Dodge Dakota (ND). Manual - part 463

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, never strike or drop the occupant restraint controller, as it can
damage the impact sensor or affect its calibration. The occupant restraint controller contains the impact
sensor, which enables the system to deploy the supplemental restraints. If an occupant restraint controller
is accidentally dropped during service, the module must be scrapped and replaced with a new unit. Failure
to observe this warning could result in accidental, incomplete, or improper supplemental restraint deploy-
ment.

CAUTION: On vehicles equipped with the Occupant Classification System (OCS), never replace both the
Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) and the Occupant Classification Module (OCM) at the same time. If
both require replacement, replace one. Then perform the supplemental restraint verification test before
replacing the other. Both the ORC and the OCM store OCS calibration data, which they transfer to one
another when one of them is replaced. If both are replaced at the same time, an irreversible fault will be set
in both modules.

1. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable.

Wait two minutes for the system capacitor to dis-
charge before further service.

2. Disconnect the instrument panel (1) and body (3)

wire

harness

connectors

from

the

Occupant

Restraint Controller (ORC) (2) connector recepta-
cles located on the left facing side of the module.
To disconnect the connectors from the ORC:

a. Slide the red Connector Position Assurance

(CPA) lock on the top of the connector toward
the left side of the vehicle.

b. Depress the edge of the CPA lock closest to

the ORC to release the connector latch tab
and pull the connector straight away from the
ORC connector receptacle.

3. Remove the instrument panel from the vehicle.

(Refer to 23 - BODY/INSTRUMENT PANEL/IN-
STRUMENT PANEL ASSEMBLY - REMOVAL).

4. Remove the floor distribution duct from the bottom of the heater-air conditioner housing. (Refer to 24 - HEATING

& AIR CONDITIONING/DISTRIBUTION/FLOOR DISTRIBUTION DUCTS - REMOVAL).

5. Remove the three nuts (2) that secure the ORC (1)

to the studs of the ORC mount (4) welded onto the
top of the floor panel transmission tunnel (3).

6. Remove the ORC from the ORC mount.

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RESTRAINTS - SERVICE INFORMATION

INSTALLATION

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the supplemental
restraint system before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, occupant classification sys-
tem, seat belt tensioner, impact sensor, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect
and isolate the battery negative (ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge
before performing further diagnosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the supplemental
restraint system. Failure to take the proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.

1. Carefully position the Occupant Restraint Controller

(ORC) (1) onto the studs of the ORC mount (4) on
the floor panel transmission tunnel. When the ORC
is correctly positioned, the arrow on the ORC label
will be pointed forward in the vehicle and the ORC
connector receptacles will be facing the left side of
the vehicle.

2. Install and tighten the three nuts (2) that secure the

ORC to the studs of the ORC mount that is welded
onto the floor panel transmission tunnel. Tighten
the nuts to 6 N·m (50 in. lbs.).

3. Reinstall the floor distribution duct onto the bottom

of the heater-air conditioner housing. (Refer to 24 -
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING/DISTRIBUTION/
FLOOR DISTRIBUTION DUCTS - INSTALLATION).

4. Reinstall the instrument panel into the vehicle.

(Refer to 23 - BODY/INSTRUMENT PANEL/IN-
STRUMENT PANEL ASSEMBLY - INSTALLATION).

RESTRAINTS - SERVICE INFORMATION

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5. Reconnect the instrument panel (1) and body (3)

wire harness connectors to the ORC (2) connector
receptacles located on the left facing side of the
module. Be certain that the latches and the red
CPA locks on both connectors are each fully
engaged.

6. Do not reconnect the battery negative cable at this

time. The supplemental restraint system verification
test procedure should be performed following ser-
vice of any supplemental restraint system compo-
nent. (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS -
STANDARD

PROCEDURE

VERIFICATION

TEST).

SWITCH-PASSENGER AIRBAG ON/OFF

DESCRIPTION

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 instru-
ment 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 nomen-
clature, and the key cylinder actuator (3). The

Off

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 har-
ness connector insulator is keyed and latched to ensure proper and secure switch electrical connections. The pas-
senger airbag on/off switch cannot be adjusted or repaired and, if faulty or damaged, the switch must be replaced.

OPERATION

The passenger airbag on/off switch allows the customer to turn the passenger airbag function On or Off to accom-
modate 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.

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RESTRAINTS - SERVICE INFORMATION

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. Refer to the appro-
priate diagnostic information.

REMOVAL

NOTE: A passenger airbag on/off switch is used only on club cab models. Quad cab models have a cubby
bin installed in the instrument panel center bezel in place of the on/off switch.

1. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable.

Wait two minutes for the system capacitor to dis-
charge before further service.

2. Remove the center bezel (1) from the instrument

panel. (Refer to 23 - BODY/INSTRUMENT PANEL/
INSTRUMENT

PANEL

CENTER

BEZEL

REMOVAL).

3. From the back of the center bezel, remove the

three screws (3) that secure the passenger airbag
on/off switch and bezel unit (2) to the back of the
center bezel.

4. Remove the passenger airbag on/off switch and

bezel from the center bezel as a unit.

RESTRAINTS - SERVICE INFORMATION

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