My fg 2008 falcon has been involved in a side impact and the r/h curtain bag has deployed, we have replaced it but the fault code b1231 wont clear. ford have assured me that the module would not need replacing! is this true

B2296 d 44 Restraint System - Impact Sensor Fault (Driver Side Front Row Impact Sensor Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test V .
Pinpoint Test V: LFC 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47/DTC B2296 - Restraint System - Impact Sensor Fault
Normal Operation
The restraints control module (RCM) checks all of the impact sensor circuits for faults. If the RCM detects one of the following faults on any of the impact sensor circuits, it will store diagnostic trouble code (DTC) B2296 in memory and flash, depending on the fault, either lamp fault code (LFC) 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 or 47 (or higher priority code if one exists) on the air bag indicator.
Fault Conditions
The RCM monitors for the following fault conditions:

• Low resistance
• Circuit open
• Circuit short to voltage
• Circuit short to ground
• Internal faults
• Communication faults

Possible Causes
A impact sensor status fault can be caused by:

• damaged wiring, terminals or connectors.
• a faulty impact sensor.
• incorrect sensor mounting.
• RCM is faulted.
• There are 72 steps involved in the diagnostic testing procedure for this DTC. Your best bet mite be to just replace the sensor an see if that fixes the problem, if not ?

The five beeps - five times would indicate a code 55 , but factory service info only goes to code 53 .

• Audible tone - DTCs retrieved

• Air bag SRS system fault

• REFER to DTC Priority Table.

Did your air bag light flash at all ? Apparently this will do flash the air bag light codes as well .
Symptom Chart Condition Possible Sources Action

• Air bag warning indicator is illuminated continuously

• Fuse
• Damaged wiring, terminals or connectors
• A faulty diagnostic connector
• A faulted RCM
• A faulty instrument cluster

• Go To Pinpoint Test A .

• Air bag indicator flashing

• Air bag/pretensioner supplemental restraint system (SRS) fault

• REFER to DTC Priority Table.

• Audible tone - DTCs retrieved

• Air bag SRS system fault

• REFER to DTC Priority Table.

• No communication with the restraints control module (RCM)

• Fuse
• Diagnostic tool
• Data link connector (DLC)
• A faulted RCM
• Circuitry

• Go To Pinpoint Test V .

