Occupant Restrain Controller

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Davood

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Powering up the vehicle with the airbag connector on the clockspring disconnected, does this trip out the ORC, and require the need for anoter reset?? Had my ORC reset (previous owner had rolled / totalled the vehicle), and it was working fine until I installed a new clockspring and operated the vehicle for a while with the airbag connector disconnected. Upon close inspection of the replacement clockspring I noticed two little spring-loaded shorting bars that with the Airbag connector at the SCCM disconnected, the airbags are shorted out(safety). That kind of makes sense, but with those connectors shorted does this prevent the SCCM fro communicating with the ORC and also cause the ORC to report erros on all airbag locations. Will it reset on its own, after the connector is mated at the SCCM or does the drivers airbag also need to be mated...
 

Jeepwalker

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Is your question weather the clockspring is required for the SRS to operate properly?

Short answer: IDK for sure. I would defer to the clockspring & restraint system chapters in the manual. (do a search on this forum for a Ram pdf service manual). They usually do set off a code. So that might be what you're seeing.

Longer answer: I did not read anything in the attached airbag service brief pdf about the clockspring being an intimate component of the SRS weather it would disable it or not (??). I'm guessing, no. But admittedly I didn't read EVERY word. But upon fail, they generally will make an airbag light go on. Do you have a scan tool where you can view/verify the ABS components/wiring, read SRS codes? I've had it where airbag connectors mysteriously vibrated loose after repairs ..and of course, it activated the warning light. Just a matter of reconnecting if that's the case.

Regardless, the offending component causing the fault should be articulated via a code on a scan tool. And you ought to be able to see real-time data too (which component isn't reading). If you don't have a scan tool, or yours doesn't go to that level perhaps Autozone, OReilly's or NAPA can do an SRS scan for you if they are nearby (to zero in on which component isn't reading properly).

Sorry if I'm not understanding your question properly. Try again if I'm not.



Edit: Correction, in reading the manual further, it appears the clockspring IS more integral to the Restraint system (see post below)

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Davood

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Thanks for the reply, yes I have a good scan tool and it was reading every fault imaginable on the ORC module. Including short at both dirvers airbags, every other airbag was "fail", and lot comms with the SCCM. I tried clearing the codes but it would not clear even after the connector was properly mated. I have since disconnected the battery for a while . I guess I could pop the driver's airbag back in since it is not that hard to remove again. then see if it has somehow reset.
 

Jeepwalker

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Can you plz describe what all was deployed and replaced so far? Have you read the Restraint section of the Ram manual?

1) What are the SRS codes you are getting?

2) Is it the original ORC?

3) Did the seat belt pre-tensioners go off? (do they rattle?). And if so ...have you had them rebuilt (or replaced)?

I started reading the RAM Restraint section in the manual. I was incorrect, it does look like the clockspring is more integral to the Restraint system than I thought. This was in the manual, but I haven't finished reading the entire section yet.

"If the Driver AirBag (DAB) has been deployed, the clockspring and the steering column must be replaced."
 
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Davood

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Long story Yes the RAM is a rebuild, it had been rolled over and I used it and another to make one good truck. Sent the ORC out for RESET at the "re-store" on Ebay, installed new airbags and seatbelts everywhere, got it all back together (with the exception of the clock-spring ( the donor 2012 is not the same as the 2017). at that point, everything was working fine with the exception of the steering column controls, and the drivers airbag. The clock spring was on a 6 month backorder and $350, and being a 150 miles from the nearest recycle yard, so I took it apart and rebuilt it. (soldered the traces to the connector end- however the traces are super tiny and I may have left a bit of solder flux to get bridging), it worked perfect for a while but then I got one of the two drivers squibs reading short ckt.

That is when I went to a Dodge truck recycle shop and bought one from the junkyard. I made the mistake of starting it with that connector disconnected (shorts on the airbag connector)?? Tried the old and new clockspring assemblies and get the same 7 errors. Also using the live data feature on the scan tool it shows failures all around (meaning all the airbag sensors fail)



Unfortunately I do not have RAM manual yet.
 
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