Resetting the Airbag DTC [Honda DTC reset instructions (PDF)]


DISCLAIMER: Proceed at your own risk. I take no responsiblity for the accuracy of the following instructions or the safety of the procedures outlined. If in doubt, consult the factory service manual or a professional.

Caution: If you don't know why your air bag light has come on, take your car to a Honda dealer to have it checked.

!! WARNING: Air bags kill. Treat them and associated circuitry with respect. Do not probe SRS connectors with a continuity light or test meter. Do not connect or disconnect SRS cables while the ignition is on. Keep head and other body parts away from air bags, especially while manipulating live circuits.

If you trigger the air bag warning light accidentally (by failing to disconnect the battery before manipulating harnesses, forgetting to reinstall a connector before turning on the ignition, etc.), and have corrected the cause, you can reset the Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) yourself.

First, make sure all wiring is correctly in place and that the ignition switch is OFF. Unplug the MES 2P connector from the fuse/junction box under the dash. Then follow Honda's instructions below. (Also see this timeline.)




(Honda)
  1. Make sure the ignition switch is OFF.

  2. Connect the SCS service connector (A) to the yellow MES 2P connector (B). Do not use a jumper wire.

  3. Turn the ignition switch ON (II).

  4. The SRS indicator will come on for about 6 seconds, and then go off. Remove the SCS service connector from the MES 2P connector within 4 seconds after the indicator goes off.

  5. The SRS indicator will come on again. Reconnect the SCS service connector within 4 seconds after the indicator comes on.

  6. When the SRS indicator goes off, remove the SCS service connector from the MES 2P connector within 4 seconds.

  7. The SRS indicator will blink two times, indicating that the memory has been erased.

  8. Turn the ignition switch to OFF, and wait for 10 seconds.

  9. Turn the ignition switch ON (II) again. The SRS is OK if the SRS indicator comes on for 6 seconds, and then goes off.



Once the system has been reset successfully, make sure the ignition is OFF, and plug the MES 2P connector back into the fuse/junction box.

But ... you don't have an SCS service connector (Part 07PAZ-0010100, available from H and A), and Honda says not to use a jumper wire. What to do?

Possible reasons why Honda calls for the SCSsc:
  • It protects the MES2Pc's contacts from damage. A paper clip is definitely too thick and will likely do harm.
  • It prevents the unlikely but scary possibility that your body could impart a static charge to the circuit through an uninsulated jumper, causing a bag to deploy.
  • It fits only the MES2Pc, so it can't jumper the wrong connector.

That having been said ... I used a SPST momentary-on switch (push button), attached to the MES2Pc by 21-gauge, single-strand, insulated "bell" wire. The thin, stiff wire fits nicely and without excessive force. Pressing the button in the specified sequence is probably easier than disconnecting and reconnecting the SCSsc would have been, and I never touched a live contact.

This could be the ultimate solution.



rev. 11/19/2011



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