Air bag light is on. Code flashes 33. Someone said that is the seat belt tensioner. I pulled the drivers seat out and at the end of the seat belt there is a black spring loaded piston that i think is a pretensioner and pulls tight if you are in a crash. On the end of the black spring cylinder is a two prong plug. I pulled the plug, sprayed with contact cleaner, worked the plug inand out several times, then reinstalled. Worked for 3 weeks, then light is back on. Anyone know how the thing works? I think in a crash the spring yanks the seat belt and contacts the switch, etc. Is it a resistor or contacts, continuity, etc????

 

Actually it's not a "spring". It is an explosive charged cylinder just like the air bags and is activated simultaneously with the air bags.The "piston" in the cylinder is attached to the belt by a steel braided cable.

 

o.k., got any idea what the two prong plug is? i guess that sets off the charge? i assume the flashing light code 33 means no continuity thru the two wires to the plug. wires and plug look o.k., im trying to figure out whats going on inside that two prong switch/ charge thing. maybe measuring resistance, and its off?

 

PM me your email and the build date or VIN and I'll send you the diagnostics. There is a serial number break in '02 (Vehicles built up to 03/2002, or 03/2002 & later.) This is a 4 door model isn't it?

B2292 33 Restraint System — Safety Belt Pretensioner Status (Driver Pretensioner Circuit Fault)

 

Sent you a PM.

 

you got mail steve, thanks for any assistance.

 

Howdy, we have a 2002 ford ranger, and the airbag light would flash when you start it and then flash when in drive and then started to stay on. The seatbelt light would not even come on i dont think. Took it to the dealter and the code came back drivers belt pre-tensioner so they sprayed it but wierd thing is, Now the seatbelt light comes on when you first start it, while in park the seatbelt will stay on but soon as you make connection by putting your seatbelt on it goes off, and when you take your seatbelt off it will actually come back on the light that is, well i tested it the light was on, didnt have my seatbelt on, was in the front yard, and put it in drive and drove it and kept it in drive, but soon as i put it in drive the seatbelt light went off kinda like it thought maybe i had my seatbelt on? airbag light isnt on yet, but dont understand? doesnt ding to remind me to put my seatbelt on in drive like my taurus does? any suggestions?

 

if you take the seat out you will see two plugs at the seat belt connection. there is a bigger grey plug with two wires. if its plugged in, you get the ding- ding when the seat belt is not connected. next to that is a smaller green two prong plug. the small plug connects to the explosive cylinder that tensions the seat belt in an accident. The idiot light is a yellow guy setting in a seat with his belt on. IF the drivers side tensioner is bad or sees a flaw, the yellow guy will flash 3-3 about 3 times, then stay on continuous. The ding- ding is for the seat belt and i think it has a red light on the dash.

 

Thanks Steve! Well, after my husband took it to the dealer they sprayed some kind of stuff in it. Well, before he took it to the dealer it did flash and stay on (the airbag light, the yellow man with the seatbelt and bag) and the red light, i dont know if it would even come one, it didnt ding or anything. So after they sprayed that stuff the airbag light is no longer on BUT, the wierd thing is.. When you turn the key on and start the truck, while in Park, the red seatbelt is on when you dont have your seatbelt, well... if you buckle your belt it will go off, and if you unbuckle it will go back on, so im thinking ok its fixed, well heres the clencer.. i took my seatbelt off and the red light came back on normal so far.. THEN while leaving my seatbelt off to test the ding ect, I put it in drive and take off driving, NOTHING the seatbelt light went off AS SOON as i put it in drive. No dings or anything, no warning ect.. wierd huh?

 

i have done the spray trick on the seat belt explosive cylinder- switch- contacts. Seems to work for about 4 days. Still cant figure it out. Everytime i work on it, light goes out for 4 days, then back to code 33. Keep me informed how yours does after a week... red seat belt light, i dont know. Should be on at startup, then go out when belt is buckeled. If you take off and dont connect it, it should ding 4-5 times then wait 60 seconds and do again.

 

I am getting the same 33 code. I looked under the seat and both green wires have broken off of one side of the green plug. Is it possible to just remove the wires from the other side of the green plug also and then just crimp the wires together instead of replacing the plug? I realize that this would make removing the seat a problem but I don't anticipate needing to do so. I assume that crimping the wires would provide a more reliable connection than the green plug. I know this is an old thread but I am hoping to get a response. Thank you in advance.

Kirk

 

In a word ........... yes.

If you have any problem determining which wire to hook to which, ask first !

 

Since both wires are broken, make sure you understand why they broke before you splice them (which will make them even shorter). If they broke due to the seat moving back and forth, consider that you may need to extend the wires or route them differently. If they broke because something is rubbing against them, you probably need to re-route them, etc.

While I doubt that the pretensioner is polarity specific, it certainly would be a good idea to make the connection correctly, especially since you have access to this great forum which can easily tell you how the engineers wanted it wired.

-Rod

 

The only vehicle you list in your profile is a 2002 F150 .

Improper schematic deleted.

 

First of all, thank you for the prompt replies. My vehicle is a 2002 Ford Explorer XLS 4.0L V6 engine, automatic transmission. I must have incorrectly entered my vehicle when I made my profile.

As far as the wires; coming from the floorboard, there is a green wire with a red stripe and a green wire with a black stripe. Coming from the seat, there are two wires that are also green/red and green/black. I was just going to crimp the green/red to the green/red and the green/black to the green/black.


The wires that broke were the ones coming from the floorboard and they broke right at the point where they are attached to the plug. When I move the seat, there still appears to be enough slack but I think over the years, just the slight back and forth movement caused by adjusting the seat caused the wires to fatigue where they crimp into the female portion of the green plug. There appears to be enough slack to crimp them and still be able to move the seat. I'm concerned that if i add a length of wire, and the gauge or spec is not correct, it could affect the pretensioner.


Should I disconnect the negative battery terminal and leave it unconnected for ten minutes as mentioned in a previous post, prior to crimping the wires?

Thanks Again,

Kirk