Air Bag Module Update And Southport With Friends

[@ExtremeMotorhomingAdventures]

Hi Bob, thanks for sharing the Airbag video's we had the dreaded "Check Airbag" Message at the weekend so it was really useful to see your experience. Our's was probably caused by a low battery after being stood for 5 weeks. We took it to Fiat and they fitted the latest Module version which I'm told should resolve the issue, I also asked about waiting on the two clicks before ignition and was told it doesn't make a difference but anyway I guess it's watch this space and hopefully we'll not see the message again.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Hopefully, that resolves it for you. I still think it's a good idea to wait until all the check lights have gone out before starting.

[@geoffmiles3479]

Evening Bob. Fingers crossed no future issues with your unit. When you mention low battery volts , that’s was also one of the diagnostic problems on my Fiat. ( but my battery was 100%ok). another time the report from crash data said volts to high ! strange I thought, alternator all ok. Then I remembered I started the van when on mains hook up. So my battery voltage would be higher due to Sargent charging it. So now I do what you say in video turn ignition on and wait for a bit before starting, and also I don’t start it when mains hook up is plugged in.

[@roymorgan138]

Good morning Bob & Jenny and I’m made up you have got the airbag sorted, yes it was costly but it’s peace of mind now.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Yes, at least if it happens again I can back.

[@jamescampbell9521]

Nice to see Southport again ,can see you all had a good time.

[@PoshcatsCamping]

The routine tyre changes and problems being fixed are the less glamorous but essential side of motorhoming. It’s very satisfying when it’s all done and you can venture out again. Nice little meet-up with friends. Lovely to see Alison’s dogs having a good time in the sea. Why is the pier closed Bob? Is it a maintenance issue? Looking forward to seeing you later in the month. 🚐👍🏻💙 Trev n Sue

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

The pier is closed because of problems with the wooden boards.

[@neilcomper5708]

Hi Bob, had exactly the same issue as you with ECU breaking down again. Like you we decided to purchase a new module for guarantee purposes, we also changed the battery as a precaution too. Very expensive especially as it’s such a common issue. Think Fiat need to get their act together!!

[@mark-hazelsmotorhomeadventures]

When we was at Southport back in June we never saw the Sea come in . Regarding airbag module Peugeot put out a service bulletin to add a extra earth wire from the unit to a earth point below the dash i changed our cab battery to a AGM Battery and did the earth modification last week so fingers crossed i wont have any issues 🫰 like loads of others are having

[@jeniferdaly6568]

In changing the battery did you just remove connections and swap over batteries? Is there any risk to the other equipment and computers when power has been removed from the starter battery?

[@ZerHour]

Hi bob for a more accurate test its always better to unplug the devices in those voltage displays either the cigar or usb type as the local draw from the devices will effect many of them especially when engine not running 👍

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Good point.

[@Grt234]

You probably get low voltage on start up because of the glow plugs,they take a lot out the battery,,

[@turbostream7925]

It's unbelievable that such a modern vehicle has such a fault. When mine went I went down the crash data route too. I changed the starter battery at the same time, it lasted from the October till I sold in the next May. I was astonished at your bill, £195 to refit the module which takes 15mins max! Anyway you are back on the road to enjoy more adventures, which I miss after I sold mine.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Yes, I thought the labour was steep. It's probably 30 mins to diagnose, remove and 15 mins to refit and probably another 15 to do the proxy alignment though. An hour maybe.

[@vansforthememories]

Been an expensive time with tyres & the ECU 😬 It’s a disgrace that there is absolutely no comeback with fiat/Citroen on this issue! It does need exposing that’s for sure, a petition maybe? Great day out in Southport, brave on that wheel! Em 💜

[@foxy1960]

These airbag modules are made by TRW. There is currently a class action in America as there modules suffer from a lack of electrical protection fault and according to a website have caused deaths. It is disgusting that this is not a safety recall as these units are clearly faulty

[@An.Individual]

I am getting the same warning on my 2017 Boxer. This is so common it must be a design flaw. I was planning to use crashdata but now I'm not so sure, I see a lot of comments from people saying the warning came back within a few months.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Yes, same happened to me after 4 months.

