone splice circuits because if the car was involved in an accident and the airbags failed, the dealer can be in deep trouble.

Find out where the damage is and f you want to undertake the repair yourself, go right ahead.

1) You could try a junkyard and pull the airbag harness (identified by yellow covering) from a vehicle if it's in good condition.

or

2) You could splice it yourself. Make sure the wire is not stressed because it's too short. If possible, fix the harness so that the splice is not prone to moving (tie straps usually do the trick). Be very thorough with the splicing and use heat-shrink tube (one with adhesive) to seal the splice so it helps hold it together. Buy some corrugated tube and cover the repair, then tape with thick electrical tape if you're worried about damage to the splice.


You repair at your own risk of course ... I would opt for replacing the harness.

humaras

Pocketrocket--thanks for the detailed infor about this:

He mentioned that the wires were too stressed or frayed--but something to that degree. I am assuming that is a not a 'do-able' job. I am trying to differentiate if the job is do-able and they are not willing to do it or if they want to do, but they won't because there are fatter profits in me replacing the sucker.
But you are right--there is just way too much trouble, headache and crap involved in replicing wires and everything else involved. And I certainly understand the technicality of say when one is an accident and their liability in the matter.
Looks like replacement it is-- $600 or so--

pocketrocket

iTrader: (1)

You're being charged so much because of :

a) costly service part

b) LOTS of labor. They will have to literally take off your entire dash to re-route the airbag harness. If you're up for it, try to find the part number for the airbag jumper harness and the cost so you'll know how much the dealer's planning on charging for labor.

Albertt

How accessable are the wires? You might be able to perform a soldered splice. Butt connectors take up a lot of slack, so that could explain why the dealer claims that the wires are too short. take a look at the assembly. If you can take a pic and post it.

Aren't you in Queens?

humaras

Yes, Albert--yes, I do live in Queens and I took my car down to Koeppel Nissan to have the work done since they seem to be the one with the best service among the few dealers around here. It is my mistake, I was referring to--butt connectors--well, the dealer said that this was supposedly what is giving me the problem--the harness and loose wires in there. He said the ends were very frayed and damaged (I never got a chance to see it for myself because I dropped off the car). In any case, I told him to go ahead and order the harness and to install the new one. I know it is somewhat expenseive--$500 for the parts plus the labor but if it will solve that airbag problem then it is worth it. Because as of now, my airbag system is dysfunctional.

And obviously as Pocketrocket said, they are not going to rework the wiring because the harness is located behind the dash board? exactly where is the airbag harness located? is it behind the dashboard in the central console or on either side (passenger or driver side?).

thanks for your thoughts, Albert.
Bri

Albertt

Think of the harness as a large tree-like vine. It branches out into smaller "limbs" as it passes throught the car. The dash harness is one large one, that can only be removed with disassembly of a majority of the dashboard. One of the "limbs" branches off into the steering column, where a smaller "branch", tipped with the connector, reached the airbag module. My thought was that if you still had possesion of your car, you could remove the airbag module and check the condition of this "branch" and determine whether a DIY repair could be managed.

humaras

Albert, thanks for the ideas. Here is the problem though. I have taken the car in two times. The first time they did a computer check and cleared the codes and said all the componenets were working. The second time (yesterday)--they checked it again and said all the components are also working which left the wiring harness and the ECU (item in the center console area). So the took it apart (and asked me to authorize an hr. of labor time, which I agreed). I know from 98 when they tore apart my car for the airbag that they never replaced the harness. The guy then said they could "patch it up"--I was a lot younger and didn't know jack about this stuff. Anyway, It worked I guess for what now? 4 years? The airbag light problem started happening in the winter of 2001. I guess when it got really cold--something might have happened with the butt connectors one way or another. Weird thing was that I could reset the ECU using the door pimple but the light would come back. So finally I decided to take the car in. They said they are pretty sure it is the harness because everything else worked. The only other problem could be the ECU which could misfire? Funny that all the other parts work--any other ideas? They are charging me 3 hrs of labor for the work this Friday when they get the part in.
Speaking of which, I had a problem with the main engine harness about 2-3 years ago as soon as the car came off warranty (bastards)--but they were able to reconnect it? I am guessing that there is less work (stripping the dash here for the airbag harness) than before? Any thoughts? sorry about the length...
You are in Queens too, right?

