Why does my airbag light come on in my PT cruiser?

Question 1
Why does my airbag light come on in my PT cruiser?...  I used the cleaning agent (Blue Magic) to help get rid of some stains on the front two seats in the 2006 PT cruiser. A day later, when my wife and I were driving, the airbag light came on while we were driving. It only comes on when the seatbelt is buckled in the passenger seat. I tried to disconnect all of the sensors on the bottom of the passenger seat and none of them turned off the airbag light in the instrument panel. I really do not want to take it to the Chrysler dealership and expect to pay and outrageous price for manual labor and part price. Im thinking it could be just a sensor that got corrodid because of the cleaner. But has anybody else had a problem with this in a pt cruiser or similar in another car? If so, how did you resolve this? please be detailed in your answers. Thanks =]
[chris] So if the light is lit, my airbags wont deploy in an accident? this is a big concern for me because we got a newborn (9 days old today) in our car.

Answers
1)   i've had this same problem with my mdx it turned out not to be anything big, for me anyway it was just that if your not sitting on the seat proper it will come one because it turns of the air bags in case of a crash because it could hurt you - Chris

2)   Its a chrysler aka crapsler
what do you expect? - Ibrahim [GTR]

3)   What I suspect is that the pre-tensioner, a part of the seat belt buckle, may have a bad connection. Cleaning the seat may have knocked the connector loose causing the airbag light to set. You might try removing the seat and trim to access the seat belt buckle wiring, then trying to disconnect and reconnect the seat belt pre-tensioner. Make sure to DISCONNECT THE BATTERY before working on any part of the airbag system. Otherwise you may have to take it to the dealer for diagnosis. Good Luck. - C-Tech

4)   If the air bag light is on, then the air bags won't deploy in an accident.
I know you don't want to hear it but you need to take it to a dealer ship. There are special tools required to properly diagnose problems with the air bag system. If you go poking around with sensors not knowing what your doing you could accidently set of the airbags. If your in the wrong place you could get killed. Either leave it alone or have a shop look at it. Your new child needs you (congrats). - JLittle

5)   Your passenger seat is out of calibration or has a bad sensor, possibly caused by your cleaning.
Sorry for your luck but you are going to have to take to those evil, mean, heartless devil people at the dealership. Who actually know what they're doing and really don't charge any more than anyone else, despite the myth........
When the light is on it usually means that the passenger protection system is disabled but the driver airbag is still functional.
So as long as you only care about yourself and don't care about your wife and child just keep driving.
If you do give a crap get it to a dealer for repair. Dealers are not evil or any more expensive than any other reputable shop but they do have the training and equipment to do it right! - Dave

6)   the light on means that there is a lose of correct input information to your SIR computer. and dont be fooled even with the light on any air bag can go off at any moment. And it is amazing after all these years of dealing with car owners, they are willing to gamble with their and others lives over saftey and a way to defeat any warning system in the car like you
And C-tech why on earth would you even try to tell some one how to by-pass the SIR system when you have given out great info in the past, obviously it would be hard for Tony to track you down, but because you still work for a Chrysler dealer you could be setting yourself up for a liablity law suit for you and the dealer, come on buddy you are better than this
Tony take it to your local dealer and get it fixed right, do you really want to be cheap when it comes to you and your familys lives, I bet you got a great wife and a 9 day old kid? dont cut corners. - rick b

7)   My daughter just told me the airbag light turned on while driving to college this morning. 2006 PT with 21k miles. Considering what I've seen in electrical failures on her friends Cruisers (fog lights turning on by themselves, etc.), an ABS warning light that came on 2 winters ago until I flushed out the winter crud from under the car, and other stories, I suspect the PT Cruisers in general have crappy cables and connectors, probably saved $1.40 per car not doing something right at the factory. - Steve

8)   On most vehicles, the airbag light should come on for @6 seconds, and then go off if the system is working properly. If there is a fault or a problem in the system, the light will remain illuminated, or flash continuously. If the airbag light does not work properly, some vehicles have an audible tone that sounds indicating a problem with the airbag light system. When the light is on (or the tone is sounding), the airbag will NOT deploy, even in an accident. This website gives you the procedure for diagnosing and resetting airbag lights on the ...scanlist.aspx page listed below.

The flashing light on your car is telling there is a problem. On some vehicles, the light is flashing a two digit code. Your vehicle will require a scan tool for the proper diagnosis, (and not the scanner at Auto Zone…airbag systems cannot be ready by that scanner) but here's a site that will explain everything you need to know about airbag lights and resetting the system. Once you know the code, you can most likely repair it yourself. There are fairly easy procedures that most people are capable of repairing.
Airbagsolutions.com has the fault code charts to tell you what is wrong! Although it’s a pay site ($14.95/day), it’s a lot cheaper than going to the dealer.

Some vehicle manufacturers accommodate systems without a scanner (like Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Infinity, Honda, Acura, Ford, Lincoln, Mazda & Mercury) . Most all other vehicles require a scan tool for the diagnosis. Here is a link to the list of vehicle and scanner requirements.
Check out these websites also for more info on airbag systems and the light.
Lastly, check your vehicle for recalls through this link. - D G


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Question 2
Can 235/70r15 tires fit on a rim that came with 215/65r16 tires on a Chrysler mini van?...  Can 235/70r15 tires fit on a rim that came with 215/65r16 tires on a Chrysler mini van?

Answers
1)   no it will not fit..................rim radius are very different - justme

2)   NO 15" tires will not fit 16" wheels - J

3)   No, too tall - Common Sense


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Question 3
2005 chrysler town and country lifter problems?...  i have 117,000 miles on 2005 chrysler town and country 3.8l v-6 lifters were starting to chatter was told to best do top end rebuild so of course the heads have to come off to get to backside any ideas on how long the van will last after the work being done?