[@Gillian-o5g]

Aww loved seeing the dogs in the sea.😊

[@stevezodiac491]

On a decent quality van conversion, not only does the liesure battery charge from the solar panel, the engine battery also has a cascade feed to it as well from the solar panel, after the liesure battery is full. If this were the case the battery would be full as a gun all the time after being sat, even for days. My engine battery is always ful.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

My Motorhome has a smart charger which charges the vehicle battery from the solar panel and on hook up. It only seems to go down to 12.2 on ignition switch on, otherwise it will sit all day happily at 12.7 when not on charge.

[@webgibs]

Thanks for this update Bob I have same age van and same vehicle battery . Crash data seem to have fixed airbag module but its early days ? I am inquiring atm as to change the battery? Dont reall want to change unless necessary, same with the gel leisure one under drivers seat. great to see you video blogs as usual.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

I'm not changing my battery as it still has 90% of its capacity. I will be more careful when starting up though.

[@jackiesmithsmetaldetecting]

I think i have only seen the sea at full tide once in Southport. 😂

[@cyrilevans1187]

Hi Bob, I can well sympathise with you, I had the same problem on a Peugeot Boxer 3 years ago, costed me around £600 at my local garage. I noticed the airbag warning light came on after a hard frost overnight which makes me think it's to do with low battery voltage. Enjoy your trip to Europe, we're off soon to North Yorks and the Borders.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Yes, it must be something to do with low voltages.

[@snowyowl539]

Southport looks lovely. How come the pier is closed x

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Problems with the wooden boards on the walk way.

[@glyn829]

Very interesting Bob but sorry you have had all the expense how did you find the speed awareness course i fid one a few years ago it was quite enlightening.. cheers Glyn

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

They send you a list of providers. *edit* it was very good, and useful.

[@lolavan7750]

That reminded me......😂 How did you find your salmon sir? Well l lifted a potato and there it was.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

😂 Think I missed the rest of the question!

[@markdymond4202]

Bob, is the airbag fault resolved still please? Thanks md

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

As far as I know because I sold that motorhome last week. 😂

[@derekt7606]

Our unit from Lpool was new made in the 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@jeniferdaly6568]

When you removed battery did they keep the vehicle powered externally? i.e. to keep all of the onboard computers running in the background?

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

No, it was just swapped over there were no issues. Not sure why there should be either?

[@mitchellharrison5492]

Jenny looked liked she Loved the Train 😂😂😂👍🏻Quality! That Fiat price is outrageous! Same with all the Dealer service centres. You’re not on your own Captain! Keep Smiling 🙂

[@bobplumridge9297]

What tyres did you go with Bob?

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

The Michelin Crossclimate Camping.

[@tonywhite6985]

Did crash data replace the module or reset it please, for an "internal error" surely they'd replace it and you'd get a warranty? I had my 2020 van throw up the fault at weekend after a new-to-us campsite EHU. Could have sworn I noticed one of the battery levels at 14V, but didn't pay enough notice.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Crash data just reset it. I didn't want to keep sending it back for reset so when it happened the second time I asked Fiat Professional to replace it.

[@tonywhite6985]

@@BobEarnshawMoHo ah, I read the words "reset" and then "repair" on their website, but you're correct, both mean code reset only

[@stephenmason5682]

Bob, doesn't your solar panel not top up your batteries?

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Yes it does, the Swift comes with a smart charger that switches between the leisure battery and the vehicle battery when required. I don't believe there is anything wrong with the vehicle battery or the charging. There is an inherent problem with air bag control module fitted to Sevel vans. Getting Fiat, Peugeot and Citroën to admit to it is another problem.

