Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
john the baptist
Resident
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:48 am

Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby john the baptist » Fri May 12, 2017 7:53 am

Hi its ITV time again with my car however during the year I had to have the ignition key system replaced as a tiny piece of metal that turns the ignition on snapped. Every since then the red warning light for the airbag/ seat belt tensions have been on. I know that there is no easy way to turn it off. My question is that I really need help with is with it fail the ITV automatically for the light being on????

Ive got a feeling that essentially any Red warning light would be a fail and possibly any yellow warning light like the engine management system would be allow it to be passed.

Please can anyone help??? its an old zafira and we need it as its our main source of transport. Is there any quick trick where I can disconnect the tension cables of the seat belts or anyway to take the light off. In the good old days it would have been a quick take the bulb out :(

The issue came up because the local garage replaced the part and got the car going again when it broke its part, at the time however it could not get the light to turn off and as such does not believe it can help me and does not want to know. I've got less than a week to sort it out before i got to estapona.

User avatar
costakid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5754
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:55 am
Location: malaga este

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby costakid » Fri May 12, 2017 7:59 am

Disconnect the battery for 30 minutes, this may reset the system. If not a trip to someone with a portable diagnostic kit should do the trick. They can reset your system through the ecu port and as long as there is not a fault the light will stay off.

john the baptist
Resident
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:48 am

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby john the baptist » Fri May 12, 2017 8:37 am

great thanks for the info i was really worried as Im desperate for it to be sorted. who would normally have a portable diagnostics kit?? any normal mechanic???

User avatar
Enrique
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 9488
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:47 am
Location: Mytchett/Alcala La Real

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby Enrique » Fri May 12, 2017 8:42 am

Hi J de B,
Before doing what Costakid has suggested, Reseat the connections under both front seats, if the Airbag light is still staying on go to Costakid's Post.

Reseat = pull connector out and then reconnect. There maybe more than one connector under the seats.

If all fails then get down to Auto Electrician . There will be specialist Auto Electrical Garages in your area.
All my best learning experiences start with a problem I need to solve.

User avatar
Trooperman
Resident
Posts: 1074
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2006 4:40 pm
Location: Fuente de Piedra

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby Trooperman » Fri May 12, 2017 10:08 am

Further to Entique's post, start with those under-seat connectors (yellow is the normal colouring for the connectors and cables I believe), using spray-on electrical contact cleaner and if not cured, then look to other connectors and they may be under the steering column or, indeed, the rotary coupler that connects the steering wheel electrics (air bag) to the column and on to the body ECU. Sounds complex?....well it is (ask me how I know!!! : :x )...and as costakid says, it would be easier to find a local garage with a test machine (generic ones are usually capable of diagnosing the airbag electrics and it's basic bit of kit nowadays) 'cos that should pinpoint the fault quite accurately.
nil illegitimum carborundum

ajtg1952
Resident
Posts: 1612
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2009 3:11 pm
Location: Concas, Los Ventorros de Comares

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby ajtg1952 » Fri May 12, 2017 10:47 am

The air bag light on means there is a fault in the system. Disconnecting circuits is unlikely to clear the fault, in fact it can produce a new fault code. It's one of the lights that is checked during the ITV. It has to come on with the ignition and go off again after a few seconds, otherwise it's a fail.
I know how you are feeling. I have 3 cars, one 27 years old, another 17 and the "new" car is 10. I dread the ITV.
Most mechanics workshops will have a diagnostic computer and they should be able to clear or determine the fault.

john the baptist
Resident
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:48 am

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby john the baptist » Fri May 12, 2017 10:49 am

thanks its stopped raining so Im doing the battery thing at the moment.

john the baptist
Resident
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:48 am

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby john the baptist » Fri May 12, 2017 11:23 am

done the batery trick and sprayed the yellow terminals under the seat with wd40 but no luck.

am i correct that it will be an instant fail if i turn up for the ITV with the red light still on???

User avatar
Enrique
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 9488
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:47 am
Location: Mytchett/Alcala La Real

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby Enrique » Fri May 12, 2017 11:35 am

Hi J de B,

" Every since then the red warning light for the airbag/ seat belt tensions have been on."........that would indicate that your "fault" is possibly in the area of the steering column.

Best to get it down to Auto electrician.........

At our Test Centre the Tester will get into vehicle (at beginning ) when doing emissions test ....stopping and starting engine so will spot fault lights that stay on.
All my best learning experiences start with a problem I need to solve.

User avatar
costakid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5754
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:55 am
Location: malaga este

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby costakid » Fri May 12, 2017 4:49 pm

any local garage will have a snap on or similar make diagnostic kit. They will charge a fee to fault find but if you let them fix it they may waive the diagnostic test.
Never ever disconnect an airbag plug until the car has been standing with ignition off for at least 30 minutes. You can unplug them and they can go off.

john the baptist
Resident
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:48 am

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby john the baptist » Wed May 17, 2017 6:49 pm

light sorted, now a full service and Ill be ready for the ITV cheers

User avatar
peteroldracer
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 7774
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:56 pm
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby peteroldracer » Wed May 17, 2017 7:06 pm

so what was it?....
I used to cough to disguise a [email protected] I f@rt to disguise a cough.

john the baptist
Resident
Posts: 483
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:48 am

Re: Red Light Airbag Warning Please HELP!!!!

Postby john the baptist » Wed May 17, 2017 8:37 pm

seat belt sensors under the seat, faulty connections. airbag ok albeit i hope ill never ever use it.


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 22 guests