Albertt

But conncectors could take years before they start to come loose.

Door pimple? I only method I've heard of is listed in the Steve Crutchen FAQ.

I doubt anything could be wrong with the ECU. THe airbag light. Was it blinking unsteadily, or would it come on for a while and then go out?

I'm only guessing here, but it sounds like a bad connection.

Are you talking about the engine harness that's underneath the hood? What was wrong with it? I would tend to believe that if something were wrong with THIS harness, your CEL would have come on...not the airbag light.

I don't know how hard it is to do...some of the audio guys here have probably done it.

Sorry I wasn't more helpful.

Well, I live in Hartford now...but my parents still live in Flushing.

humaras

You are right on all counts here, Albert. Yeah the main engine harness under the hood--yes, a few years back that started the CEL but they fixed it. I am sure the audio guys here have laid eyes on that airbag harness. But to me, I won't know which one when I rip it apart--There are just so many of these harness(es) around...But yeah, it looks like this is the best way. The The other way is to find a refurb one from the junkyard but there is still the question of the labor. Oh well--the pride and joy of owning a maxima sometimes--the Number 1 stolen car in the tristate area. And luckily, I own the color (pebble beach metallic), trim (GLE) and year (97) that all the crooks love to steal.
I'll let you know how it goes and if the light goes out after this. To follow up on the comment you made about the light--it would come on an blink steadily. There are times where I have reset it (the light is annoying) and it blinks at a steady but slower pace. Then there are times it just goes out completely but comes back. I am hoping this is the harness problem or connection as you mentioned--the ecu is $800 buckaroos.

hartford, CT? beats flushing?

Albertt

That's what I would do if I needed to replace the entire harness. Show up at the junkyards by Shea with a pair of heavy cutters, a sawzall and some wrenches and go buckwild on a wrecked 4th Gen.

Hartford is boring and too small. I miss NYC. I'm starting to like DC and Boston too.

humaras

I actually seriously contemplated that idea before saying to the dealers--yeah, go ahead with the job. But the thing about this method of pulling out a harness is 1. I don't know which part to cut 2. the price I pay will it work or will it work temporarily 3. it could be junked and I just paid for a junked part
So I guess I decided the safer route. Yeah, I have heard that Hartford isn't all that. A neighbor of mine just moved back from there cause she said that she was sick of the "boonies." LOL
Well, come back to the good ol' big apple...it's the city that never sleeps.
But your guess as you said before is that it is a wiring problem because I was able to reset the ecu from time to time?
I don't feel too bad because everytime that I have gone this month to take my car in for service --on the dealers logs--all the cars are 98+ that need service...I have the oldest car there.

humaras

Albert,
What's up? so I took my car in this morning and I handed them my car and they did the work promised which was to change the entire airbag harness. So far so good there is no air bag light (knock on wood) in the 10-15 minutes drive I took home. I will test this sucker tomorrow on the highway and hit a few bumps and see what happens. So far they said the ecu and everything is good. They did say that if the light comes back it could be the ecu (screw that--$900 bucks for it). Nevertheless I have a funny episode of how incompetent dealers are.
I go in this morning and they guy has three work orders for a Nissan Maxima with airbag problems and they said, well it could be all three? And I said--you gotta be kidding@!! It is well over $1000 in just parts. Anyway, I told them to apply the diagnostic time to the work and funny thing was he said it would take three hours for the work but I drop my car off at 7am--and he calls me by 10:02 in the morning. I am thinking--this guy is freaking kidding me--it doesn't take him nearly that long because otherwise he wouldn't be calling this quick. And get this, I go down to get my car--and this guy asks how much it is to get a new remote and to reprogram (he lost one of them) and they said--the part plus 1/2 hr for labor. I am thinking--damn liars because even an incompetent like me takes about $5 minutes to reprogram the remotes. Anyway--enough of the dealers. Cross my fingers and hope all works and I won't have to deal with their outrageous prices.

Albertt

My last experience was when my alternator went. It was making that loud buzzing noise and when i brought it in to DeCormier Nissan (Manchester, CT), the service advisor was a total moron. He claimed that he couldn't hear the sound. I asked him to perform a load test...he told me that I would have to leave the car overnight. That was last time I ever brought my car in for service. Oil changes and other little things I do myself, bigger jobs I ask of a fellow .ORG member who knows what he's doing and owns almost every garage tool known to mankind.