Hey,
I have a 2010 Dodge Nitro Sxt and my airbag light will not go off. Today i took to a auto part store to get it scanned and they said it had a low battery voltage. The guy said that i have need to replace my alternator before i drain my battery. He also stated that is the reason why my airbag light came on.. Just wondering.. is that true? Before i buy the airbag clock spring and replace that??
Yes and no on that response.
Alternators are an easy fix, but it might be wrong. You need to bench test it...outside the car. Most of these parts stores have basically a battery checker/alternator output checker. Have your car checked with a real computer analyzer. Most every major function goes through the computer in the engine compartment on the passenger side inner fender. Go to a reliable shop - not a dealership - have it checked - my guys in my favorite shop did it for free but didn't want to replace the computer (ECM) because it need to be programed. There are websites that recondition computers and reprogram them at a significantly less cost of an dealership OEM. I replace mine for 200 bucks.
Now on to the air bag light - there was a recall on certain years and VINs. My light is on...it is probably a failed separate computer module that this inside the shifter console. I dread taking anything apart in an interior becasue it seems to never fit back together properly. There is a Dodge service bulletin on the explaining everything including part numbers - this was a problem in a lot of Dodge vehicles. It is available on the net as well. Most independent shops stay away from this type of repair as well - who can blame them - it is a royal pain in the ass.
There are websites with this part available - the cost is about 60 or 70 bucks. My light went on about two years ago - I had no collision that caused this. My Nitro is not included in the service recall - which is rather disappointing. I contacted the NTSB because my NItro falls into the middle of years of the recall...my VIN is not included.
Looks of luck - Nitros are not junk - good drivelines, suspensions, etc. Yet the electronics and computers are troublesome.
The question is - do you bite the bullet and take it somewhere to really fix it - not some big box parts store? Fix it yourself and learn something - this is a long a winding road? Or take a huge hit and by something else?
I like my Nitro as cantankerous as it can be. I use it for a tow vehicle for my kayak outfitting business. It has 3.7 with 2WD and works well for us. I repair everything myself. It is sort of a zen inspired ownership Yin and Yang - good and not so good.
