Air Bag light after pressure washing

I had to replace the steering rack on my '04 DC SR5. Afterward I pressure washed under the hood and underside of engine to rinse off steering fluid due to the leak coming out of the corroded rack. The air bag remains lit after I start the engine. I suspect I got some water where I shouldn't. I was hoping disconnecting both battery cable would of helped but it didnt. I dont have a wau of reading airbag codes. I check conbection by radiator and beneath the front seats. All seemed ok. Any suggestions on what I can do on my own?

 

You're past the "never pressure wash under the hood" advice. Options now are to unplug and blow out electrical connectors. Apply some dielectric or other approved protectant sparingly on connections and reattach. Best done with the battery unplugged, wait 20-30 minutes and then touch the positive and negative cables together to discharge system. There's a chance you'll need to get the system reset. Body shops usually have the computers for this. Or there's the stealer, but I suspect we all know how that interaction will go. Good luck, and let us know if you get it resolved.

 

As it turns out, the problem may not be due to the pressure washing. Instead it may have something to do with the steering rack replacement. The clock spring seems to be the problem. After I installed the rack, I washed off the steering fluid that got sprayed all over the underside. The leak was really bad and came on suddenly. After I washed the underside, I added fresh fluid and started the Tundra to begin bleeding the system. That's when I noticed the airbag light was lit. I assumed the washing was the cause. I had the time today to take a closer look and that's when I noticed my horn, steering wheel radio controls and cruise control aren't working. It appears it's the clock spring and I doubt it's a big coincidence. It probably has something to do with the rack removal/installation. What exactly I can't say. The steering wheel wasn't turned by much during the removal/installation. Oh well. OEM MSRP is nearly $400 but I see them really cheap on online auction sites, $13...but you get what you pay for. I need PN#843060c021.

 

Hi! were you able to find the airbag ECU? I've been looking for one for my 04. Toyota said it was discontinued. I haven't had any luck with my usual sources, nor with the two dozen dealers I've contacted.

 

I hope I don't need anything other than a new Clock Spring.

 

Was the wheel locked during removal and installation of the rack? I would imagine not lining the rack and wheel up properly could allow the clock spring to get out of whack. At $16 a pop, could give a one, or a few of the used ones a shot.

 

It was my 1st install of a rack so live and learn I suppose. Fortunately the mistake might not cost me the OEM MSRP price of $396. I ordered a $13.55 Chinese knockoff. Reviews were pretty good. If it does a decent job and lasts a few years I'll be very happy and lucky. That's some markup Toyota takes on this part. I'm sure OEM is better but is it worth 2,922% more???

 

So to conclude on this thread, I screwed up and ruined the clock spring when I replaced the steering rack. That caused the airbag light to stay on when the engine was started and also prevented the horn and cruise control from working. I had a bit of a hard time finding the correct aftermarket clock spring but finally found one for a 2003-2004 Tundra/Sequoia on a popular auction. There were many others
clock springs that claimed to fit the Tundra but looking carefully I noticed some had different connector ports and/or wiring configurations. Most of these were for 2002 thru 2006 Tundras. It seems my 2004 SR5 DC required a very specific clock spring. Mine had the radio volume and tuning controls on the left side of steering wheel and blank covers on the right side. The cruise control has a separate lever beneath the wiper control on the right side of the steering column. This one cost me $59 whereas the 2002-2006 aftermarket clock springs ran $10-$20. Still a lot better than OEM for MSRP of $396. Anyway, should anyone run into the need to have to replace the clock spring on a similar Tundra or Sequoia, I hope my concluding post is of some help.

 

Good to hear it worked out for ya, do you mind sharing the auction site? Might come in handy for myself and others one day.

 

Not sure what the rules are on this forum for posting the auction site but it's the that really popular one that everyone knows....

 

Car-part?
I thought you had a first gen tundra/sequoia specific auction site.

 

I’m thinking flea-bay.

 

Thanks for the follow up.

 

YAY FOR YOU! Now, I’m off to the car wash to lightly wash my engine with it running like i to used to do on my older cars.

 

I always forget about flea-bay, not a fan.