[@DumfriesDik]

Yup, also had to replace the air bag module - sandless that Fiat don't get a proper fix for this. I hope it doesn't rear it's ugly head with the new van, have you heard anything about new vans and this 'feature'?

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Not yet, touch wood.

[@cinny2222]

Did the repaired Unit not have a Warranty Bob?...... Fair Play you did the Main Dealer Route , Id have just ordered it and self fit, Main Dealer Labour Rates is Ridiculous now. Bob Check Alt Belt ,might need just a tighten up or replacing if its Stretched, From Cold should be 12V minimum,.and on the road 14.2/3/4 Volts

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Unfortunately it's not a DIY change you need to get it aligned with the rest of the electronics. The alternator is charging fine.

[@cinny2222]

@@BobEarnshawMoHo Didnt you Exchange it over 1st time?

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

No the first one was reprogrammed, and when it went again it was just outside Crashdata's warranty.

[@foxy1960]

This Airbag light has just happened to me today, Fully charged battery and checked with battery tester. checked with scanner B0100 . If crashdata can do this I am sure Fiat/ Peugot could quite easily flash an upgrade to fix this fault on a recall but it seems like just another rip off they can make money from.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Yes I wasn't too pleased withe the repair cost from Fiat, £700.

[@foxy1960]

I just found this online, quite worryingTRW airbag ECU's have been under investigation in the US : "A class action lawsuit has been filed against TRW and its parent company (ZF), Honda, and Toyota for equipping vehicles with allegedly defective airbag control units. The complaint says that TRW’s control units don’t have sufficient protection against electrical overstress, which can lead the units to fail during a crash. The lawsuit says that TRW control unit failures are implicated in six known injuries and four deaths. " @@BobEarnshawMoHo

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Is the same airbag ECU in the Fiat then?

[@garyfrew1330]

Hi bob you should have gone to metro tyres in Liverpool by we’re there building the new Everton stadium I paid 40 per tyre new

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Thanks for your advice, but I'm happy with my local supplier.

[@paulknight4287]

you say you get a warranty on the part did they say for how long and dose that include labour as most of the time they change the part but you pay for the labour again to change it as for the battery at 11.8 it is only 30% charge in it and even at 12.2 it is only 60% i know you had it checked but to me some thing not right and as you have it on charge at home i would expect it to be 12.7 or higher as for glow plugs they only work when 5 degrees or lower so i don't think this is the problem just my thoughts on this for you

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

There is a 6 month/7500 mile warranty on the work carried out. I'm not sure what the Fiat parts warranty is. When the battery is a rest and off charge it's normally 12.7. The 12.2 is when the ignition is on, I'm interested to see what other owners find.

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

The Fiat warranty for parts is 12 months.

[@althomas7952]

Hi Bob, I think you made the right decision to have a new module. The module price seems correct but the labour cost for fitting seems ridiculously high!! Fiat gave me a 2 year warranty on the module. 😢

[@MrMickthemod]

Had same problem with my Peugeot based motorhome sent to crash data but came on again now booked in to Peugeot dealer holding my breath at the bill but needs must

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

How would they know or prove its caused by a faulty battery?

[@thebigchip]

I’m not sure if this show is your kind of thing, but are you going to the Harrogate show at the weekend?

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

Yes, we're going to the Harrogate show on Friday. See what it's like.

[@donbrown8001]

I’m just thinking aloud here - if the air bag warning came on again and Fiat determined it was caused by low battery would the part be covered by the warranty ?? - definitely the important thing is to wait for lights to go out on the dash before fully starting the engine. We have just ordered a new van conversion which is on the new Ducatto chassis so I hope the issue has been sorted in the new model ! Let’s hope you’re sorted now but I dread to hear the language on KZbin if it comes on whilst your recording !😂

[@lawrencewatters5448]

Must say crash dats we’re fab and fast any problem just send back will never use fiat after the last time 😡

[@BobEarnshawMoHo]

So you had your module changed and it failed again after that?