Airbag Light BlinksI have a '92 Mustang GT convertible and the airbag light has started blinking. It blinks five times and pauses; blinks two times and stops for 15 seconds, then starts the process all over again. I've been told by different sources that it could be the clock spring or a loose fuse. I ran a diagnostic and the EEC IV computer shows nothing. I checked the wiring. I also checked diagnostic code 52, which is a power-steering-pump pressure switch. Any ideas about what this means?Jim IrvingVia the Internet
I think the code 52 power-steering-pump pressure-switch trouble code would apply if your car's Check Engine light was blinking. But it wasn't, and that would explain why you don't have any trouble codes when you run a diagnostic on the EEC IV processor. I've been told the airbag system has its own computer system separate from the engine's EEC IV processor, especially when you consider airbags were retrofitted on Fox Mustangs in 1990. Cars produced prior to 1990 didn't have airbags.
That the airbag light is blinking at all means something is clearly up. I got in touch with Ed Marsh at Windsor-Fox Performance Engineering (760/946-3835, www.windsorfox.com) and he had some ideas about what might be happening with your car. As a journeyman electrician with a full decade of experience under his belt working with EEC IV wiring harnesses and doing 5.0L EFI conversions in vintage Mustangs, he also had some advice about safety issues with what's likely a "locked and loaded" airbag. And, although yours could be inoperable at the moment, you should always assume it could go off if you start fiddling with it.
Ed said, "According to a service manual, the steering wheel and airbag sliding contact (clock spring) can be serviced after removing the steering wheel and airbag, and after a prescribed deactivation procedure has been implemented. The negative battery cable must first be disconnected for at least one full minute to drain the backup power supply contained within the airbag diagnostic monitor. A Rotunda airbag simulator tool (PN 105-00010) must be used to test the complete system before the airbag assembly and steering wheel can be reinstalled.
"However, unless you have the necessary skills and specialized tools, I recommend you take the car to a dealer or a shop that knows airbags inside and out. In the final analysis, any airbag diagnostics or repairs should be done by a qualified technician. The potential for injury while servicing is real and if the airbag is accidentally deployed, the cost to replace it would, at the very least, be a pricey learning experience."
So there you go. To determine why the airbag light is blinking, your best bet is to take the car to a dealership.
Windsor In A V-6 Ragtop?I've been building a 351W. A friend of mine is a car salesman at a fairly honest dealership, and they have re-inherited a '95 Mustang convertible with a 3.8L V-6 and automatic transmission. The non-paying buyer blew the engine before the dealer got it back. My friend suggests I buy the '95 and drop in my 351W and an AOD transmission. I realize it isn't that simple and I can't find any aftermarket parts (headers, motor mounts, etc.) for this swap. I've heard that Ford put the 351W in this body style from the factory for one year, but can't confirm anything.
Can you clear up this matter before I get into more trouble?Mike YoungVia the Internet
The '95 Mustang Cobra R came factory-equipped with a 351W and a Tremec five-speed transmission. Only 250 were made, and all were white with a tan interior. It was the only '79-'95 Mustang made by Ford that came with a Windsor. The other cars were Saleen S351s, which were produced in various versions (some supercharged, some not) from 1994 to 2000.