PhillyFloyd

Greetings

Had my '08 XLT 4WD V6 Escape for 4 weeks now, been in the shop three times to look into a persistant problem:

The Airbag/SRS fault light would illuminate on the driver's instrumentation panel. At first it appeared random, but then I did a little testing.

The light would come on during wide right turns

The light would come on during heavy road conditions (rough road, bumps, etc)

The light would go out after an engine cycle (power off/on)

The light would occasionally go out when driving after it illuminated when the car would come to an abrupt stop.

The seatbelt sensor wouldn't work when the light was on, i.e. the warning that the driver hasn't fastened their seatbelt would always remain off even if you had your seatbelt unlatched.


So long story short, after three trips, two stating it was an error that Ford recommends just flashing the computer to reset it, it ended up being the following:

Airbag light on recheck 107 --- panel-center body - b pillar - remove and install or replace air bag system diag. no light on. memory code 2296. deactivate system. perform pinpoint test 1. PASSENGER SIDE CRASH SENSOR FAULT. Perform PID data monitor. Bitmapped 2296_29 fault. Remove passenger side front and rear door weatherstrip. Remove B-pillar cover and both rocker covers. Find insufficient torque on passenger side crash sensor bolt. Tighten bolt. Reassemble and recheck bit mapped data. Passed. Clear Codes. Reactivate airbag system.

Perrhaps this could help someone else with similar issues. From the reading online it appears that previous model year Escapes had numerous SRS/Airbag light faults that were the result of wiring issues with sensors inside the cab, under the seats. I have heard from another owner who was at the dealer the same time I was that she had the same problem on her 2008 XLS Escape. So who knows, maybe another up and coming issue.

Enjoy