Dakota 2WD V8-4.7L VIN J (2005)
Air Bag Deactivation Switch: Description and Operation
The passenger airbag on/off switch (1) is standard equipment on all club cab versions of this model when they are equipped with the dual front airbag
system. This switch is a two-position, resistor multiplexed switch with a non-coded key cylinder-type actuator. The switch is located in the lower left
corner of instrument panel center bezel, near the center of instrument panel.
When the switch is in its installed position, the only components visible through the dedicated opening of the center bezel are the switch bezel (2) and
nomenclature, and the key cylinder actuator (3). The 9Off9 position of the switch is designated by text imprinted upon the bezel of the switch, but is not
illuminated. The remainder of the switch is concealed behind the switch bezel and the instrument panel center bezel.
The passenger airbag on/off switch housing is constructed of molded plastic and has three integral mounting tabs. These mounting tabs are used to secure
the switch to the back of the molded plastic switch bezel with three small screws. The molded plastic switch bezel also has three integral mounting tabs
that are used to secure the switch and bezel unit to the instrument panel center bezel with three additional screws.
A molded plastic connector receptacle on the back of the switch housing connects the switch to the vehicle electrical system through a dedicated take out
and connector of the instrument panel wire harness. The molded plastic harness connector insulator is keyed and latched to ensure proper and secure
switch electrical connections. The passenger airbag on/off switch cannot be adjusted or repaired and, if faulty or damaged, the switch must be replaced.
The passenger airbag on/off switch allows the customer to turn the passenger airbag function On or Off to accommodate certain uses of the right front
seating position where airbag protection may not be desired. See the owner's manual in the vehicle glove box for specific recommendations on when to
enable or disable the passenger airbag.
The passenger airbag on/off indicator located between the two heater and air conditioner outlets near the top of the instrument panel center bezel will be
illuminated whenever the switch is turned to the Off position and the ignition switch is in the On position.
The ignition key is the only key or object that should ever be inserted into the key cylinder actuator of the switch. The on/off switch requires only a
partial key insertion to fully depress a spring-loaded locking plunger. The spring loaded locking plunger prevents the user from leaving the key in the
switch. The key will be automatically ejected when force is not applied. To actuate the passenger airbag on/off switch, insert the ignition key into the
switch key actuator far enough to fully depress the plunger, then rotate the actuator to the desired switch position.
When the switch key actuator is rotated to its clockwise stop (the key actuator slot will be aligned with the Off nomenclature), the on/off indicator is
illuminated and the passenger airbag is disabled. When the switch is rotated to its counterclockwise stop (the key actuator slot will be in a vertical
position), the illumination of the passenger airbag on/off indicator and the enabling or disabling of the passenger airbag will be controlled by the
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) based upon the inputs it receives from the Occupant Classification System (OCS) through the Occupant
Classification Module (OCM).
The passenger airbag on/off switch connects one of two internal resistors in series between the passenger airbag mux switch sense and passenger airbag
mux switch return circuits of the ORC. The ORC continually monitors the resistance in these circuits to determine the switch position that has been
selected. When the switch is in the Off position, the ORC provides a ground input to the passenger airbag on/off indicator through the passenger airbag
indicator driver circuit, which energizes the Light-Emitting Diode (LED) that illuminates the indicator.
The ORC will store a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) for any fault it detects in the passenger airbag on/off switch or indicator circuits, and will
illuminate the airbag indicator in the instrument cluster if a fault is detected. For proper diagnosis of the passenger airbag on/off switch or the ORC, a
diagnostic scan tool is required.
