JawKnee

Yesterday morning, I drove the s2000 to take my daughter to school. Later that afternoon, I decided to take the car to the gym and soon as I started it up to leave, I noticed some red like smoke/vapor with a distinct smell emitting from the passenger footwell area. As a result, I turned the car off immediately. After a few seconds, I then decided to start the car again, and the same thing happened -- red smoke/vapor with a distinct smell slowly starts emitting. So I turned the car off for good, and I ended up taking another car to the gym.

At first, I thought it was some sort of electrical fire but now I'm thinking it was my passenger airbag igniting or being initialized somehow? The bag did not deploy. Just the red smoke/vapor and smell. I've never had an airbag go off so no personal experience to draw from.

Some potential contributing factors:

* I have an airbag switch for the passenger side that I installed in 2007. I'm 99% sure it was off since I drove my daughter and I make her check when she gets in the car.

* I don't know how long it's been an issue, but my passenger side heated seat has been constantly on regardless of the switch. As a result, I disconnected the passenger side switch a few days ago as an interim solution. I also removed the corresponding fuse. The driver's heated seat works and operates fine. I've had the heated seats installed for 11 years now.

* I installed an upgraded heat exchanger (I'm supercharged) on March 13, and a few days after, I started using my OBDLink MX-Wifi Scan tool to monitor the IAT. Since the upgraded heat exchanger, I have just left the scan tool plugged into the diagnostic port. Prior to recently, I can’t recall the last time I’ve used it. The reason why I wanted to mention this is because I don’t know if it’s simply coincidence or not, but the scanner doesn’t seem to work consistently since this incident . It seems like I have to take it out and plug it back in. With that said, this product is extremely problematic for many but I seemed to have success with mine.

* Last night I made sure the airbag switch was On and started the car up with no issues. I also drove the car to basketball this morning without issues. I don’t know if putting it to “On” did something to prevent the issue, or if there is simply no more smoking/burning to be had.


First, any thoughts on what may be going on and if it was indeed my airbag? If it was my airbag, is it “done” and do I need to replace it?

windhund116

I'd check all aftermarket wiring.

Good luck!

JawKnee

Any input or thoughts? Was the smelly red smoke/vapor airbag related or was that "just" an electrical fire of some sort?

I've taken some quick glances under the dash on the passenger side and nothing jumped out at me. I've even started the car and changed the air bag switch to both on and off as well.

windhund116

Sounds like wiring. IME, aftermarket non-OEM wiring is usually the cause of this sort of problems. Anything done to the electrical system, under-the-dash, needs to be ruled-out first. Stereo sound systems, GPS devices, alarms, bypassing OEM layouts. Etc...


Good luck! Electrical issues are usually solved by logical, step-by-step approach. Lots of patience and time. And a good DVM.

JawKnee

So you don't think my passenger airbag "went off" to some degree? I'm curious to know where the red smoke/vapor and smell came from.

What should I be looking for specifically wtih regards to the wiring?

windhund116

Shouldn't the car have a CEL code or some sort of error message, if an air-bag deployed? Or is leaking?

Checking wiring is a WHOLE epic novel in itself.

I'd first check all aftermarket splice jobs. Esp those with the funky snap fit connectors. These are notorious for causing problems.


http://i00.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/1...pg_350x350.jpg

JawKnee

No CEL or message.

Fortinatley i have no experience with airbags so I don't know if it's leaking or not but for some reason, I can't help but think it's related to the airbag somehow. The smell lingered and was very prominent. I had to use some activated charcoal/odor eater to try and remove the smell.

Most of the after market wiring has been installed for a very long time but obviously something is amiss since the passenger heated seat was constantly on (I don't know how long that's been an issue however). As mentioned previously, I recently disconnected the switch and removed the fuse as well and that's the only "change" that I can think of. Regarding the passenger heated seat, I was going to try and get a new switch if it was cheap enough as my first real troubleshooting step.

windhund116

Well, I guess you can pull the covers and check the condition of the air bags. Not sure that the color of powder inside is red. Most videos of air bag deployment seem to have a yellowish gas-powder.

BooGTS

I think it goes w/o saying, but don't have your daughter in the car until this is resolved. I assume this is a backup / play vehicle? I would take out the battery and start going through all the aftermarket stuff as stated above. Unless something like the seat heaters are shorting with the airbag circuits, I wouldn't expect the airbags to be able to burn. The human mind is a funny thing though and there is a reason you think its the airbags, maybe subconsciously your brain associates that smell with an airbag you've smelled post deployment in your life. Not something to fool around with though, I'd consider the car un-driveable until you can sort it out.