More airbag control unit woes

RayD said:
As explained on another message, our Bailey Autograph 79-4t - 22 plate - motorhome suffered an airbag ECU fault in September on our journey to the ferry on our 6wk trip to Spain.
We continued our journey as the seat belt restraints still operated.
However, as our moho is a 22plate and Stellantis had previously replaced the vehicle battery under warranty we decided to write direct to the CEO & MD of Stellantis requesting assistance and also suggesting that they consider issuing a General Safety Recall to all Peugeot and Fiat motorhomes to replace the airbag ECU, based on the number of other moho owners on various sites logging this fault!

RESULT. WITHIN 24 hours we had a reply advising us to get a diagnostic check by a Peugeot dealer and advise them the location and date. The diagnostic we were told was £162, however we went ahead and booked in to a local Peugeot dealer. The dealer undertook the diagnostics found the same fault code that we had diagnosed and replaced the airbag ECU.
There was no charge (although the ECU cost was £320) and replaced under warranty.

As promised, Stellantis sent an email confirming that they had been in contact with the Peugeot dealer asking if we were satisfied with the outcome?

My advice, email the MD of Stellantis if you have this airbag ECU fault (to notify and confirm to them the number of vehicles involved with this fault) hopefully they will help solve your problem and eventually issue a General Safety Recall.
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Didn't he get the tin tack, or leave today? Good result for you though.
Mike.
 
I have one of those multi USB plug into cigarette lighter things on the dashboard. It also shows battery voltage. After looking at that and watching it dip to an alarming 11.9v, before returning to 12+ V after about 20 seconds I'm more patient now with turning the key fully. There's an audible clonk as a relay or something possibly breaks the contacts for the glow plugs I presume. This is on a new Yuasa silver 5000 series battery.
Mike.
 
The Rum Runners said:
Not sure if it’s been mentioned, but when you go to start the engine you should turn the ignition on and wait for the dash lights to go out and then start the engine. The modules like the airbag one don’t like low voltage when initialising. So if you crank the engine whilst the modules are initialising you could end up with a fault/failure especially if you’ve left the vehicle for some time. Also depress the clutch whilst cracking as there’s less load on the engine. All this is in my humble opinion which may be incorrect.
I had a bad financial experience with Northern Tech, I recommend getting one from Coastal Motorhomes and doing the alignment yourself with Multiecuscan (£50). You then have the diagnostic software for future use.
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..also, make sure the AC / fans are off as well as the lights when you start the vehicle if it has been left for a while.
 
BouncyBoatFolk said:
I have one of those multi USB plug into cigarette lighter things on the dashboard. It also shows battery voltage. After looking at that and watching it dip to an alarming 11.9v, before returning to 12+ V after about 20 seconds I'm more patient now with turning the key fully. There's an audible clonk as a relay or something possibly breaks the contacts for the glow plugs I presume. This is on a new Yuasa silver 5000 series battery.
Mike.
Click to expand...
What's the multi USB plug into cigarette lighter thing" you use?
 
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Just back from Northern Autotec. New airbag ecu fitted and proxy aligned in less than 20 mins.
Didn't need to disconnect the battery as long as the key is out apparantly and you don't press any control buttons.Very efficient. New ecu is made in the Uk and is not prone to failure by low battery voltages. Advised that the fiat ecu was made to a price not a spec . Hence the high failure rate of the internal pcb components. He showed me on his scanner.
I had previously sent the ecu to Northern for repair but he advised it was basically scrap and couldn't be re programmed and needed a new one. He sent my old one back free of charge and no charge for checking it unlike crash data.
He advised I needed a new one which he could forward but it would need to be proxy aligned or he could supply and fit at Morcambe.( 12 month guarrantee)
I checked around locally but no garages could do a proxy alignment. I checked Spinney motorhomes and they wanted £140 plus vat to scan the fault. I said I knew what the fault was and needed a new ecu. They would "have to check" £140 plus vat then they could order a new ecu, fit it and proxy align it. Not much change from £1000. No thanks.
So Northern Autotec. Brilliant service and while I waited ( with an appointment)
He said he had 5 ecu's to check over today and he had 2 vans booked tomorrow and whilst there a chap in a vw dropped off a computerised vw module for checking.so he does other stuff as well.His phone was really busy.
Well recommended
 