LFC - light flash codes .
Restraints Control Module (RCM) Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) Table
DTC a LFC b Description Action To Take - Continuous The Air Bag Indicator is Illuminated Continuously, RCM Disconnected or Inoperative, Loss of Battery Feed, or Loss of Signal Ground Go To Pinpoint Test A . B1231 13 Crash Data Memory Full Install a new RCM and impact sensors. REFER to Inspection and Repair After a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Deployment . B1317 Continuous Battery Voltage High CHECK battery voltage; to be below 16 volts. REFER to Section 414-01 . B1318 Continuous Battery Voltage Low CHECK battery voltage; to be above 9.0 volts. REFER to Section 414-01 . B1342 12 RCM Is Faulted Install a new RCM. B1869 NONE
Continuous lamp
Secondary air bag warning sounds if another fault is present Lamp Air Bag Warning Indicator Circuit Open or Short to Ground Go To Pinpoint Test B . B1870 NONE
Secondary air bag warning sounds if another fault is present Air Bag Warning Indicator Circuit Short to Battery Go To Pinpoint Test C . B1891 53 Air Bag Tone Warning Indicator Circuit Short to Battery Go To Pinpoint Test D . B1892 53 Air Bag Tone Warning Indicator Circuit Open or Short to Ground Go To Pinpoint Test E . B1921 14 Air Bag Diagnostic Monitor Ground Circuit Open Go To Pinpoint Test F . B2292 33 Restraint System - Safety Belt Pretensioner Fault (Driver Pretensioner Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test G . B2292 34 Restraint System - Safety Belt Pretensioner Fault (Passenger Pretensioner Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test G . B2293 19 Restraint System - Air Bag Fault (Driver Front Air Bag Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test H . B2293 21 Restraint System - Air Bag Fault (Passenger Front Air Bag Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test H . B2294 24 Restraint System - Curtain Fault (Driver Side Air Curtain Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test I . B2294 25 Restraint System - Curtain Fault (Passenger Side Air Curtain Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test I . B2295 22 Restraint System - Side Air Bag Fault (Driver Seat Side Air Bag Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test J . B2295 23 Restraint System - Side Air Bag Fault (Passenger Seat Side Air Bag Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test J . B2296 42 Restraint System - Impact Sensor Fault (Front Impact Severity Sensor Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test K . B2296 43 Restraint System - Impact Sensor Fault (Driver Side Front Row Impact Sensor Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test K . B2296 45 Restraint System - Impact Sensor Fault (Driver Side Second Row Impact Sensor Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test K . B2296 44 Restraint System - Impact Sensor Fault (Passenger Side Front Row Impact Sensor Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test K . B2296 46 Restraint System - Impact Sensor Fault (Passenger Side Second Row Impact Sensor Circuit Fault) Go To Pinpoint Test K . B2434 51 Driver Safety Belt Buckle Switch Circuit Short To Ground Go To Pinpoint Test L . B2435 51 Driver Safety Belt Buckle Switch Circuit Resistance Out Of Range Go To Pinpoint Test M . B2438 52 Passenger Safety Belt Buckle Switch Circuit Short To Ground Go To Pinpoint Test N . B2439 52 Passenger Safety Belt Buckle Switch Circuit Resistance Out Of Range Go To Pinpoint Test O . B2477 Continuous Module Configuration Error INSTALL a new RCM. B2691 51 Driver Safety Belt Buckle Switch Circuit Fault Go To Pinpoint Test P . B2692 52 Passenger Safety Belt Buckle Switch Circuit Fault Go To Pinpoint Test Q . C1414 15 Incorrect Module Design Level Go To Pinpoint Test R . C1947 49 Driver Seat Track Position Sensor Circuit Short to Ground Go To Pinpoint Test S . C1948 49 Driver Seat Track Position Sensor Circuit Resistance Out Of Range Go To Pinpoint Test T . C1981 49 Driver Seat Track Position Sensor Circuit Fault Go To Pinpoint Test U . - - No Communication with the Restraints Control Module Go To Pinpoint Test V . Your best bet have codes checked with a scan tool .

There is no relay for the passenger side air bag . What seams to be the trouble ? There is possibly a code set in the air bag control module .
Air Bag and Safety Belt Pretensioner Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) The air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) is designed to provide increased collision protection for front seat and second row outboard occupants, in addition to that provided by the 3-point safety belt system. Safety belt use is necessary to obtain the best occupant protection and to receive the full advantage of the SRS.
This vehicle line contains dual stage deployment (advanced restraint system) driver and front passenger air bag modules. These vehicles are also equipped with driver and front passenger safety belt retractor pretensioners. These vehicles can also be equipped with optional side air curtains that deploy from the A-pillar to the C-pillar upon a side impact. Vehicles with optional side air curtains are also equipped with seat side air bag modules in the front seats.
Side air curtains deploy from the headliner, protecting the first and second row outboard occupants during a side impact. Seat side air bag modules deploy from the outboard front seat backrest upon a side impact. In addition, a front impact severity sensor is mounted to the lower radiator support, a seat position sensor is mounted to the driver seat and a usage detection switch is added to the front driver and passenger outboard buckles. If equipped with optional side air curtain modules and seat side air bag modules, there are an additional 4 side impact sensors.
Vehicles are also equipped with an occupant classification sensor (OCS) system as part of the front passenger seat. The OCS system includes 2 OCS rails and an OCS module.
Passenger Air Bag Deactivation (PAD) Indicator
The passenger air bag deactivation (PAD) indicator is a visual indicator used to inform the front seat occupants of the passenger air bag deactivation state. The PAD indicator is a stand-alone lamp installed into the vehicle instrument panel in a position visible to each front seat occupant.
The restraints control module (RCM) controls the state of the PAD indicator through a direct hardwire connection, based on information provided by the occupant classification sensor (OCS) system. The PAD indicator is lit to indicate the passenger air bag module is disabled. An exemption to this is when the front passenger seat is determined to be empty and passenger safety belt buckle unbuckled, and therefore indication of a deactivated passenger air bag module is not necessary. In all other cases, the PAD indicator is unlit when the passenger air bag module is enabled.
When the ignition switch is in the ON position, the PAD indicator prove-out period is initiated by the RCM. The RCM briefly activates the PAD indicator to prove-out the indicator function and verify to the front occupants correct functional operation of the PAD indicator.
The PAD indicator will be lit/unlit within 1.0 to 1.5 seconds of a change of state from the OCS system.
When an OCS system fault is present, the RCM defaults the passenger air bag module to the last valid state received from the OCS system until the ignition switch is turned OFF. If the OCS system fault is still present when the ignition switch is turned ON, the RCM defaults the passenger air bag module to enabled regardless of the size of occupant in the front passenger seat. The PAD indicator will be unlit. For information on the OCS system, refer to Occupant Classification Sensor System in this section.
The following table indicates the passenger air bag status and the PAD indicator status based the size of the front outboard passenger occupant.

