I never know if I should post in a thread that is old on the topic or start a new thread, so here it goes. I just started getting the airbag light flashing 17 on my 2001 XK8. From other threads this translates to Passenger Spatial Sensor CAN fault. I'm not exactly sure what the Spatial Sensor is. I had been replacing some of the interior lights and was crawling around on the seat for a while. I reached under the seat and it appears that both plugs are securely connected. There is a black box at the front of the seat that is rather loose. Could this be the issue?

 

Forgot to mention I also took down the module above the rear view mirror to replace the map lights. I don't know if that is in any way connected. I've read some posts regarding the A Pillar sensor being a possible issue. I'll see if I can pull that and check it out. I'm not sure where those wires are located outside of the A pillar.

 

I did dozens of these Service Actions decades ago.
Don't remember all the details but here is the info we got.

 

Morning Motorcarman,

Looks like I've got a lot of work ahead of me. I saw in Illustration 1 of the bulletin the roof console. I did take mine down to solve a rattling issue (one of the light lens was loose). The mesh screen on mine was bent up from the prior owner. I straightened the tabs that hold it to the console and removed it enough to be able to even it out and then put it back in place and bent the tabs back. Could this have caused a problem? I didn't touch the sensors but obviously I did touch the screen. The illustration states "avoid direct contact with the sensor meshes". Do they mean the outside mesh that I fixed or the ones directly on the sensors?

I also noticed that, possibly when I was fixing the passenger headrest problem (the usual cable issue) and I moved the seat all the way forward, the spatial sensor box (that black box directly under the front of the seat) appears to be loose. (the little black hook on the carpet that holds the floor mat was torn up from the carpet. I think the black box caught on it and put pressure on the box) The electrical plugs from the seat to the floor appear to be seated properly but I'm going to take the seat out to see if any of the connections to the black box are damaged.

Thank you for the information.
Joe

 

I had to go pick up the grandson from school this morning so he was sitting in the passenger seat and there was no difference in the light situation. Came on at start up, did the 16 flash thing 3 or 4 times and then came on and stayed on all the way home. I had him lean forward too, I read in another thread that had some indication of the seat sensor being bad, but the light stayed on.

That headrest work I did was a few weeks ago and I've had the car out several times since then, with and without a passenger and no lights came on until this past weekend. The only work I was doing was changing out the light bulbs. But in order to change the map bulbs I did have to take down the roof console so I'm thinking that is probably what the issues is. I'm going to see if my OBD2 shows any codes for the air bag and if I can clear it and see what happens. Any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

Put the iCarsoft LR 2.0 OBD2 on the car today and got a C2291 "Occupant position system state. Front passenger side" error code. Not a lot of help.

In reading the bulletin that Motorcarman sent I see on page 3 it discusses the roof console. It states "Roof console occupancy sensors are handed". I'm not sure what "handed" means in this context. It also says that the "sensor meshes are fragile". As I said the metal mesh on the rearward part of the console on mine was pushed in when I got the car. I partially removed it and evened it out. That section does say to "Ensure that the cones point towards the passenger side of the vehicle." I didn't touch anything else inside the console but I did unplug the connectors and replug them in once I replaced the lights. I'm not sure if that could have caused the problem with the air bag. But other than replacing the dash and console lights that is the only thing I was working on before the air bag light came on so I'm thinking that has to be the problem but I'm not sure how to test it. Anyone out there know if there is a way to determine if there is a problem with the sensors in the roof console?

Joe

 

HANDED simply means that the RHD and LHD cars use different overhead consoles so the transducer is aimed correctly.

 

Thank you Motorcarman. I put the charger on the battery over night. I'm not sure if that will make any difference but I've got to run to the store in a few minutes so I'll see. I read somewhere that having the ignition key to on for a long period of time could drain the system to a point where the air bag sensors would not operate properly.

 

Well charging the battery wasn't the solution. Back to the roof console.

 

I pulled the roof console off and cleaned the contacts on the occupant sensor connectors and nada. Looks like I'm pulling the passenger seat out tomorrow morning and do the same for the connectors under it. If that doesn't work I'll just pull the light bulb on the damn airbag light. Screw it, who needs it anyway. I already know that dealerships don't have any of the diagnostic equipment that would be needed to track down the problem, since the car is too old. So if Jaguar doesn't care, why should I.

 

I don't think Jaguar is going to get hurt if you crash the car.

 

So I took out the passenger seat and found that that little black box (actually gray) was broken. I'm not sure if it was from moving it all the way forward and getting caught on the little hook that holds the floor mat or if it was done before that. (I put in a couple photos of the hook as it is now. I'm going to fix that while the seat is out) I'm thinking it was before I bought the car because as you can see there's a little piece of plastic missing which would have been under the seat since I just fixed the head rest a couple weeks ago and haven't vacuumed the car since. I looked everywhere and can't find it. I found an old peanut, and what appears to be a very old date but no part of the box. I can superglue the box back together and fill in the missing piece with the old baking soda and super glue trick. But I doubt the broken plastic is what is causing the problem.