Jimbohorlicks said:
Just back from Northern Autotec. New airbag ecu fitted and proxy aligned in less than 20 mins.
Didn't need to disconnect the battery as long as the key is out apparantly and you don't press any control buttons.Very efficient. New ecu is made in the Uk and is not prone to failure by low battery voltages. Advised that the fiat ecu was made to a price not a spec . Hence the high failure rate of the internal pcb components. He showed me on his scanner.
I had previously sent the ecu to Northern for repair but he advised it was basically scrap and couldn't be re programmed and needed a new one. He sent my old one back free of charge and no charge for checking it unlike crash data.
He advised I needed a new one which he could forward but it would need to be proxy aligned or he could supply and fit at Morcambe.( 12 month guarrantee)
I checked around locally but no garages could do a proxy alignment. I checked Spinney motorhomes and they wanted £140 plus vat to scan the fault. I said I knew what the fault was and needed a new ecu. They would "have to check" £140 plus vat then they could order a new ecu, fit it and proxy align it. Not much change from £1000. No thanks.
So Northern Autotec. Brilliant service and while I waited ( with an appointment)
He said he had 5 ecu's to check over today and he had 2 vans booked tomorrow and whilst there a chap in a vw dropped off a computerised vw module for checking.so he does other stuff as well.His phone was really busy.
Well recommended
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Is the new one in a black plastic case?
That's what our one is in the new van but can't get at it very easy to see the part number they have changed the floor covering and it's tucked underneath it.
 
Lenny HB said:
Is the new one in a black plastic case?
That's what our one is in the new van but can't get at it very easy to see the part number they have changed the floor covering and it's tucked underneath it.
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The one Northern Autotech changed for us in September was aluminium like the original.
 
Lenny HB said:
Is the new one in a black plastic case?
That's what our one is in the new van but can't get at it very easy to see the part number they have changed the floor covering and it's tucked underneath it.
Click to expand...
No, it looks exactly the same as the old one, aluminium case with white shiny label, but a different part number and 2023 manufacturing date.
Think it was also marked T2 or T5. Said it was a generic ecu which covers several fiat ecu part numbers and is therefore more stable.
He checked my ecu through the obd port and showed me the readout and then went inside for the correct ecu.
 
He replaced mine when we were in Morecambe, all within 30 mins. Great service.

Craig

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jezport said:
Yours was under warranty and POSSIBLY a one off on a newer van.
Has anyone else had an airbag module fail on a newer than 2019 van?
Click to expand...

Yes - mine is an April 2021 registered van - probably built in 2020 and it failed earlier this year. Had it replaced by Fiat professional in Bedford. Hopefully it will be a new version.
 
Bit the bullet on this and went to see Northern Autotech as we were in Blackpool at the weekend so it was only an hour up the road to Morecombe. Carl fitted a brand new FIAT original airbag ECU (made in 2023 in the UK) and proxy aligned it within 25 minutes while we waited. Great service and a good price compared to going to a FIAT dealer. £384 incl VAT with a 12 month warranty. Interestingly, chatting to a relative who is in the motor trade and who is local to Carl, he spoke very highly of him too so he clearly has a great reputation. Highly recommended if you're within a reasonable distance of Morecombe or happen to be in the area, as we were. The new unit is visually the same aas the old one. Same mounting bolts and connectors so a straight swap.
 
In the end I decided to buy a new replacement unit from CrashData for £306 and paid them an extra £108 to have it Proxi Aligned so I could just plug it in without needing to get my local Fiat dealer to PA it afterwards. The old failed unit with its B0102-00 error code was dated 2017. The new unit is dated 2024 so here’s hoping. Fitted in about half an hour, most of the time spent cursing at the plastic trim remove/replace and stretching for the just about reachable (with my sausage fingers) last retaining nut. Anyway, it’s fixed for now at least. Crashdata turned my unit around in 24 hrs (you need to send your old unit to them if you buy the PA service).
 

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