A couple of days after replacing my suspensions I notice my airbag light (SRS) started to blink. At first I thought I’ll just do a simple reset procedure to turn it off. I tried the procedure but after a few trips later the SRS light started blinking again. I knew this would be a nightmare to deal with since the car has multiple airbag devices that will trigger the lights. So I came up with a bright idea, why not take it to O’Reilly and see if they can read SRS codes. So when I went down there I found out that their OBD2 reader Bosch OBD 1200 can actually read SRS codes but for some reason it was giving errors and was not able to pull any codes. When I researched more into the Bosch OBD 1200 I found out it was actually rebrand of Actron CP9680 where it does list Nissan as compatible for SRS code reading but for some reason it was not pulling any SRS codes.
I didn’t want to take the car to the dealership because as you know they’re pricey. I do have an OBD2 code reader at home so I researched all different ways to pull SRS codes using an OBD2 reader. I discovered OBD2 can only read engine error codes and I would need a specialized SRS reader for SRS codes. So I googled SRS code reader on Amazon to see what options came up and it was an Autel AL619.
It was cheaper than taking it to the dealership and I get a code reader out of this whole ordeal. So when the Autel AL619 came I plugged it into my car right away. Navigating through the menu was easier than the Bosch. I didn’t need to set the model, year, and make of the car. I could just simply choose the SRS option and it prompted the maker of the car. It read the code and gave me two codes. It was B1049 and B1054. A light researched indicated that these codes meant I needed a new spiral cable (clock spring.) Bought a replacement clock spring, installed it and then used the Autel AL619 to erase the SRS codes. After driving the car for a few months and no new SRS codes it’s safe to say that the clock spring was the culprit that’s now fixed.
Here are a few extra notes from my experience:
- Most models of cars have procedures where you can pull SRS codes without a need for a code reader. For the Nissan, the air bag light will blink in a certain sequence to let you know the error.
- Sadly, when I did the procedure for my Nissan Xterra it gave me 0 blinks. Which meant:
- Self-Diagnoses result (previously stored in the memory) might not have been erased after repair
- Intermittent malfunction has been detected in the past.
- These were really broad explanation and the only repair order mentioned was to use Nissan Consult II. Which you know cost thousands of dollars if you want to buy your own.
- The procedure is only good for pulling one code. If you have two SRS codes stored like my situation then it might just give you 0 blinks which can only be read by a SRS code reader.
- The clock spring was most likely damaged when I was replacing the suspension. I probably turned the steering wheel past the allowed limit and damaged the clock spring.
- Surprisingly, even though my clock spring was damaged my horns and steering wheel controls were working fine.
- I did not need to update the Autel AL619 before using it. It’s recommended that you do just in case. It also doubles as an OBD2, SRS and ABS code reader.