Airbag light on

[Palinkat]

I have an 07 Altea XL 1.9R, 20000 km on the clock. The airbag light is on all the time, started about 2 weeks ago.
When I turn on the engine, light comes on during checkup, then turns off for about 1 second and then comes back on.
Has anybody experienced something similar, looking for pointers on what to check before I go to the dealer.

Cheers

Pt

 

[JonTelfer]

Have a look to see if the connectors under the chairs have been disturbed perhaps.

Any mates with vag-com?

Jon

 

[Palinkat]

Thanks Jon, I will check. Already checked the one behind the glove box but looks fine.
No mates with vag-com, where can I get 1 from?

 

[JonTelfer]

Have a browse of the vag-com forum on this site to get the idea (or www.ross-tech.com to get it from the horses mouth). There's a help requests bit as well so you could get your car scanned for beer money if someone's local (NB you need a cable that can talk CAN-BUS).

Presumably the car's still in warranty so the dealer won't bend you over the table for the repair.

Jon

 

[widdy]

Had same problem on 07 Altea tdi sport.

Visited the dealer who checked connections under drivers seat (RHD). Happened again three weeks later, again visit to dealer and this time stated the airbag needed replacing in drivers seat.

Car booked in and sorted, not happened since, Touch wood.

 

[widdy]

Bl**dy Airbag light has come on again.

Rang the dealer who get the car for the day next week to hopefully cure this problem once and for all. Getting a courtesy car so some compensation.

I will make sure they sort it out this time, otherwise I will be not happy.

Getting p****d off with this.

Anybody else had any tales of woe with there Airbag Warning system + resolutions ??

 

[Belly]

I've had the airbag light come on three times now this year.

The first time being because apparently one of the airbag accelrator units had gone kaput - meaning that the car sat at the delaers for 6 weeks as no parts were available and there were no spares coming out the factory.

Twice more has been down to 'loose connections' - a quick pop to the dealer and away again minutes later. The dealer reckoned the 2nd time that the airbag connections hadn't been put in properly and were prone to working loose - i didn't have the heart to tell them it was probably their fault from the last check that they had carried out!

 

[widdy]

Well its been fixed today.

This time is was the passenger side that was at fault. This is what was done as per invoice sheet.

Checked Airbag fault, passenger side airbag upper unit exceeded. Carry out wiring modification as per technical solution, replace nearside seat and repair wiring as necessary.

Had an Ibiza 1.2 Ref sport today as courtesy car. Not a bad little runner, bit under powered obviously compared to the Altea. Managed to seat five and completed the Xmas shopping trip without busting a gut. If I was in the market for a second car I would look at one of these.

 

[widdy]

Well what can I say, but it has come on again yesterday.
Phoned the garage and this time spoke to Rob at Kings Pompey.
Got me booked in for tomorrow lunchtime for a quick computer check to find out what is wrong and then fix accordingly.
credit where credit is due Kings got me booked ASAP, it is just proving a damn inconvenience having to keep going to the garage soo often.
Will post a reply tomorrow when I have a diagnosis
Again has anyone else had as many problems with the air bag light keeping coming on.

 

[widdy]

Well been to dealer and this time it is the passenger side seat airbag that needs replacing, the diagnosis stated it had "exceeded its upper limit" whatever that means.

Anyway no light now on dash at least so must be disabled on that bit.

Was booked in for friday to have the part replaced, but I rang later in the day stating I was unavailable. They then informed me that there is a back log on these parts, so will ring me upon arrival and book in for replacement.

Looks like other Altea Owners are having the same problem.

will keep you all updated with progress

 

[Belly]

Was booked in for friday to have the part replaced, but I rang later in the day stating I was unavailable. They then informed me that there is a back log on these parts, so will ring me upon arrival and book in for replacement.

Keep on at them or you could be waiting for some time. Our accelerator unit probably took the best part of 3-4 weeks to show up. Very frustrating.

 

[WALLYGATOR]

Similar problems for me today with my Altea. Several months ago, had my airbag warning light 'fixed' under warranty after it remained on and at that time. The only thing I had done 'out of the norm' immediaterly prior to the lamp activating was moving the driver's seat back and fore on the runners while cleaning out the car. I'm now 6 weeks out of the warranty period, and it's done it again! My wife drove the car last night and adjusted the seating position, which I adjusted back today, so I wonder if there is a link with the lamp activation and moving the seat? I have read from other posters about loose / bad connections under the seat, so it sounds feasable??

Don't want to take out a second mortgage and go to the Dealer....can someone talk me through the connections bit and advise can a 'fix' be done on a DIY basis or does it have to pay a visit to the garage?

Many thanks!

 

[4-candles]

I had this before on a Ford CMax, 2 weeks from picking it up from new. Dealer diagnosed faulty Drivers Seat Air bag that needed replacing. When the warning lamp is on it disables ALL the airbags, and also the front seat belt pre-tensioners. They quoted 2 weeks to fix as they need to get the part from Germany. Left car with Dealer and took a loaner.

6 WEEKS later, car was returned. Fair dues to Dealer, not his fault. As Air bags are clasified as 'Explosive' devices, they are subject to special transport conditions. Manufacturer has to ship them in a sperate special container to distribution point in country. Container with my spare part was loaded on a ship, that then went on a tour of the Med. before comming to UK. For 4 weeks it was at sea !! Once it arrived and was fixed it was fine.

So far the Altea has been great, hopefully it will stay that way

 

[lloydy007]

I had this problem a few months back, i have a mate who runs a garage and im not too bad witha car myself, so i checked all the cables for connections, cleaned them and checked them for rubbing through from the chair being moved back and forth. and there was nothing at all i could see, so popped in to the garage he got the electrition to have a look and the problem was the dash insert, £35 quid to repair and touch wood no problems to date.

 

[gaz258]

i had this problem with a previous ford focus. took it to a diagnostic centre for £25 as i was not prepared to pay £80+ quoted by ford. anyway the car refused to talk to the computer, so they advised going to ford and didnt charge me the £25. didnt go to ford and lived with the problem until i got rid of the car, fortunately i didnt have any accidents in that time

 

[neilnjh]

hi my air bag light came on and stayed on and also horn stopped working aswell as stereo controls so they replaced the loom or whatever they called it in the steering wheel and everything works fine now and air bag light also went of

 

[Peak Panther]

Neiknjh
This is exactly what has happened to mine. Have you any more info regarding this "loom"?
How much did it cost to fix if not in warranty? (mine is 4 months out of warrenty).
Any info appreciated

 

[neilnjh]

hi i put car in garage just local garage in area not seat and they replaced some sort of ring in steering wheel which works as steering wheel turns and makes horn work also stereo controls and when they replaced this it made air bag light go of on dash board and it cost 100 pound supplied and fitted so was pretty chuffed will put proper name of this ring when i find reciept

 

[Peak Panther]

Cheers Neilnjh! ( I miss the audio controls, how lazy is that? )

 

[radek35]

hi my air bag light came on and stayed on and also horn stopped working aswell as stereo controls so they replaced the loom or whatever they called it in the steering wheel and everything works fine now and air bag light also went of

Hi, the same happened to me as well. Can you be more detail what was wrong? I did not get it how some sort of ring in steering wheel can cause this.
Thanks