You could clear the code with a scanner, but its possible the sensor for the driver side bag is faulty.

• B0041

CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION
The inflatable restraint side impact module-LF deployment loop consists of the inflatable restraint side impact module-LF, the inflatable restraint side impact module wiring harness, and the side impact module-LF high and low circuits. A shorting bar used within the side impact module-LF connector shorts together the side impact module-LF high and low circuits when the connector is disconnected. This helps to prevent unwanted deployment of the inflator module during servicing. During a side or frontal crash of sufficient force the inflatable restraint Sensing and Diagnostic Module (SDM) allows current to flow through the deployment loop in order to deploy the side impact module-LF. When the ignition is turned ON, the SDM performs continuous diagnostic tests on the deployment loops to check for proper circuit continuity and for shorts to ground or voltage. If a malfunction is detected, a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) will be stored in memory.

CONDITIONS FOR RUNNING THE DTC
Ignition 1 voltage is within the normal operating voltage range.

CONDITIONS FOR SETTING THE DTC

• DTC B0040 will set when the side impact module-LF deployment loop resistance is less than 1.3 ohms for 500 milliseconds .
• DTC B0041 will set when one of the following conditions occurs:
• Side impact module-LF high circuit is less than 2.4 volts and the side impact module-LF deployment loop is more than 6 ohms for 500 milliseconds .
• Side impact module-LF deployment loop resistance is more than 4.8 ohms for 500 milliseconds .
• DTC B0045 will set when one of the following conditions occur:
• Side impact module-LF high and/or low circuits is short to ground or short to voltage for 500 milliseconds .
• Side impact module-LF high circuit is less than 2.4 volts and side impact module-LF deployment loop resistance is less than 6 ohms for 500 milliseconds .

ACTION TAKEN WHEN THE DTC SETS
The SDM commands the AIR BAG indicator ON via Class 2 serial data.

CONDITIONS FOR CLEARING THE DTC

• The condition responsible for setting the DTC no longer exists and the scan tool Clear DTCs function is used.
• A history DTC will clear once 255 malfunction free ignition cycles have occurred.

DIAGNOSTIC AIDS
The following are possible causes of the malfunction:

• A short between the side impact module-LF high and low circuits
• An open or a high resistance in the side impact module-LF high or low circuits
• A short to ground or a short to voltage in the side impact module-LF high or low circuits
• The side impact module-LF connector
• The SDM connector
• A malfunctioning side impact module-LF
• A malfunctioning SDM

i have had the same problem, did u find a solution ?

