air bag light. Stealership demanding MONEY for light fix after recall
 

Today dealership did the driver side air bag recall on my 08 ranger. Truck has over 200K miles on the odo so not surprisingly it had the air bag light on when I dropped it off. My father bought it with 30K and it really looks to have never been in a wreck i know it didn't since he bought it back in 2011.
So after about an hour They say say its ready to go. Did Not give me one paper !??!? so I go out and start it and light does its bulb check and goes out and comes right back on after abut 3 seconds of running. (The light has been on for a VERY long time).
I go back in and inform them the air bag light is on and I am wondering if t he air bag system is dead, ready to fire,.....??
I even ask Is the vehicle safe to drive? service writer get a little flustered and say hang on a min cause he is busy.
He come back about 3 min later and hands me a printout from the FoMoCo to any and all dealers on the parts required and how to file the bill and..........
Tells me the light is on and THEN SAYS it has nothing to do with the air bag?? and that for $138 they can diagnose the light issue and Then tell Me what it is.


I acted civilized and parted from the den of thieves and drove back to my work.
THIS IS WHERE IT REALY GETS WEIRD.
I go to leave for home and the light GOES OUT like it is supposed to. i drive about 6 block to a gas station and top off tank.
I get in to go home LIGHT BACK ON for 16 miles.
I park in drive way, shut it off. An hour later I go to move it out of the drive,....Light GOES OUT.........

I'm still peeved at the STEALership.

Any ideas what with this light??

Use, borrow, or come by the ELM scan-tool & running FORScan diagnostic freeware on the viewing device of choice, as described here Low Cost ELM Scantool - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums (ford-trucks.com), as this low cost but powerful combo can query All of the vehicle computer / controllers for trouble code clues, including the SRS & Body controllers, then post up All code numbers, as they can help focus a trouble-shoot.

Is it the instrument panel, or passenger side air bag light thats lit???? Some beginning thoughts for consideration.

Its the dash bag light, and before i saw you response I had already ordered a scan tool that list ABS and SRS as part of its abilitys

https://www.ebay.com/itm/115455150408

Ok, when you get the scan-tool up & running, have it perform a full scan & post up All trouble code Numbers it can find from all systems it can access, as collectively they may be able to help focus a troubleshoot.

So you had the airbag light on when you dropped it off then want the dealer to diagnose it for free? The recall doesn't cause a light. You have another problem with the system that the recall won't fix. The airbags are recalled because the propellant in them degrades and becomes more explosive which causes shrapnel to be blown out of the bag. There are multiple parts and wiring in the airbag system that can trigger the light. Most common that I have seen is the driver's pretensioner.

No They are not doing anything for free, . Ford Motor Co. is paying them to replace the Defective part they installed on the assembly line. As a matter of making sure the vehicle is safe to drive They should have at least scanned the computer and told me what the issue is. You are ASSUMING the recall did not cause the SRS light .

I'm not assuming anything, I know the reason for the airbag to be recalled wont cause the light so they are not going to check codes. I did probably 100 of these recalls before I left the dealer and nowhere in the instructions does it say to check for codes. You have another problem with they system not related to the recall. No shop is going to diagnose that for free

Technically, yes. The dealership bills Ford to do the repair specified in the recall. You the customer, are not billed for this service so it is therefore free as far as you are concerned.

I worked as a technician at a couple different dealerships (Ford & Chrysler). We would not have performed any diagnostic testing that you did not agree to pay for unless that was specified to be checked in the recall it was on you to ask.