Answers
1)   you would want to change the cam too, so might as well rebuild the whole engine at this point, and depending on how well you take care of the engine then expect another 117K or more - rick b

2)   That particular motor is almost forever. It's the best motor that Chrysler ever came up with. While working for a Chrysler/Dodge dealership for 23 years, the 3.3/3.8 gave us less trouble than all the rest combined. I personally had 3 vans with that motor and one had well over 200,000 miles on it when I sold it and it still ran great!
It did have one small matter that you may be experiencing however. And it happened to one of mine at around 200,000 miles. The rocker arm support on top of the head (under neath the valve covers) can and although rare, break off from the head! This will leave the rocker shaft without the end support and it will flex up and down enough when opening the valves to rattle. It will eventually break the rocker shaft and cause that cylinder to miss. But you don't have to remove the head to repair it. Just unscrew the rocker arm bolt from the broke piece and drill down through the broke piece into the head itself about an inch. Tap threads in the head and install a bolt through the rocker shaft, piece that broke off the head, and into the head and torque it to 12 ft. lbs. or about. If that's not the chatter, It could be the timing chain getting slack, although this doesn't usually happen until around 180,000 miles or so. And you don't have to re-new the chain unless you want to because the way the engine is made, it can not jump time, just rattle. We did not do head jobs on the 3.3/3.8 because we never had a problem with them. Except the piece breaking off the head for mentioned. And that was rare. But that is what I would check first. - Jackolantern

3)   If they have not removed and examined the lifters, it may be wise to check the rod bearings, they could be worn. It is unusual for lifters to go on this engine, however I have seen the bearing go after a bad oil change. It sounds the same as lifter noise on other engines. It is relatively easy to drop the oil pan and access the crankshaft. Good luck. - C-Tech


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Question 4
Intrepid transmission mystery?...  I have a 2001 Intrepid.. There are times when you start the car and when you put it in R or D, on the dashboard indicator all the gears have blocks around them. Also when you put in D there is a big jerk and the whole car shakes. If you try to drive the trans will not shift out of first. You have to put it in park and turn the car off and on so many times and then finally it would go into R or D fine. I have no Idea what is causing this problem. Any info will be great full. I have engine codes P0700, P1684, P1289 and before I also had P0605.

Answers
1)   when it will not shift out of a lower gear the transmission is in limp home mode.
You have transmission trouble and need to have a reputable transmission shop check it out.
repair can be costly. - FleetTech

2)   The codes are as follows:

P0700 -- Transmission Control malfunction -- This means there's a problem in the transmission control module. Means your problem could be as simple as replacing the TCM (a relatively inexpensive trans repair).

P1684 -- Battery has been disconnected in the last 50 starts -- nothing to worry about, this is normal after a battery has been disconnected or replaced.

P1289 -- Manifold Tune Valve Solenoid Circuit -- This valve controls the intake plenum volume. It helps control the torque that the engine can create.

P0605 -- Internal Control module ROM error -- this could have been caused by another problem, if it no longer sets that code. It could also indicate that you need to replace the PCM, but if the code is no longer there, it shouldn't be a problem unless it sets the code again.

Best thing in this case is to take it to your local Chrysler dealer and have them check it out. The reason I say take it to a Chrysler dealer is that they'll have more knowledge of problems specific for a Chrysler, especially transmission problems. If it is a trans control module, they can load the newest updates into the module once it's replaced (this should be included in the labor costs). If you take it to an independent shop, they're less likely to know the ins and outs of the Chrysler problems (especially for the transmission) since they have to work on all cars, don't have factory training, nor do they see the same type of car and problem an a regular basis. If you take it to the dealer, the labor may be a little bit more, but it could save you thousands by getting it fixed right the first time and not replacing good parts. - Mark B

3)   Trans is toast. rebuild it - rick b


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Question 5
1997 Chrysler Sebring help?...  I have a 1997 Chrysler Sebring and it has the factory radio. When i try to turn the volume down on the knob, it goes up sometimes. I cannot get the volume to completely down. Also if anyone knows about the remote (unlocks the doors, drunk, panic button) well the panic button works but nothing else, idk if its the battery or not, if so, do i need to go to the dealer to get the battery fixed? theres no way to open the back easily.
i meant trunk, not drunk lol

Answers
1)   Time to go to Wal-Mart and get another radio. - mos_19g30

2)   Too bad there is not a drunk switch.
I saw one on "Intervention". It was a test that worked the same as a test you blow in and if a certain alcohol amount is sensed, no start. If everything doesn't work even without the remote.
There are many interior fuses, and also some in the engine compartment that protect interior fuses so either or both could have one or more out. They give you a little puller in some Sebrings but a 12 volt light for about 10 dollars at an auto store is hooked up with a clip to a good Body or engine ground(metal) and you probe each side of the fuses and if one side of the tiny metal part of the fuses light, the other side, right next to it should light also. That means it is good. This is with the key in the on or run position with the fuses installed, so no removal is necessary. Unless its bad(only one side lights). Use the same number, and if it blows again, bring it to your dealer or shop. The radio is better replaced with any good one you like. The remote battery can be brought to a radio shack or alarm installation place. Nice car. - Joseph

3)   The volume control on the radio has failed. The cost of repairing the radio is probably more than replacing the radio. If you want a factory radio, check ebay or a junkyard such as LKQ. Your remote key fob needs replacing. Once again, check ebay. The dealer will probably need to program it. Good luck. - C-Tech


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