Front air bags are not designed to deploy in side impact, rear impact or rollover crashes.There are several reasons why your air bag may not have deployed during a crash. The first reason is that perhaps your crash is not the type of accident where air bag deployment would be helpful. For frontal air bags, this includes many, but not all, side impacts, rear impacts and rollovers. This category also includes minor accidents in which the driver and front passenger (if there was one) did not suffer any significant injuries requiring medical treatment. Many people do not realize there are a lot of side air bags that do not deploy during a rollover accident, even when the vehicle rolls onto its side. That is because those side air bags do not include an appropriate crash sensor that can detect rollover crashes.

In the steering wheel and passenger side dash.Due to the age of the vehicle probably doesn't have the curtain "side" airbags.The airbags were designed primarily for head on collisions. Here is some useful information to why the may have not deployed courtesy of http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/dec2001/collision.htm
How Air Bags Work To have a frontal (driver or passenger) air bag deploy, certain criteria must be met. One of these criteria is that the frontal impact must be within a 60-degree window, occurring within 30 degrees from the vehicle's centerline. Another key element is that the crash forces are equivalent to a head-on collision with an immovable barrier at 10-15 miles per hour. Because a typical automobile accident only lasts about 0.125 (1/8th) of a second, air bags deploy within 15 to 20ms after the initial crash impact. To create a protective cushion between the occupant and the vehicle's interior, the air bag inflates at speeds up to 200 mph within approximately 30ms after impact. This allows the occupant to contact a fully inflated bag within approximately 45 to 50ms after the initial crash impact. Approximately 100ms after impact the bag deflates.

Last one is a code saying the bags deployed, I believe. Maybe massive water damage to sensors? 1994 is resistance too high on driver side curtain airbag, indicating an open circuit, and 2775 says short to ground indicating grounded circuit. Did they all occur simultaneously? If so, may be a direct result of deployment. Do not know why they deployed. Give as much info as possible.

first, you need to read the Lamp Fault Code, LFC from the flashing light. Here's how:

Lamp Fault Codes
When the restraints control module (RCM) detects a system fault, it will cause the air bag indicator to flash a coded sequence: a lamp fault code (LFC). The code is two digits. The first digit is flashed with a 0.5 second interval between pulses. There is a 2 second pause before the second digit is flashed, which also has a 0.5 second interval between pulses. There is a 5 second pause between each display of an LFC.
Each LFC is flashed five times after which the air bag indictor will remain lit for the remainder of the key-on cycle. If there are multiple LFCs, each LFC will flash in order of priority.
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The fault could be in the air bag circuits, the canopy circuits, the pretensioner circuit on the seat belts, etc.
Report back with code.

here's some of system.

SECTION 501-20B: Supplemental Restraint System 2003 Expedition/Navigator Workshop Manual
DESCRIPTION AND OPERATION Air Bag and Safety Belt Pretensioner Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) The air bag supplemental restraint system (SRS) is designed to provide increased collision protection for front seat and second row outboard occupants in addition to that provided by the three-point safety belt system. Safety belt use is necessary to obtain the best occupant protection and to receive the full advantage of the SRS.
This vehicle line contains dual stage deployment (advanced restraint system) driver and front passenger air bag modules. These vehicles can also be equipped with optional safety canopies that deploy from the A-pillar to the C-pillar upon a side impact or if a rollover condition is detected. If equipped with safety canopies, a unique restraints control module (RCM) is used.
See the following illustration for deployable component location.
Air Bag and Safety Belt Pretensioner Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) Deployable Components Item Part Number Description 1 611D10 Passenger air bag module 2 042D94 Passenger side safety canopy module 3 042D95 Driver side safety canopy module 4 61203 Driver safety belt buckle and pretensioner 5 043B13 Driver air bag module 6 14A664 Clockspring 7 61202 Passenger safety belt buckle and pretensioner


Item Part Number Description 1 14B321 Restraints control module (RCM) 2 14B345 Second row, C-pillar side impact sensor 3 14B345 Second row, C-pillar side impact sensor 4 14B416 Driver seat track position sensor 5 14B345 Front row, driver door, side impact sensor 6 14B006 Front impact severity sensor 7 14B345 Front row, passenger door, side impact sensor