Airbag yellow warning light, (code) driver side, side airbag

May 1, 2024
2
0
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").

What I have done​

  1. removed the seats
  2. cleaned all the connectors
  3. checked each seat wire for connectivity through and through
  4. checked each wire in seats floor for connectivity
  5. installed seats back
  6. connected connectors
  7. re-checked each connector wires connectivity through and through
  8. 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

  1. 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?

  2. 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?

  3. Is there any means to solder the three wire connector with some hack like using specific value resistor as with some chair pressure sensors?

  4. 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?

  5. 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....).
  6. 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?
 
May 1, 2024
2
0
Addition, the error codes are:

01221 driver side crash sensor
00098 central lock motors left rear
00930 central lock switch, unsure signal
01554 motors, central lock
01552 CDSL -motor
00928 Door central lock, unsure signal
00943 sideview mirror, heating. Driver side.

01553 CDSL -motor, driver side
00944 Sideview mirror, heating, passanger side.

I did lose the remote opening capability with the keys year ago, but locking worked, and then I lost capability to remotely lock rear left car.
For that I have found hacks to fix the locks as their lubrication goes bad. But none of the other error codes were found (or then listed) by the importer company.

My priority is just now to find the driver side crash sensor.

Is it inside a door, or is it in the B-pillar bottom under a trim? Or where?
All the rest I can solve later on with time.
 

mty12345

Active Member
Jun 17, 2011
3,926
546
bristol
Hi mate, i don't have any experince of your model car, but i do know a bit about electronics and airbag systems

First off you can get a wiring diagram and repair info for your car here. You need to pay for 1 hours access (it's about $10) but then you can download the things you need as a pdf https://erwin.seat.com/erwin/showSearchArticle.do

Secondly have you looked up your codes on ross-tech as they are by far the best resource for fault codes, here is an example. http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/01221

I think your problem is not with the airbag itself, but the sensor that controls it. On the older leons, the crash sensor is not inside the seat, it is bolted to the floor underneath the seat. If it is the same in your car then water can leak in and damage the sensor or the connector. Seeing as you have codes for power and implausible signal, this would be my best guess. Usually the one crash sensor under the seat, controls the activation of the steering wheel airbag, side airbag and seatbelt tensioners for that side of the car.

It would also be worth using the service info to find the main ground connections near the drivers side area, unbolt them and clean them up before bolting back to the car. It seems you have a fair few faults around the drivers area, and they often have a common path back to ground. A bad ground can cause bad data/power issues on things, and you end up getting backfeed voltages from other componants that are using the same connections.
 
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