Airbag Warning Light Flashing after Seat Belt Replaced

I just replaced the seat belt (w/pretensioner) on my 2001 Tacoma with a brand new OEM one from the dealership. The part number for the 01 was discontinued but there's a newer part number for the 2004 that looks identical (73220-04141). The local dealer parts guy agreed and ordered it in. My old one on the left, new one on the right.

The only reason I replaced it was because the spring tension to retract the seat belt was getting weak. However after replacing it, I'm now getting a slow flashing airbag dash light. Since the connector is a special SRS (supplement restraint system) connector, it has the additional snap clip that goes over the electrical plug. It snapped into placed so it seems like that connection wouldn't be suspect.

Has anyone gotten a new seat belt that turned out to have a bad sensor for the pretension (the explosive charge)?

 

Dang Man

bc of pretensioner and yellow(brown in your pix)pigtail on new belt, the air bag system detected a fault. Tosses AB lite.
Dont think u got bad belt
Just need to reset AB system

it’s not too difficult to reset

now I haven’t done/reset Toy AB lite
But lots of experience with 2001 Subaru systems……bc of year/technology at the time will be “similar “

on a subie, have to find a friction taped up portion of harness usually under steering wheel/knee bolster
Unwrapped, there is a female pigtail (like 6 pins)and then 2 male test connectors

you plug in the 2 male test connectors in specific pins on the female pigtail
Then turn ign key…. The AB lite will flash a Morse code for the fault.
Once read, you place the male test connectors into different pins to clear the code with a specific AB flash pattern that signals you that codes are clear and functioning

that’s a thumb nail summary

but would need to get Toy FSM for exact directions

lemme look at the 1996 1400 pg Man. have access to

 

Ha nailed it

the D connectors pictured are called service wires…..they are used to read and clear AB codes

 

I’m going send u a PM hesso

 

So I think what happened is possibly a mismatch in the plug that goes into the pretensioner socket. Unfortunately, the dealership parts guy and myself were a little to eager to use the part number that didn't specifically say it fit the 2001. When at the counter he read off what the part number fit. It said 2000-2004 'except' 2001. Not kidding, but he let me check the new belt by taking it out to my truck and the pictures I took earlier and it's pretty much identical except after fussing all day I noticed that the plug didn't fully bottom out in the socket.

The new one on the left has a very slight raised part if you notice the two pins on both have a 'shorting bridge' (brass tangs that touch the to post contacts). That shorting bridge keeps the pretensioner pyrotechnic safe from voltage until the plug is fully seat and you engage a little black cap that's a part of the plug (push the plug on, then push down on a little plastic part that disables that shorting bridge).

I think what happened is my plug doesn't bottom out (there was still about a 1/16th gap where the plug meets the socket), I'm sort of assuming it was not breaking that shorting device. I put the old one back in for the moment, reconnected the battery and the airbag light immediately went out, as normal. Think I may have to go to the salvage yard and find that pigtail and maybe splice it in.

 

Meant to show the plug - this is just a stock photo but shows how the plug as the additional black part. You press the yellow plug down until it bottoms out, but at that point the shorting bridge is still engage. When you press the black part down, it disengages that brass shorting bridge and now the connection is made

From a side view, it appeared my plug still had a small gap at the bottom. It may not have been disabling that shorting bridge.

 

Can you buy a new connector that is compatible with the new seatbelt and splice that in correctly?

 

I'm doubtful the dealer has it but maybe. If not, I'm betting it's one of those things most people don't savage from the Tacomas in the salvage yards. Especially if the truck was in a collision and the airbag deployed, the seat belt pyrotechnic would have gone off too and it locks the belt and cannot be unlocked. So there's probably bunch of that stuff around.

 

dang
sounds like the AB reset would be easier!!!!

anything electrical and is Yellow is a big No No for shops to rpr/splice

 

im looking at those 2 diff pigtails
very similar but not the same

just to be easier/faster
anyway to modify the precise spot/area that is preventing male/female to have good connection?
like an exacto knife type of thing?

