Hi Guys looking for some help, trying to help keep my daughters car running, it’s a 2006 1.4 Hatch.

SRS light came on dash, plugged in scanner and got B1 883-F0 and B1 883. Both are “Passenger seat belt  retractor short to ground”

What I have done so far..

Checked for loose plugs under seat.. all ok.

checked the tensioner on passenger side and got 3 ohms, checked driver side got 2.5… my volt meter wouldn’t be great.

Got a loan of an airbag tester/ emulator to plug in, with seat out of car I plugged it into the correct plug but it wouldn’t put out not put out the tensioner fault…

 

I swapped drivers seat into passenger side and plugged it in, and put passenger seat into drivers side and plugged it in…. And fault still remained for passenger side retractor… and no fault for drivers side even though it was the passenger seat was fitted.

So from that I have come to the conclusion that the fault is not in the seat wiring or the retractor/ tensioner unit. And must be at the car side of things..

I did lift the centre console and look at the SRS unit and unplugged it and could see no corrosion etc and plugged it back in, but no change..

if anyone can shed some light or pointers it would very much appreciated, I have very limited options where to bring it too and a lot of mechanics around won’t even look at the car as they don’t have time to go trying to find an airbag problem…

 

 

 

What are you using to read the fault code with ?

This is possibly a fault with the RCM

It’s just a very basic scanner, I can’t see live data or anything, it can read and erase codes that’s about it

1 hour ago, KC500 said:

It’s just a very basic scanner,

That means it is unable to read any of the Ford specific DTC's

You need to use FORScan if you want to be able to see all codes.

On 4/7/2024 at 8:59 PM, unofix said:

FORScan (for use with Windows Laptop) : https://forscan.org/download.html

It's what many Ford owners use including some Ford technicians.

• vLinker FS, cable for laptop: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vgate-vLinker-Adapter-FORScan-MS-CAN/dp/B0952P4MLP

OR

• OBDLINK EX, cable for laptop: https://www.amazon.co.uk/OBDLINK-EX-FORScan-OBD-Adapter/dp/B081VQVD3F/ref=sr_1_5

For diagnostic use only:

• vLinker FD, for android phone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vgate-Bluetooth-vLinker-Scanner-Diagnostic/dp/B08H82WC8L
• vLinker FD+, for iPhone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vgate-Bluetooth-vLinker-Scanner-Diagnostic/dp/B08H8JHWP2

 

Search Tag:   FORScan123

 

I bought the Forscan lite for IPhone, but I think my Elm 327 Wi-Fi OBd connector is not up to the job, I don’t seem to be able to see RCM faults…

 

I got a guy to plug in a good diagnostic computer and the Passenger side tensioner is showing 0 resistance… but when I physically check with volt meter from seat plug back to tensioner I get around 3 ohms… I also continuity checked the 2 wires from seat plug back to module plug and the 2 wires are good, checked them to ground and they were good also… so I am thinking RCM is faulty 🤔

3 minutes ago, KC500 said:

I bought the Forscan lite for IPhone, but I think my Elm 327 Wi-Fi OBd connector is not up to the job,

If you are not using the vLinker FD+ dongle then FORScan Lite will not work with your iPhone.

On 4/7/2024 at 8:59 PM, unofix said:

FORScan (for use with Windows Laptop) : https://forscan.org/download.html

It's what many Ford owners use including some Ford technicians.

• vLinker FS, cable for laptop: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vgate-vLinker-Adapter-FORScan-MS-CAN/dp/B0952P4MLP

OR

• OBDLINK EX, cable for laptop: https://www.amazon.co.uk/OBDLINK-EX-FORScan-OBD-Adapter/dp/B081VQVD3F/ref=sr_1_5

For diagnostic use only:

• vLinker FD, for android phone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vgate-Bluetooth-vLinker-Scanner-Diagnostic/dp/B08H82WC8L
• vLinker FD+, for iPhone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vgate-Bluetooth-vLinker-Scanner-Diagnostic/dp/B08H8JHWP2

 

Search Tag:   FORScan123

 

I will have to buy that dongle so.

What do you think of the passenger tensioner showing up as 0 ohms with the Launch computer but testing physically at seat plug at 3 ohms??

1 hour ago, KC500 said:

0 ohms with the Launch computer but testing physically at seat plug at 3 ohms??

I think the equipment is not sufficiently accurate to be able to determine very low resistance's.

A pair of Fluke meter leads typically measure 0.2 ohms (and that's good), so anything showing 0 ohms is likely to be in need of calibration. 

Sorry maybe I wasn’t clear, the guy that plugged it in was looking at live data on a launch diagnostic computer, everything else was showing resistance, but the passenger side was showing zero. Where I think I was getting around 3 ohms testing The tensioner directly throug plug at seat.

I'm late to this party but, as you state you have:

Tested and compared both retractors (at the low values, there is likely some accuracy issue as stated)
Checked the wiring (presumably unplugged from RCM and seat connector?) and it appears sound...
Was it load tested whilst completely isolated at both ends from module and retractor (these are the explosive devices so great care needed?), just to be certain and definitely not shorted to earth?
Those tests would seem to rule out the wiring and your previous work appears to rule out the retractor and wiring on the seat (because you swapped the seats over)
Then it is looking more and more like the module itself?
Can one of those air bag test units (if they are appropriate for retractors?)  be directly connected to RCM and if that doesn't fix it, or I'm wrong, then I am then lost?:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156192406422

 

On 4/2/2025 at 8:00 PM, unofix said:

I think the equipment is not sufficiently accurate to be able to determine very low resistance's.

A pair of Fluke meter leads typically measure 0.2 ohms (and that's good), so anything showing 0 ohms is likely to be in need of calibration. 

Thanks for your help, I picked up an RcM yesterday in breakers and it fixed the problem…  the new dongle arrived today from Amazon also. Thanks again.

On 4/3/2025 at 12:47 PM, Shearers said:

I'm late to this party but, as you state you have:

Tested and compared both retractors (at the low values, there is likely some accuracy issue as stated)
Checked the wiring (presumably unplugged from RCM and seat connector?) and it appears sound...
Was it load tested whilst completely isolated at both ends from module and retractor (these are the explosive devices so great care needed?), just to be certain and definitely not shorted to earth?
Those tests would seem to rule out the wiring and your previous work appears to rule out the retractor and wiring on the seat (because you swapped the seats over)
Then it is looking more and more like the module itself?
Can one of those air bag test units (if they are appropriate for retractors?)  be directly connected to RCM and if that doesn't fix it, or I'm wrong, then I am then lost?:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156192406422

 

The fact that the computer plugged in was getting 0 ohms on passenger side but I physically I could test the tensioner on its own and get 3… I think that means that nothing could turn light out even right at module, as the fault is in the module… anyway I put my money where my mount was and picked up a module in breakers and it has fixed the problem…  electrics aren’t my strongest point and I would love to know more about it, but I secretly enjoyed doing my bit of investigation, it’s the first time ever I’ve measured resistance to see if something is gone, and first time I done a continuity test, but it worked and pointed me towards the module, rather than tensioner or wiring.