I'm going to spray all the connections with electrical cleaner but the connections that I've taken apart so far (the 2 yellow connectors under the seat and the 2 that go to the gray box) and they were solid connections. Not sure if they were all electrically clean so they'll get sprayed along with all the other ones.

I can see lots of wires, tubes and other connections under there. Anyone have any ideas on what else might be causing the problem. As I said I cleaned the roof console connectors and that didn't help.

Anyone know exactly that C2291 "Occupant position system state. Front passenger side" error code means? Is it referring to the "*** in the seat" sensor or one of the transducers? I've read there is also one in the A pillar but I haven't been into the A pillar or messed with any wires there.

 

Sprayed all of the connectors with electric cleaner and let them dry. Fixed the gray box cover. Reassembled and I've got the same 1 6 flashing airbag light. I noticed the gray box says "This part is programmable". First question is could the programming have been lost because I had the key on for a period of time? Second question what would be needed to "program" it?

 

Just looked up that part number and find that it's called a Passenger Seat Track Memory Module. That doesn't sound like something that has anything to do with the air bag problem I'm having. However, there is no ability to set the passenger seat position into memory as far as I know. The driver's seat works with the little buttons on the door but I'm not aware of any memory for the passenger seat. So what does the Passenger Seat Track Memory Module do? And why would it need to be reprogrammed?

 

The seat control module is PROGRAMMED at the factory.
More info for you.

You really need to find and read ALL the TSBs for you car and you will be surprised how many questions will be answered.(questions you haven't even asked yet)

Gus has all the TSBs on his site.

 

Hi Motorcarman,

Thanks for the info. I went to this page: https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/t...aguar/xk8/2001 but it just listed the bulletins. Even when I expand them it doesn't give me the actual bulletin. Looks like once again my lack of knowledge of the old interweb has me at a disadvantage.

Joe

 

Since the airbag flashing code 1 6 means "Pass seat weight sensor CAN fault" would that mean that it is the bag that is under the seat that is the problem? And is that the square white thing under those 8 wires attached to the front and back of the seat bottom? It has a hose coming out of it that goes to a plug at the rear of the seat. I cleaned the connectors on that plug but it didn't do any thing. Is there any way to test it to see if it is functioning?

 

I finally found the site with all the TSBs and went through the 150 or so for the XK8s. There were 3 having to do with air bags or air bag sensors. One was the one I have that goes into the "occupancy sensors" which are the electronic things in the roof console and the A pillar. Another one has to do with the weight sensor reprogramming tool. The third one deals with the installation of an air bag deactivation switch. I couldn't help but read the one for the replacement of a damaged cup holder. However, nothing I saw there answered any questions regarding how to correct the flashing 16 problem, repairing or replacing the passenger seat weight sensor or any other solutions to this problem.

 

My apologies, there appears to be one for the supplemental restraint system. On page 4 it indicates that a flashing 16 code is described as an OCS communication fault front passenger side, and indicates the probable cause as Driver's Side Fuse Box, Fuse 14, (10 amp), Blown or Missing, pre 2003 MY only. Now it doesn't indicate if that's the engine compartment box or the fascia box but the engine compartment box shows that fuse 14 is a 30 amp fuse for the cooling fans. The fascia box, on the other hand, shows fuse 14 as a 10 amp fuse for the cruise control ON/OFF switch, main instrument cluster and the catalytic converter over temperature warning control module. However, in that same box fuse 4 is a 10 amp fuse that controls the air bag. On mine there is no fuse in space 4. Since I've never checked this before I would have to say there has never been a fuse in position 4. Why then would it now cause the issue. I'm going to put a 10 amp fuse in there and see what happens.
That same TSB also indicates on page 9 that the flashing 16 message could be the passenger weight sensor connectors SP018 and SP021 which I've already checked and cleaned. Finally on page 13 it indicates that the 16 might be a OCS calibration fault or a OCS module fault. I'm going to have to look up OCS (I think it has something to with the Occupant Sensor).

Back to the garage.

 

This gets curiouser and couriouser. I went out to put a 10 amp fuse into slot 4 of the driver's side fascia fuse box, since it was empty and the TSB indicated this might be the cause of the flashing 16 issue. I went to slide the fuse in the slot and it just flopped around. I took a look in the box and it appears there is not slot into which to push the fuse. (see attached photos). Any ideas? By the way, fuse 4 is the one directly under the 30 amp fuse on the right had side of the box.