Airbag light and canbus errors!

[thecookie125]

This has been covered to death about canbus errors caused by the airbag control module, basically the problem I’m facing is a intermittent (although getting more and more frequent) airbag light, when it comes on it disables a whole number of other canbus based things such as indicator dash lights, parking sensors, central locking etc etc etc.

My understanding was that if you take the connectors out of the airbag control module it would clear the error more or less immediately but leave you with an airbag light, unfortunately this was not the case, now I have a permanent airbag light and an interment canbus error presumably caused by something else on the airbag control system, is it a case of just unplugging the connectors one by one until the canbus error clears or is there more to it than that?

If that is the case what else could be causing the error? My guess would be seatbelt tensioners, airbag modules in the doors, and the plugs under the seats? It’s an 06 coupe.

 

[DanielS]

If you have fault codes please share.

If possible use INPA on ISTA D.

First read all your faults print to PDF, clear all the faults, print results to PDF. Turn off ignition, wait 30 seconds, turn ignition back on (don't start the car) and read faults and post stuff back online.

 

[thecookie125]

If you have fault codes please share.

If possible use INPA on ISTA D.

First read all your faults print to PDF, clear all the faults, print results to PDF. Turn off ignition, wait 30 seconds, turn ignition back on (don't start the car) and read faults and post stuff back online.

It doesn’t have any access to those programs but when scanned with a decent code reader and it didn’t come back with anything

 

[Haro]

I think you're getting confused, canbus errors are related to the lights. If you are getting a whole host of unrelated problems then checking the condition of the battery/charging would be the first stop.

 

[thecookie125]

I think you're getting confused, canbus errors are related to the lights. If you are getting a whole host of unrelated problems then checking the condition of the battery/charging would be the first stop.

Canbus is a method of high speed data transfer used in cars, a short on a K line would cause errors like this to happen, it is also used for the lights.

 

[DanielS]

If you take connectors out of the airbag control module you will get numerous errors that need to be cleared. If your reader isn't picking them up then I would try a different code reader.

I have been working on my airbag systeem for a while now and if one thing is sure, it logs errors, lots of them.

 

[DashingDaryl]

Canbus is a method of high speed data transfer used in cars, a short on a K line would cause errors like this to happen, it is also used for the lights.

I agree. I think there is either a module that is faulty on the can bus system or there is a bare wire that is shorting out.

Think back to when the problem first started. Were you doing any work on your car? Did you splice any wires, or perhaps pinch a wire? It sounds like you are getting random "noise" on your canbus data line.

If you don't recall doing any work, you can try disconnecting modules/computers and see if the clears the problem up.

The reason you are not getting any errors is either because you don't have the right software, or more likely it is just "Noise" on the line and not a specific error

Here is a video that illustrates the problem and how the guy found the solution.
https://youtu.be/7Grbph4qOJw

 

[thecookie125]

Canbus is a method of high speed data transfer used in cars, a short on a K line would cause errors like this to happen, it is also used for the lights.

I agree. I think there is either a module that is faulty on the can bus system or there is a bare wire that is shorting out.

Think back to when the problem first started. Were you doing any work on your car? Did you splice any wires, or perhaps pinch a wire? It sounds like you are getting random "noise" on your canbus data line.

If you don't recall doing any work, you can try disconnecting modules/computers and see if the clears the problem up.

The reason you are not getting any errors is either because you don't have the right software, or more likely it is just "Noise" on the line and not a specific error

Here is a video that illustrates the problem and how the guy found the solution.
https://youtu.be/7Grbph4qOJw

This is the perfect explanation to what I’m experiencing, one module is dying and screaming while it’s doing it causing the rest to stop working properly basically.

So based on what your saying if I was to unplug each module individually it would clear the noise as soon as it was unplugged, I’ve tried this with the seats and the actual module so far and it’s continued to do the strange errors, the only ones left are the ones in the doors if im correct.

When it first came I on I was driving it back from work last summer, it came on for about 20 seconds and cleared and has progressively worse and more frequent over time, it could be in my head but it does seem to error more on cold damper days.

 

[DashingDaryl]

That kind of makes sense. Cold days would probably exacerbate a loose solder joint