Outer Limits 4x4 Board

The SRS warning light on my Pajero has come on and stayed on. Any clues as to what to do (apart from visiting my friendly Mitsubishi dealer)?

date wrote:The SRS warning light on my Pajero has come on and stayed on. Any clues as to what to do (apart from visiting my friendly Mitsubishi dealer)?

Take the globe out?

-Scott- wrote:

date wrote:The SRS warning light on my Pajero has come on and stayed on. Any clues as to what to do (apart from visiting my friendly Mitsubishi dealer)?

Take the globe out?

very helpful reply

Ian Sharpe wrote:

-Scott- wrote:

date wrote:The SRS warning light on my Pajero has come on and stayed on. Any clues as to what to do (apart from visiting my friendly Mitsubishi dealer)?

Take the globe out?

very helpful reply

I do what I can.

I didn't think much of the reply either.

For what it is worth, I think that I have found the problem. It is the reversing light switch. I paid a guy $80 for him to plug his code reader in. It came up with Code 43, which, according to the workshop manual I downloaded for a US model was "SRS warning lamp drive circuit system". No, I didn't understand that either. The guy then checked the fuses inside the car and found that the "Backup light" fuse had blown. he put a new one in and the SRS light went out 7 seconds after turning the ignition on. I paid the money and drove home, only to have the damned light come on again. I replaced the fuse and it immediately blew.

I had trouble with the reversing lights being on at half power all the time before, and couldn't find the reversing light switch to try to resolve that issue. So I eventually cut the cable leading to the reversing lights and inserted a switch. When I wanted reversing lights, I manually turned them on. Now, it seems as if I have to do something more drastic. I found a Youtube video about reversing lights on a 96 Pajero. I wasn't sure if this was the same gearbox as mine, but I jacked the beast up and crawled under, looking exactly where the video had shown the switch, and Lo and Behold, there it was! Thank you whoever it was for posting that video.

I couldn't undo the bracket which mounts the plug and socket, but if I can breathe well enough, I will have another go tomorrow. Meanwhile, I will try to get another switch. If I can get the switch out, I may be able to sort out what was wrong with it and re-fit it. Meanwhile, it is unplugged and so far the fuse hasn't blown again. I will have to wait until it gets really hot to confirm that I have solved the fuse problem (also I slightly disturbed the wiring, so a short may still exist), but I am quietly confident that I have solved the problem. At least if I have, I will have airbags deploy should the need arise, which is far better than simply removing the globe and not having them deply.

So now you know. At least some of the power for the SRS airbag deployment system comes from the reversing light circuit. When/if I get the reversing lights sorted out and still have no fuses blowing, I'll let you know.

Update on SRS Light:
Finally, I had enough breath and energy to jack up the car, put chassis stands under it and crawl under to remove the reversing light switch. Nearly impossible to access it, but it came out. I tested it and it shorts to earth and doesn't work when the plunger is pushed in. So I am 95% certain that this is the problem. I have had the fuse back in and the SRS light goes out about 5 seconds after I turn on the ignition. Naturally I have no reversing lights.

All I have to do now is to get another reversing light switch and all should be good (assuming I can get a new one back in there).

Anyone know where I can get a new switch? I went to the local Mitsubishi (really a Ford) dealer and the parts man couldn't even find the switch listed on his computer. I have found some on fleabay, but am not 100% sure that they will fit. The thread on the switch is M12 x 1.25 mm pitch. The probe is 4.4 mm dia and projects from the switch body about 12 mm fully extended and about 7 mm fully compressed. "I never get lost - everyone tells me where to go" so if you know somewhere, please tell me.

Well, finally got a new reverse light switch and fitted it. All works well - including the SRS system.

One point of interest - I thought that the switch was the wrong one - when fully extended, the contacts are closed and when the probe is compressed it opens the contacts. This is the opposite to what I would expect - push the probe in to bring up the reversing lights. Obviously Mitsubishi designed the gearbox such that when you select reverse, the probe extends. Whatever, I don't care - it works. Yeah!