Airbag light woes, please help!

[mogrossey]

Aright guys I'm at my wits end. Definitely have done my searches and my research. Here's the issue:

I've got 2 error codes being thrown in INPA/code reader. I'm a first time poster long time lurker so I'll see if I can figure out how to link the pic.
Codes are:

26 seat occupied recognition (SBE1)
2 ignition circuit ZK1 -> belt tensioner driver

So, based on my research I'm thinking seat occupancy sensor on the passenger seat and the belt tensioner on the driver side.
Based on all the reading I've done, I've pulled these seats like over 10 times.

For the belt tensioner issue: I've cleaned all the contacts. I've replaced the harness from the tensioner to the floor with a new part. I've put in multiple different belt tensioners sourced from redline autoparts. Every time I try something new, I go into INPA and clear the code under E36/airbag and it pops again within 5 seconds.

For the seat occupancy sensor. I purchased an emulator from Ebay that came in a pack of two. I've tried multiple SBE 1 modules with multiple combinations of the two emulators (they are identical). I bought a lightly used harness and re-spliced any damaged connections. They all look great now, no cracked plastic, clean contacts.

What am I doing wrong. I've replaced all the relevant parts at the seat section. Am I using INPA wrong? Full disclosure, I've been trying to teach myself the software, I was able to successfully program a new lateral acceleration module with INPA and Tool32. Is there a way to check the wires with a multimeter I'm missing?

Any help is appreciated: I love the car, got it for pretty dirt cheap and have been rebuilding it from the ground up.

One last question, with those two error codes, are the airbags functional, as I understand it is a fail on system but maybe I'm wrong.

Thanks!!!

Matt

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[AndyT62]

Hi
do the airbag and seat occupancy test lights both come on when you switch the ignition on and do they go off after completing the self tests?
If so then you might be looking a bit to deep into this. Are the fault codes old stored codes perhaps ?
My car had the passenger seat occupancy light on fixed by fitting an emulator and the airbag light wasn't coming on.
Some joker had removed the bulb! Replaced the bulb and cleared the fault codes and both have been sound ever since.
Hope you've fixed your problem anyway.
Regards

[mogrossey]

Andy ,

thanks for the reply!
So the airbag light is steady on right now. I can clear the codes using INPA. It clears for maybe 5-10 seconds then reasserts itself.
When I read the code again, I get the same 2 codes:

Occupancy sensor on the passenger side and seat belt tensioner on the drivers side.

Like I said before I’ve used multiple different seat belt tensioners and multiple occupancy sensor modules as well as multiple emulators and combinations of both. The code always comes back.
I’ve even bought fresh wiring for the tensioner and cut and spliced fresh wires for the harness from a donor harness. I’m completely lost where to go from here. I’m willing to try something else but I don’t know where to go from here.

Thanks

Matt

[colb]

Since you have replaced wiring and tensioners as well as a occupancy sensor bypass have you checked out the passenger side satellite and central main modules for clean and good connections, if those modules were at fault then I would expect codes for them since your problem is both pointing to the passenger side I wonder if those modules are actually seeing the signals from them. As long as the fault(s) remain the dash light will not go out untill the fault(s) are corrected and codes cleared.

[mogrossey]

Comb, definitely makes sense that the lights won’t go away if the fault is there. I’ll see if I can find out how to access the modules you wrote about. The faults aren’t just on the passenger side thought. The occupant sensor daily is on the pax side and the tensioner one is the drivers side.

Matt

[colb]

This may be of help for testing your tensioners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZHpPVZKQ6k
The main module is in the tunnel behind the handbrake.
The Satellite modules left and right live behind the side panel behind the door B posts.