Hi all, hoping you can help. I have a 2004-5 XKR 4.2 sc which has had airbag warning light on dash staying on since I did a big trip around Europe recently. I live in France and took it to my Jag dealer/garage for annual service and got them to check the warning light. I thought it would be a simple reset? No errors showed up for me when I scanned but they ran diagnostic and came back saying it is a 'weight detection system fault' on passenger seat. They also said jaguar don't produce these parts (weight sensor) anymore! I contacted Jaguar UK who confirmed this but couldn't offer any help! I am very surprised as car is 10 years old but a lot of life left in it (only 40K on clock).

I have 2 questions -

1) Is it dangerous to use with this fault for the passenger?
2) How do I get this fixed if Jag can't supply new sensor?

Any help appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi dooj65!!....With the light being on, there is no risk of the bags going off, because the system is inop with the airbag light on. The only risk is the air bags not going off in a collision. Manufacturers are only required to keep parts for a specific model for 10 years, after the model is discontinued. I find this strange, because I was a VW master tech, and in the 90s we were still selling new parts for 60s and 70s vintage Beetles. On the down side, I was also witness to the central warehouse in the United States having a bulldozer run over obsolete parts, when they shut things down. It seemed like a terrible waste, but this is the way of the world. The good thing for you is that you have wandered into the best Jag site in the world, full of the best scroungers in the world, and we all sell each other our parts, or know where to get them. Glad to have you aboard, and I am sure you will come across a fine used part soon.......Be cool......Mike

 

It is a sort of funny system really, with an air bladder in the seat bottom that is connected to a pressure sensor via a hose.

It could be a bad sensor, or wiring in the seat or even something as simple as the calibration.

The dealership is probably hesitant to work on a safety system or use less than new parts for liability reasons. And unfortunately you need the dealer scan tool to get access to all the airbag system diagnostics and calibration modes.

Before going too far, you might try taking the seat loose and cleaning all the connections, just to see if that helps. The air bag light should flash a code to indicate the fault it sees. If that goes away, you are in luck.

If parts are bad, you can likely pick up one from a local breaker but there is a calibration that is supposed to be done when changing the sensor, which required the dealer level scan tool to initiate.

 

Does the airbag light just come on steady and stay on when you start the car? Or does it flash a few times and then stay on steady?

Reason I ask is if it just comes on and stays on steady it could just be the fuse, check fuse #10 on the drivers side fuse block. This is on a left hand drive car, yours may be on the right.

Normally a fault code will flash with the airbag light to tell you what is wrong if it's anything but the fuse.

See here for the codes
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...g-codes-39056/

 

Reach under the seat and jiggle the connection/plug. My airbag light goes on about once a year or so, and a quick jiggle seems to fix it. There is also a plug in connection in the upper console which also controls the courtesy lights that affects the airbag light as well.

 

I have counted the flashes and as follows -

16+8+8+8 then on continuously.

Thanks.

 

Here's the flash code info:

 

Many thanks very useful.

I have asked French garage to give me error code still waiting....but it is France!

 

Okay a little update.

Since last post I have had an auto electrician look at this and he has found with diagnostic equipment 'error 17'.
He has checked the passenger seat weight detection and it is working ok i.e. it shows clearly someone sitting in the seat so it is working so that eliminates the initial thought that it was weight detection sensor.
He now thinks it is the Ultrasonic Sensors for the passenger airbag but has been unable to get anyone from Jaguar to confirm this.
Therefore I wondered if any of you have any experience with these sensors which are available on ebay

JAGUAR XK8 Airbag Control Module GENUINE HJE 9703 AA

I don't know of anything else that could cause this error light but if anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.

 

The common Supplementary Restraint System failure in the later XK8/XKR is the OPS Control Module. This is from my 2005 XK8:



Here's the fried circuit board:



It took me a long time to troubleshoot this one including swapping all sensors for known good ones before finding the module damage.

Graham

 

Thanks Graham.

Is this easy to locate and check?

 

I am getting the air bag light now, so I'm interested in this thread. I'm also interested in where the OPS control module is located and how difficult it is to check. Anybody with info ?? TIA.

 

Here is Graham's original thread https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...de-17-a-94959/

 

Hi Jim,

I have had this ongoing for about a year now trying to resolve and finally found Graham's original post which confirmed what my auto electrician has discovered. I have ordered the part
JAGUAR XK8 Airbag Control Module GENUINE HJE 9703 AA | eBay
which hopefully will sort the problem.
I think OPS module is located in drivers door pillar but waiting for Graham to confirm this?
My electrician is coming this week to fix so I will be able to confirm when I know for sure but he says it is there.

Hope this helps,

 

Thanks dooj. It's great to see someone following through and posting good info for the benefit of us all. It appears my problem is different though. I get a '51' blink code which points to the driver's seat belt switch or a connector to it. My other car has been in the shop so the wife has been driving my XK8 and (believe it or not) she moves the seat forward and I move it back, so I'm thinking maybe the connector under the seat or the wiring has been compromised somehow.

 

Please ignore just found your other excellent post which gives all the info I need. Thanks.

 

Just an update to say all fixed and working now. Replaced all sensors and module (no sign of burnt out circuit) and now no warning light.

Whew!

It has taken over a year to get this fixed but eventually found answer which confirmed my auto electrician's findings on Graham's excellent post

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...de-17-a-94959/

If anyone in Dordogne area in France needs an excellent auto electrician I can recommend one.

Thanks again everyone for input.