Please read all before firing off responses as I have read hundreds of threads and spent countless hours researching this issue. I may not touch on everything I’ve learned so far as it is a bit much and I’m trying to keep it to a point. Not trying to be rude by any means, but the 97 model year seems to be elusive in this area compared to later models.

the problem:

turn ignition on(not started yet), bulb/fault check ensues: results; airbag light illuminated, solid, also check engine illuminated.

start engine; all lights off. After about three seconds, airbag light returns, and is illuminated solid. Again, this is a 97 model year which doesn’t do the blinking flash codes for SRS.

Any length of driving airbag light is on solid the whole time. Stop car and shut off upon restarting same situation as mentioned above with the SRS light on.

And the things I’ve tried:
Checked all fuses related to SRS system. All good.
Took out both driver and passenger seat, disconnected and cleaned all connectors and reassembled. No change.
only driver side seat belt buckle has a wire connected to Main seat, harness. Cleaned inside buckle clip. No change.

Tried two different scanners, neither will read SRS codes. Both were innovia scanners.

Bought a replacement SRS module used on eBay, plugged in no change.

Inspected both front crash sensors visually, nothing seems out of place however, no multimeter tests were performed.

Like I said, I did extensive research on this topic and I understand that this model year XK8 has a OBD2 port that doesn’t conform to most scanners due to the actual pin out.

from what I’ve read on here most airbag faults lied within the under seat, connectors. Interestingly enough, both drivers and passenger seat had a two pin connector that was yellow in color that wasn’t connected to anything I do recall on passenger side wires were solid red, and orange with white stripe. On a sidenote my seats do not have heated seat option, nor do they have adjustable headrest.

i’m still trying to get a friend to read the codes for the SRS with an expensive scanner. However, it’s easier said than done.

Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. This is the last piece of the puzzle to get this cat on the road. Thanks.

 

I have had exactly the same ( 97 model)with the addition of the 5x5 buzz which is to tell you the warning light has failed which of course it has not .You can check the two front sensors easily and safley. they are just weights which fly forwards and close a switch BUT they do have a loop through to detect if they have been disconnected. the diagram for that is in jagrepair.com.
If its just this thats keeping you from getting a roadworthy then as a tempary measure you can remove the binnacle solder two fine wires to the LED which is the SRS light and bring those out under the dash. fit a timer relay with 5 second delay to switch two 1n4005 diodes across the LED. The voltage drop across the two diodes is too low to light the bulb but the continuity is enough to fool the electronics. Its my opinion that there is electronics in the binnacle working the led which may have failed ( more 25 year old capacitors) The basic system is so simple ..an inertia switch discharging a capacitor into the air bags with a safe arming and firing device (another spring and weight) so it wont work unless you are braking /slowing.
If you do find a real cause let us all know what it is.

 

airbag serial link is on pin 3

only tools that can read it are ids or a launch/thinkdiag. that’s it

 

Well thanks to all who replied , I appreciate all the input. As it turns out, I did some more research and in my state(Massachusetts) any vehicle older then 2007 can pass a state inspection with an airbag light on, air bags removed, or any airbag fault code displayed. I didn’t know this until last night.

anyway, took the car for a 2.5 hour ride in circles around town last night from 1130-pm -2am to burn out the old gas and go bar hopping. Airbag light on the whole time. Took the car out today for a couple hours and airbag light went out after a few minutes and stayed off for over an hour. After stop and restart it came back on. Difference of todays ride vs last nite is I had a passenger in the car today the whole time so I’m thinking it may still be related to passengers seat somewhere… but that’s just a guess. I get my official plates for it tomorrow and I’ll bring it to the dealer in Hartford to get the airbag fault scanned. I’ll keep posted on what I find and if I do end up fixing it (which I want to do) and what the problem was

thanks again all…. Now to start a new post about another issue I encountered today lol

 

Airbag systems have various strategies to determine if there is a passenger in the seat to avoid deploying the corresponding bag in a crash. A situation I ran into before is an inconsistency between the seat bottom switch (no passenger) and the belt buckle switch (erroneously showing buckled in at all times) in a Ford Focus. That situation was "resolved" when an actual passenger was seated as the 2 inputs were then consistent again. I fortunately had a Ford code reader that showed me the live status of that buckle switch to ease the diagnostic.

A JLR code reader should be able to show you the status of the passenger-side belt buckle and seat switch for verification, but you could try sitting in the passenger seat, with and without being buckled in, turn the car on, and see if the airbag light changes at all. The status of these switches should be read off of the applicable control module (body processor?), not the more obscure airbag module.

Best of luck, keep us posted.

 

You could also try removing the seat (held in place at each corner of the seat rail by four Torx T-40 bolts if I remember correctly), disconnecting the electrical connector plugs underneath the seat (there are at least two of them), spraying them with electrical contact cleaner, and carefully reconnecting them....

 

Well I got my plates yesterday and registration. Got down to my buddys auto body shop and he scanned the code. Amongst other various hidden codes in multiple systems that showed no mil light, lo and behold I now have the airbag light code….. B1932, drivers air bag circuit high resistance or open circuit. So at least I have a solid starting point now, other than guessing wildly. I will now research to see what I can find and let you guys know how it pans out.
on a side note, after scanning the code I went and ran some errands, had a few stop and restarts with short rides inbetween. Since I left his shop, airbag light no longer lit at all times(or at all for that matter) but now I get the five audible beeps after startup. Not sure if he just scanned the code or if he scanned, and then cleared the code. But either way it is now no longer lighting up on the dash.

 

The 5x5 bleeps is to tell you the airbag warning light has blown ..well it has not its a LED. only cure is the two diodes and relay as described earlier. ( unless you can find the real fault ) If you do I am waiting as are we all.