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94 Caravan Air bag light

7K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  mmahamm 
#1 ·
Ok what the heck does the rear wiper motor have to do with the air bag light??

The other day my wife drove my '94 Caravan and came back telling me the Air Bag light stayed on and when she tried to clean the rear window the rear wiper went to the left and stoped dead. Went looking at alldata.com and found this in a recall notice..

"A mastic patch must be installed on every vehicle. In addition, a diagnostic test of the airbag system must be performed. Shorted initiator (squib) wiring must be repaired (which may involve replacing the clockspring). If the rear wiper motor must be replace."

Am pretty sure my van has had the recall stuff done but it is interesting that the air bag light came on about the same time the rear wiper died. Weird...
 
#2 ·
They are on the same circuit. So if it shorts out and blows the fuse, you will lose your rear wiper.

You can double check to see if the recall was performed on your vehicle, by going to http://www.dodge.com/en/owners/ and putting in the last 8 digits of your VIN under recalls. If it has not been performed, you can call your nearest Dodge or Chrysler dealer, and they will perform the recall at no cost to you (though I don't know if there is an age or mileage limitation).

Another possibility is that the recall was performed 13 years ago, and the "mastic patch" has deteriorated. In that case, you will probably have to pay to have it done.
 
#4 ·
Wow great info..

Didn't even think to check a silly fuse.. Just went out and sure enough the fuse was blown. Didn't have a 20 amp that size so I stuck a 15 in. Started it up and guess what.... the wiper went back to it's normal rest position and the air bag light went out.. Not sure how long the 15 amp will last and still don't know what blew the 20 but at least for now I know what happened.

Checked the Dodge site and it says no recalls are outstanding.. Didn't think so as the first 10 years of it's life it went to the Dodge dealer for most repairs and was pretty sure they kept up with the recalls.

Will the old girl is back in business at least for now.. Trying to see if she can get to 300,000.
 
#5 ·
Wow great info..

Didn't even think to check a silly fuse.. Just went out and sure enough the fuse was blown. Didn't have a 20 amp that size so I stuck a 15 in. Started it up and guess what.... the wiper went back to it's normal rest position and the air bag light went out.. Not sure how long the 15 amp will last and still don't know what blew the 20 but at least for now I know what happened...
What blew it was a short, either in the airbag module or the wiper (I can't remember which was cited in the recall). Chances are that 15A fuse will blow, as will the 20A you replace it with. My guess is the "mastic patch" they use for the recall (which prevents the short from happening) has deteriorated.

Or maybe the wiring to the wiper motor has developed a short. The seals in a 15 year old vehicle are often suspect, and any water that may have gotten in could cause this, as well as just old insulation on wires.

If I were you, I would do a little digging on the internet to see if you could find the procedure for this recall, and at least try to look at the materials, if you can. Of course, if it involves the airbag module itself, I would be afraid to tackle it on my own...but that's just me. :)
 
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