location of primary crash sensor circuit - 90 CV

[1990LTD]

Where would I find this guy? I'm getting two groups of 9 flashes indicating "Open or High Resistance" .

[gadget73]

Should be 2 or 3 of them across the rad support if I'm not mistaken. Most likely they live right on top, the boxes that face forward.

[1990LTD]

Can I get replacements for these anywhere? I guess that's what it means by the 9 flashes

[pantera77]

Should be 2 or 3 of them across the rad support if I'm not mistaken. Most likely they live right on top, the boxes that face forward.

I thought there was only one right behind the grill? At least on my car there's one right behind the grill. I've had that same code forever. I tried cleaning the contacts and remounting it, but that did nothing. I just put some tape over the light. Maybe you could find a good one in the junkyard or something.

[1990LTD]

I'll try cleaning stuff up and see if that makes it stop flashing...in the past 20 hours of driving or so it has only flashed twice so it's not too annoying but I would like my airbag to work.

[trwp72]

If you are talking about the Airbag sensors... that trigger the airbags in the event of a collision, there are two, and mounted inside the fenders, right at the front of the fender. If you look inside the hood area, there is an opening into the fender, right near where the header panel and fender go together, and there is a little square box mounted to the inner fender... (The bracket allows the box to be inside the fender) There is one on each side. I have been told that if you remove it, and drop it right, it will deploy the airbags. So If you remove them, to change them out, DON'T drop them! I ALMOST just let them drop when I removed them to replace the header panel when I first bought my car... As I was letting go of it, I saw the marking "Airbag sensor" on the side... needless to say I caught it before it hit anything. Also, disconnecting the battery? Remember there is a capacitor back up... let it sit for a couple of hours first...

[86VickyLX]

There's 4. 3 under the hood, one in the middle of the radiator core, one on the drivers side fender, one on the passengers side fender, then theres another one somewhere in the dash area (I don't know if that is true, it's just what I saw on a reputable computer repair database.

[gadget73]

I thought there was only one right behind the grill? At least on my car there's one right behind the grill. I've had that same code forever. I tried cleaning the contacts and remounting it, but that did nothing. I just put some tape over the light. Maybe you could find a good one in the junkyard or something.

keep in mind I've never worked on one of these new cars. All my airbag knowledge is inferred from the same system on my Mark VII and the general knowledge that Ford tends to put items in similar locations on multiple vehicles.


The fourth sensor, aka the "safing sensor" should be inside one of the kick panels. I think its on the driver's side actually, and you can get to it by removing the panel around the parking brake pedal. at least thats where it lives on the Marks. I believe that one may set a seperate code, but then again it may not. All 4 sensors should have their connector cleaned, and the mounting points cleaned. Disconnect the battery before touching any of this, and ideally you want to unhook the battery backup supply as well. I dont know exactly where that lives on a Vic.

[1990LTD]

What does the module under the Lincolns drivers kick panel look like? I have had my kick panel off but never took notice of anything beside a grounding point I was looking for.


Does the airbag run through the EEC computer or have its own?

[86VickyLX]

What does the module under the Lincolns drivers kick panel look like? I have had my kick panel off but never took notice of anything beside a grounding point I was looking for.


Does the airbag run through the EEC computer or have its own?

It has its own wiring harness. In the later models, '92 and up, I believe they tied the harnesses together so if the airbags deployed, the car would shut off/not restart.

Yeah Thain, the safing sensor, that's the one!
Battery backup lives on a bracket by, if not the same bracket as the ECM.

[gadget73]

The safing sensor looks like the crash sensors under the hood on the Mark VII.