Possible Causes
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2004 Ford Pickup, 2004 Ford F550 Super Duty, 2004 Ford F450 Super Duty, and 2004 Ford Excursion. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
High resistance between RCM housing ground and terminal ground could be caused by improper tightening or seating of RCM mounting bolts, high resistance in RCM logic ground circuit or faulty RCM.
- Check for hard or intermittent DTC
Turn ignition switch to OFF position. Connect scan tool to Data Link Connector (DLC). See USING SCAN TOOL under DIAGNOSTICS. Turn ignition switch to RUN position. Retrieve and record any continuous DTCs. See RETRIEVING FAULT CODES under DIAGNOSTICS. Perform on-demand self-test. See ON-DEMAND SELF-TEST under DIAGNOSTICS. If DTC B1921 was retrieved during on-demand self-test, fault is hard. Go to next step. If DTC B1921 was not retrieved, fault is intermittent. Go to step 6. - Check mounting of RCM
Turn ignition switch to OFF position. Disable air bag system. See DISABLING SYSTEM under DISABLING & ACTIVATING AIR BAG SYSTEM. Remove RCM. See RESTRAINTS CONTROL MODULE (RCM) under REMOVAL & INSTALLATION. Inspect RCM, mounting bracket and mounting surface for damage or corrosion. Inspect RCM bracket bolts and ensure bolts are fully seated and tightened properly. If bracket and mounting surface is okay and mounting bolts are tight, go to next step. If bracket and mounting surface is not okay and/or mounting bolts are not tight, repair or replace as necessary. Go to step 7. - Check RCM harness connection
Ensure RCM connector is fully connected. If RCM connector is fully connected, go to next step. If RCM connector is not fully connected, reconnect connector. Go to step 7. - Check vehicle chassis ground
Measure resistance between a known good ground and RCM mounting surface. If resistance more than 100 ohms, repair grounding system. Go to step 7. If resistance is less than 100 ohms, go to next step. - Check ground circuit for open
Turn ignition switch to OFF position. Disconnect RCM connector. Measure resistance between chassis ground and RCM connector terminal No. 21 (Black/Orange wire, circuit No. 649). See Figure. If resistance is more than 100 ohms, repair open in Black/Orange wire. See WIRING DIAGRAMS . Go to step 7. If resistance is less than 100 ohms, replace RCM. Go to next step. - Check for intermittent fault
Turn ignition switch to OFF position. Disable air bag system. See DISABLING SYSTEM under DISABLING & ACTIVATING AIR BAG SYSTEM. Perform on-demand self-test. If DTC B1921 was retrieved during on-demand self-test, fault is hard. Go to step 2. If DTC B1921 was not retrieved, fault is intermittent. Check for cause of intermittent high resistance in Black/Orange wire. See WIRING DIAGRAMS . Attempt to recreate fault by flexing wire harness and cycling ignition switch frequently. Repair any intermittent problems found. Go to next step. - Check for additional DTCs
Refer to continuous DTCs recorded in step 1. If any continuous DTCs were retrieved, go to diagnostic trouble code identification table for direction to appropriate test. See DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) IDENTIFICATION table. DO NOT clear any DTCs until all DTCs have been resolved. If no continuous DTCs were retrieved, reconnect air bag system. Reactivate air bag system. See ACTIVATING SYSTEM under DISABLING & ACTIVATING AIR BAG SYSTEM. Clear all DTCs. See CLEARING FAULT CODES under DIAGNOSTICS.