Hi, I have been searching information for the 2008 Altea XL 1.4 TSI 5P airbag problem.
Started by inserting a seat belt on while driving a car slowly on the moment the buckle locked.
The importer official car service informed that it is a "driver side, side airbag" (I have specific codes in the car) that is having "unsure signal" and other as "error positive signal").
Example, I have signal going through from driver seat side airbag to the passenger side airbag, and the front airbag, as well to the computer near right to the gas pedal.
But I do not get any signal going to A-pillar on either side, nor the B-pillar where the seat belt is. Both of those have the plastic covers that reads "airbag".
So I think that those have the problem...
I have not yet opened those covers to check even is there something inside. But I don't know is there suppose to be anything in those.
Looking some other decade old threads with pictures: https://www.seatcupra.net/forums/threads/removing-a-pillar-trim-with-air-bag.374744/
I first carefully traced the seat airbag cable (yellow connector, three wire) to the seat with cable tester, and cable is intact from the connector all the way to middle of the side, where you can feel the airbag being installed. Of course the wire can be damaged exactly in the sensor or the sensor being faulty, that the cable tester can't show as it will signal only connectivity all the way to the point of cut or end of the wire.
Started by inserting a seat belt on while driving a car slowly on the moment the buckle locked.
The importer official car service informed that it is a "driver side, side airbag" (I have specific codes in the car) that is having "unsure signal" and other as "error positive signal").
What I have done
- removed the seats
- cleaned all the connectors
- checked each seat wire for connectivity through and through
- checked each wire in seats floor for connectivity
- installed seats back
- connected connectors
- re-checked each connector wires connectivity through and through
- double-checked the driver seat seat-belt buckle wires (two wires) from the buckle to the connector, and past the connector to somewhere inside the car (don't know where it should go).
Example, I have signal going through from driver seat side airbag to the passenger side airbag, and the front airbag, as well to the computer near right to the gas pedal.
But I do not get any signal going to A-pillar on either side, nor the B-pillar where the seat belt is. Both of those have the plastic covers that reads "airbag".
So I think that those have the problem...
I have not yet opened those covers to check even is there something inside. But I don't know is there suppose to be anything in those.
Looking some other decade old threads with pictures: https://www.seatcupra.net/forums/threads/removing-a-pillar-trim-with-air-bag.374744/
I first carefully traced the seat airbag cable (yellow connector, three wire) to the seat with cable tester, and cable is intact from the connector all the way to middle of the side, where you can feel the airbag being installed. Of course the wire can be damaged exactly in the sensor or the sensor being faulty, that the cable tester can't show as it will signal only connectivity all the way to the point of cut or end of the wire.
Questions
- I am assuming there is not suppose to be anything in the A-pillar, and the only airbags in the car is for driver the wheel + seat left side airbag (red tag) and for passenger it is the dashboard (glove box) + right side of the seat airbag?
- Do I have a option to change the seats to get the sensor fixed, as it is inside the seat and under the stitched fabric? Like can I test it with other car (Volkswagen consortium) that would have compatible plug by it having same color and form?
- Is there any means to solder the three wire connector with some hack like using specific value resistor as with some chair pressure sensors?
- The other error code would tell there is problem with the positive wire (I assume it is ground, positive and data?), so it might be one of the three is loose inside airbag unit?
- Are there any cheap/good/real service manuals for the workshops/mechanics to buy, that would show everything in the car for servicing it yourself? As the import service didn't even believe that the airbag light could be yellow, that it should be red. And they were questionable that "so old car" (to me a old car is < 1995) should even have a more than a two wires coming to seat, as their mechanic didn't even look below the seat... (Why I am not going to return to their service at all, as they didn't even know about car the company is representing here. Fool me once, shame on them....).
- I didn't test the wires with multimeter nor oscilloscope, as I don't know should there be specific resistance or voltage going through. I could always test the passenger seat for values and guess it should be same?
