Recurring airbag light- solved
- Thread starter bigwinn
- Start date
Did the water hit any of the airbag harnesses connectors? Those should be yellow.
It sounds like there is resistance in the circuit, as if the connector got corroded. It may mean you need to use some contact cleaner on the harness, or actually replace the damaged airbag.
Since driver side is dependent on the region, left & right is more universal. Right is right when you are sitting in the Driver's seat.
It sounds like there is resistance in the circuit, as if the connector got corroded. It may mean you need to use some contact cleaner on the harness, or actually replace the damaged airbag.
Since driver side is dependent on the region, left & right is more universal. Right is right when you are sitting in the Driver's seat.
Plugging the car into INPA and looking at the airbag module you should be able to see the status of each of the componants in the system which may narrow your problem down if the right airbag is not showing as connected. Good call earlier to check and clean the underseat connections as well.
Looks like you have 1 fault of low resistance on the right airbag according to the fault code you got in INPA, this is highlighted in the Status screen shot in the fourth screenshot where it shows up with a black dot, the rest are ok.
I would start looking at the wiring to that right airbag behind the door card, disconnect the battery negative terminal before you start taking the card off. Disconnect the plug from the airbag and check the condition of the pins for cleanliness, spray some electric contact cleaner in and allow to dry, same for the socket on the airbag. Check the wiring that runs back through the door to where it exits the door and into the body of the car. Possible broken wire inside thats setting the code now and then. Not sure what resistance that airbag should be but I do know that the belt pretensioners must be less than 1ohm when checked on a test meter. Typicial pretensioner resistance is around 0.4 - 0.5ohms on good units, would expect similar on the airbag unit.
Screen shot 3 showing the acceleration sensor Y direction all seem to be good except for the top two readings, offset and current readings, not got knowledge of this section but would suppose that they should also be at zero like the other readings with the car stationary or stillstand as the Germans say at the bottom of the screen.
Thats what I deduce from those screenshots, not an expert by any means, maybe someone else will chip in with their interpretation would like to see how this gets resolved.
I would start looking at the wiring to that right airbag behind the door card, disconnect the battery negative terminal before you start taking the card off. Disconnect the plug from the airbag and check the condition of the pins for cleanliness, spray some electric contact cleaner in and allow to dry, same for the socket on the airbag. Check the wiring that runs back through the door to where it exits the door and into the body of the car. Possible broken wire inside thats setting the code now and then. Not sure what resistance that airbag should be but I do know that the belt pretensioners must be less than 1ohm when checked on a test meter. Typicial pretensioner resistance is around 0.4 - 0.5ohms on good units, would expect similar on the airbag unit.
Screen shot 3 showing the acceleration sensor Y direction all seem to be good except for the top two readings, offset and current readings, not got knowledge of this section but would suppose that they should also be at zero like the other readings with the car stationary or stillstand as the Germans say at the bottom of the screen.
Thats what I deduce from those screenshots, not an expert by any means, maybe someone else will chip in with their interpretation would like to see how this gets resolved.
Still looking like low resistance on that right airbag according to those codes, since the wiring is intact and clean connections next step would be to switch out the airbag for a known working one, scrap yard should come up with a suitable replacement with same part number as yours.replacement is fitted and then the code cleared see if the code returns. If it returns then delve into the airbag module connection and check the plug and pins for cleanliness that end. Use a voltmeter set to 200ohms and put the leads on the wires that come from the right airbag and see what resistance number you get that end. I do know the pretensioners must have less than 1.0 ohm recent test on a pair of those I made showed up as 0.4 and 0.5 which was in spec, not sure what you should have on an actual airbag at the moment.
Just found this thread which may be of interest https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1498270
Seems their problem was broken tabs in the airbag plug causing low resitance, double check yours for damage.
They mention 2 x 2.7Ohm resistors were put in place of the airbag and that took the warning light off so their airbag needed that resistance to satisfy the main module. I invested in a small resistance diagnostic test meter a few week back but not used it in anger yet. It can be connected to the wiring and a range of resistance adjusted until the right setting turns the light off on the dash with an ignition cycle. Using this would at least prove the wiring is ok and the actual airbag is at fault which a normal volt meter can't tell you.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223475405476
Just found this thread which may be of interest https://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1498270
Seems their problem was broken tabs in the airbag plug causing low resitance, double check yours for damage.
They mention 2 x 2.7Ohm resistors were put in place of the airbag and that took the warning light off so their airbag needed that resistance to satisfy the main module. I invested in a small resistance diagnostic test meter a few week back but not used it in anger yet. It can be connected to the wiring and a range of resistance adjusted until the right setting turns the light off on the dash with an ignition cycle. Using this would at least prove the wiring is ok and the actual airbag is at fault which a normal volt meter can't tell you.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223475405476
JUst amended my post with info I found n another forum plus some diagnostic details using kit I have, if you have a matching other airbag to hand then a swap might well prove its the airbag itself thats got the problem. Yes the main module is in the centre console.