I read through the threads and stickes and stuff, got the instructions for shutting off the light but it still stays on no matter what...it flashes steady and fairly quick, pattern doesnt change. I also checked under the seats for wires that are pinched and didnt find anything. Is there ANYWHERE else I can go or do to avoid going to the dealer? The diag. for an airbag light is probably at least 90 bucks and I can almost guarantee its gonna be expensive to fix. Its not super-urgent, but I have had an accident in another car before where the airbag was very helpful...

Also I read a thread where a Nissan dealer with a Consult-II told a guy on here he needed a new clockspring for $1100 and a different dealer with the Consult-III just said he had a short behind the assembly, and it was like 200 bucks, do a lot of dealers have this scan tool or am I SOL?

Call the local dealers and ask them if they have a Consult III.

Take it from there.

Hey...I just got off the phone with one of the albany nissan dealers, he said Consult-3 is for "OBD-III" vehicles 2007 and up ?? and he didnt think it was possible for a 3 to plug in to a 2001. They said they had one though.. so I don't really know what to make of this. I searched and read through a good amount of threads about guys getting quoted $1000+ for a new airbag module when in reality the car hardly ever needs one.

If it IS really bad, then great, I will get one from Dave B or eBay but I'd sure like to know if it's just an unplugged wire!

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....ight=consult+3

I thought our cars use Consult II? Mine is flashing too, but I know exactly why - Momo steering wheel

I am the one that started this whole consult 2 vs. consult 3 with the airbag issue. The original dealer I went to wanted $1,083 for the airbag assembly but I got it checked out at the dealer with the consult 3 and fixed the problem by simply reconnecting a wire near the clockspring for $90 total. I have an 01 that had the airbag flashing light and had the dealer with the CONSULT 3 diagnose the problem as a loose wire near the clockspring assembly on the steering wheel. I was with the technician as he diagnosed my car with consult 3 and he simply reconnected the wire by "tightening" the connection and plugging back in. He stated this is a very COMMON problem that sets the airbag light off. He also said that being the car is six years old, wear and tear, bumps and normal driving has loosened this connection.
Hey carsarecool, It is RARE that the car needs an entire airbag assembly being the car has never been in an accident. Make sure they use the consult 3 because this told the technician that a wire near the clockspring was "off" unlike the consult 2 which just threw an airbag module bad. Let me know if you have any questions.....

Thanks a lot dude, definetly am gonna try this now....yours was actually the thread I linked to in post # 3 haha I am gonna call around and possibly visit some dealers and find one that doesnt tell me "a consult 3 only hooks up to OBD-3 cars 2007 and up" because yeah my car is six years old also, hasent been in an accident and is just rounding 105,000 miles.

Anyone want to buy my airbag?

yeah, i had a similar experience.. my airbag light was flashing and i took it to the dealer on thursday and asked them if they used a consult 2 or 3 (thanx to paulpearl).. and they said they had a 3 but that it could only be used for the newer vehicles.. anyway.. i had to pay the $99 diagnostic fee, but the problem ended up being not the airbags, but something in the passive restraint system, which is covered under a 10 year warranty, so i dont have to pay for it thankfully.. he said they're gonna order the part and it should be here in a couple days.. the light is off now, but i'm assuming the problem isn't fixed since they ordered the part.. but yeah.. so maybe you should ask about that warranty so you won't have to pay anything but the diagnostic fee.. if you need me to carsarecool i can call up my dealer and get the details of the warranty so you don't get screwed by not knowing what you're entitled to

Yea that'd be really cool, if you could...How many miles do you have? I know some SRS components are covered under a 10 year warranty but like I said I'm at 105k

Talk to blackbird he has the same thing but he made a simulator for it and has no flashing light.

I have the resistor, but I took out the whole airbag module (including the thing that goes around the steering wheel shaft)

Consult iii only works on the new Altima and sentra. What's wrong with thhe consult ii? We've been using it for years. With both of them you can read the code and then you gotta do your repairs.

What do you think of these guys having the repair diagnosed by the consult-3 though?

I reset mine with the stop watch, it took a few tries, but it did eventaully work, Mine was flashing because I unhooked the sensor by the gove box though

Because someone else on the board had a similar problem diagnosed with a Consult III and I guess the Consult II could not diagnose the actual problem.

The consult 3 is not compatible on our cars. End of storry. I went to school on that. Whoever told him he fixed it with consult 3 lied or didn't know what the hell he's talking about.
Just like you cant use consult 2 on a 2007 Altima.

You asked why... I told you why.

Is there an update or newer software for the consult-2? Is there a chance some dealers are using like an old one, i.e. the consult-2 that came out to use on the 2000-2001 max's can't be the same stuff they are using now in 07 to diagnose all nissans up to 06 right?

UPDATE: I did the reset procedure with the keyon saturday, and the light DID go off... I let it sit while cleaning it for a while then backed it out of the garage, parked in the driveway- light still off. Last night I went to leave, and as soon as I turned the car on it started flashing again Does anyone but the dealer read these codes?? Best rate I found is $99 JUST to see what teh light is...

Hey carsarecool, My airbag light came back on two days ago after I had it fixed with a loose wire near the clockspring assembly. I am the one who said the dealer tell me it was going to be $1083 but it ended up being a loose wire at another dealer I went to. I am so pissed off that the light came back on because the whole clockspring probably needs replaced. I usually fix everything myself but the srs system I am not going to tamper with. When you tried the reset (7second 3 second) I am guessing did you start counting the 7 seconds when the light comes on with the key or when it starts blinking? I have not had any success with this procedure. Sorry to hear your light came back on also. I am going to the stealership as a last resort.... Paul

I started counting as soon as I turned the key to "on" and when it started blinking was 7 sec. and i shut it off... called around and got a price for $89 from the stealer, both the service advisors I talked to said "it actually takes an hour to a hour and a half"

I had the code read today for free, one of the guys I knew from autozone that owns a shop pulled the codes and said its the front crash sensor right under the hood latch, probly from when I tore the front bumper off and drove to work for a few days on the highway before I put it back on... found it at nissan for $179 and he said it should turn the light off I'm def. glad its not the clockspring or module, should be picking up the part thurs or friday and he said I should be able to put it in myself

My airbag light has been flashing for about 3 weeks now since I got it fixed for "a loose wire" near the clockspring assembly and I am dreading to take it to the dealer....Can you see this sensor by the hood latch?? Is it just simply a plug/play fix and leaving the battery unplugged overnight? I am still thinking mine is the clockspring but am not sure? What is the part number you got from Nissan...Thanks Paul

Yes you can see it, I was gonna ask if you guys thought I should do that myself? Its right next to the hood latch, its got a big bundle of wires going to it... the shop owner seemed to think I should be able to do it myself, he said "take BOTH battery cables off for 5-10 mins before you touch it because itll still have a charge" then change the sensor, put the batt. back on- the parts guy didnt give me the part # on the phone today when I ordered it, itll be here on friday morning cause they were out of stock