Air Bag warning light intermittent

Eileen2006 · 2023-08-18 22:18:18

Hi Folks,

Would appreciate your input as the air bag warning light has started coming on intermittently. When first starting, it goes through the usual self test phase and goes out but then will come on at some point in the journey. Then if you park up, switch off and restart later, it tends to either do the same or stay on after the self test. I'm thinking it can't be a faulty air bag ecu or air bag as it would be on all the time. Maybe faulty wiring?

The weird thing is it only started doing it a couple of months ago immediately (within minutes) after I'd disconnected the near side ventilation blower motor which had gone full speed (broken resistor array I'm guessing there!). It's never done it before but surely this must be a total coincidence hmm

TIA

David

kenbw2 · 2023-08-19 03:05:59

I'm fortunate to have never had any issues with my airbags - all zero of them - but my understanding is that the classic explanation is normally the wiring under the seat

Isn't there the airbag ECU under the passenger seat under the rubber mat? I think all the wiring is coated in orange insulation

Eileen2006 · 2023-08-19 09:17:21

kenbw2 wrote:

I'm fortunate to have never had any issues with my airbags - all zero of them - but my understanding is that the classic explanation is normally the wiring under the seat
Isn't there the airbag ECU under the passenger seat under the rubber mat? I think all the wiring is coated in orange insulation

Thanks kenbw2. Glad to know you've not had any issues with your zero airbags big_smile Yeah after doing a search on here, I've kinda figured out where the airbag ecu is. I have a suspicion it's under the rubber mat where there is a small bump on the floor in the gap between the front seats but will investigate later and post back what I find. I was also wondering if it could be a dicky contact in the wiring under the steering wheel airbag being as the turning of the wheel over the years might stress this to the point of failiure.

Eileen2006 · 2023-09-29 13:13:14

Quick update on this one. My investigations into the location of the airbag ecu lead me to park that one for a while - plenty of other things on the van more urgent to deal with. I did establish the ecu's location under the rubber floor mat between the seats but being as the seats need to be removed, or at least one of them anyway, in order to roll back the floor mat for access to the ecu, I've left that for now. The fixing bolts for the seats are pretty seized and are way too thin for my liking and at risk of snapping. I don't really want to try heat on them due to the proximity of the rubber matting so have just applied some releasing oil to soak in.
I took the van to two different mechanics to try to do some diagnostics on the airbag system but or course, on both occassions the airbag warning light wasn't on at the time and they either couldn't get any fault codes or couldn't even connect their OBD diag devices to the airbag ecu. Thankfully the airbag light stayed off during the MOT so I got through that without any major issues.

Casper · 2023-10-11 22:23:04

Different van but my intermittent air bag light was the plug going into the ECU. Copper pins were growing green crud. Tin a spray brake and clutch cleaner and the wifes toothbrush fixed that issue. I also had it with a Pug 306. That turned out to be the air bag clock under the steering wheel was falling apart. Never noticed until it was to late and copper wire was springing out big_smile Scrap yard cured that issue for little money

Eileen2006 · 2023-10-12 15:46:31

Casper wrote:

Different van but my intermittent air bag light was the plug going into the ECU. Copper pins were growing green crud. Tin a spray brake and clutch cleaner and the wifes toothbrush fixed that issue. I also had it with a Pug 306. That turned out to be the air bag clock under the steering wheel was falling apart. Never noticed until it was to late and copper wire was springing out Scrap yard cured that issue for little money

Thanks Casper. Yes I was wondering about investigating the air bag contact under the steering wheel as (I presume) it's a darn sight easier to get at than the ecu under the rubber matting. As it is I've parked the whole issue for a while as more pressing things to sort, like the blower motors. When I get back to the air bag light, i'm inclined to take to a local mechanic to see if he can pull any codes off the ecu.

OAT · 2023-10-12 18:27:19

Eileen2006 wrote:

it's a darn sight easier to get at than the ecu under the rubber matting.

Doesn't your rubber mat have a flap in it to give access?

Casper · 2023-10-13 00:21:43

OAT wrote:

Doesn't your rubber mat have a flap in it to give access?

Mine had a plastic cover. I had to bin it to put a single swivel base in.

Last edited by Casper (2023-10-13 00:25:26)

Eileen2006 · 2023-10-14 12:40:39

OAT wrote:

Eileen2006 wrote:
it's a darn sight easier to get at than the ecu under the rubber matting.
Doesn't your rubber mat have a flap in it to give access?

I'm assuming it's under the rubber mat between the two seats but no sign of a flap......

kenbw2 · 2023-10-14 23:07:01

Mine is offset to the left, under the passenger seat but is a similar dimple to that

Last edited by kenbw2 (2023-10-14 23:07:17)

Eileen2006 · 2023-10-15 14:42:17

kenbw2 wrote:

Mine is offset to the left, under the passenger seat but is a similar dimple to that

Interesting that your ECU sounds like its in a different place. I had a look under Eileen some weeks back and the housing in the floor pan for the ecu looked pretty central. Will have another look next time she's on axle stands.

Still wanting to refurb the blower motors as first priority atm once the new carbon brushes turn up, this week hopefully.

OAT · 2023-10-15 19:01:31

Mines to the left as well. Must be a bigger and relocated dimple for the later and bulkier electronics.

Mixerfistit · 2023-10-22 14:51:44

My 06 plate is central like OPs under the mat. I've heard they're great for gathering liquids but mine was pretty dry thankfully.

If you do get around to taking the seats out, I strongly recommend you look under the van for all of the exposed bolts and observe the rusted/rotten threads.
Unbolt them until you feel resistance then stop and screw them back down.
Take a dremel to the rotten ends of the bolts.
Some bolt ends will be hidden in the chassis but fortunately these are more shielded and came out in one piece for me.

Eileen2006 · 2023-10-26 12:57:19

Mixerfistit wrote:

My 06 plate is central like OPs under the mat. I've heard they're great for gathering liquids but mine was pretty dry thankfully.
If you do get around to taking the seats out, I strongly recommend you look under the van for all of the exposed bolts and observe the rusted/rotten threads.
Unbolt them until you feel resistance then stop and screw them back down.
Take a dremel to the rotten ends of the bolts.
Some bolt ends will be hidden in the chassis but fortunately these are more shielded and came out in one piece for me.

Yeah I know what you mean about checking the seat bolt threads under the van. I wire brushed them and sprayed releasing oil on some weeks back and then screwed short pieces of rubber tubing over the threads to protect them. Have left that for now while I sort out other, more pressing, issues like the blower motors and now the front brakes (which were missed in the MOT!) roll . Always something eh!

Last edited by Eileen2006 (2023-10-26 13:29:48)

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#1 2023-08-18 22:18:18

Air Bag warning light intermittent

#2 2023-08-19 03:05:59

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#3 2023-08-19 09:17:21

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#4 2023-09-29 13:13:14

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#5 2023-10-11 22:23:04

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#6 2023-10-12 15:46:31

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#7 2023-10-12 18:27:19

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#8 2023-10-13 00:21:43

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#9 2023-10-14 12:40:39

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#10 2023-10-14 23:07:01

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#11 2023-10-15 14:42:17

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#12 2023-10-15 19:01:31

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#13 2023-10-22 14:51:44

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

#14 2023-10-26 12:57:19

Re: Air Bag warning light intermittent

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