 

Pretty weird that the part number of the seat belt I got actually says it's for year models 2000, 2002, 2004 but skipped mine, 2001. Can only guess why Toyota skipped it. I initially thought it's just a plug difference but it seems possible that internal resistance of the pretensioner could be different too. Toyota!!

For now I'm going to use the old one since if I am able to return it I won't have modded it. I'll use the UHMW Polyethylene tape over that upper turn buckle to make the belt slide easier and look into it more.

 

^^^^that PTFE tape
I went to Ace Hardware today(usually my go to for weird stuff)
They didn’t have it

plz lmk where you find some!!!

 

Okay, this turned out to be odd. I was quoting someone else about using PTFE tape and when you asked about it, I see PTFE is actually that white, thread sealer plumbing tape.

What you're wanting is actually UHMW tape ((Ultra-high Molecular Weight - Polyethylene Tape). I use the "TapeCase" brand and probably got it from Amazon, but it's made by TapeCase for 3M and has their approval. You have to look close at the sizes & pack quantities. The stuff I have is 1" x 5 yards but there's also the mil thickness (which is often mislabeled as "millimeters". I think it's typically like 7 mil thick (those plastic paint drop cloths are often 2 mil thick to give you an idea).

The one below is very similar but my label shows, "TapeCase 423-5" (not sure what the 1-5 is for). But mainly look for a good brand, about 1" wide by whatever length you want and probably 7-ish mil thick. Better quality has better adhesion. I use this on a lot of stuff like a table saw for the miter. So it's a little pricey but you'll find other stuff to use it on.

 

Since you have the part out, pull the belt all the way out, clean it really good with a brush in a bucket of soapy water

It may improve the retraction enough for you

 

Here's where I saw the image of using the UHMW tape. Scroll down to Post #31.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...low-or-not-at-all.811995/page-2#post-30435728

 

good advice

i used a steam cleaner on mine.....definately cleaner.....didnt do much for retraction issue
while searching about the topic months ago.......AFTER i steam cleaned....ugh

i saw where member used Fabric Softner on belt......then washed it
(i havnt tried tht FS method but makes really good sense......that with that PLUS the UHMW tape might just work)
let us know Hesso what happens!!!

 

I would have preferred the new belt but the part number probably has some errors in the catalogs. My local dealer said the belt fit 2000-2004 but excludes 2001. Most other dealer online catalogs say it is for 2004 only. So I'm thinking that the plug in my wiring harness did not disable the shorting bridge and caused the airbag light to come.

Regarding the cleaning and tape method. It's odd but that upper part where the belt makes a u-turn, was kind of gunked up. Not sure where it comes from but cleaning it helped. Then I used alcohol to clean it further and put the tape on it. All in all, it's not bad. I don't have to help the belt to retract. Honestly, wish I had read about those techniques first. Fairly quick and effective.

 

Exactly what I dealt with!!
So many potential solutions….afterwards!

now too lazy to re-do all the SB work
And of course
I got other issues to address with the taco and AC in the other old car of mine

 

Man, ain't that the truth. And I just replaced my driveshaft with a new OEM shaft from Toyota. . . the last one in the country at the time I bought it last week. Gulp!

I really like the 1st Gen Tacomas and I'm the original owner on this one and it's been garaged most of it's life. But I'm seeing the writing on the wall. Vehicle manufacturers are doing their best to get us out of our old vehicles, whether that's increasing the price of OEM parts to make it unbearable to buy the parts or even better (for them), just stop making them. And a lot of the aftermarket stuff that used to be at an OEM quality has really tanked.

I have a relative that just bought a new 2025 Tacoma with the 4 cyl. turbo and electric motor that is mounted to the tranny. It's got the juice but he's nearly a master mechanic and has no desire to work on it. The complexity is nearing that of NASA.

Still. . . they'll have to pry my 1st Gen from my cold dead hands

 

I have a 2001 and my belt is starting to fray in a spot that bugs me across my lap. its getting somewhat dirty but it does still retract well.
I just have been putting off sending it to safetyrestore.com to get it worked over. It seems like a viable solution.