Airbag warning light

[Bullet]

Can anyone help? I've just driven for 2 days heading for the Med, when I was within 10 miles of my destination of Argeles sur Mer, the Airbag Warning Light came on the dashboard. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong and the manual tells me to take it to a VW garage to get sorted. Anyone had this? Any suggestions?

 

[slowcoach65]

This happened to me. It was the cable under the seat that had been pulled. VW sorted it quickly and reset the warning light. If your problem is the same, should be easy to fix. Any chance you can pop into a local VW garage??

Good luck,

Andy

 

[Meoncoast]

In the past people on forum have called vW assist out and if it was only the light they have reset it. Happen to us a couple of weeks ago and VW assist would not come out said to take it to VW van centre and that if the light was on the bags would not go off they were disarmed - fine unless you have an actual accident.think they were trying to say they can not just fire off because of a fault. Took it into the local van centre a week later 1st slot reset the light but diagnosed a fault in passage seat airbag which needed changing had to wait another week for part and slot although the light did not come back on.

(edit van now sold another 40k on clock no further issue)

 

[bluebell]

This keeps happening to us and has happend again today (4th time) we go away this afternoon and VW assistance has told me to take it to my nearest garage. Not much use when we are on the 12.30 ferry

 

[Bullet]

Thanks for the posts.
I tried to get the warning light checked out at a VW franchise in Perpignan. Sadly they couldn't even look at it for 11 days and I needed to be on my way to the Atlantic coast. They did tell me that it wasn't anything to worry about and that it would probably just reset with a diagnostic tool.
So, on I went with slight concerns - not only that the airbag may not work if/when required (however I did drive for many years without an airbag anyway), or that the airbag may 'go off' inadvertently. For this latter concern, my wife armed herself with a crochet hook, ready to burst the airbag should it go off......a scenario I wasn't really looking forward too.
All this aside, I eventually arrived home 2,500 miles later with the airbag light still lit. The Cali (Earl by name) visited my local VW Van Centre yesterday, was attached to the diagnostic tool, and the fault diagnosed as a loose cable underneath the passenger seat, probably caused by the regular 'swivelling' of the front seats whenever we camped overnight. Cable reattached, I am now £78 lighter in the pocket, but a very happy bunny. Back to France in September.

 

[beardie]

Airbags stay inflated for a fraction of a second.a crochet hook is going to be of absolutely no use. More likely she would stab herself if she tries bursting the airbag. I should quietly remove it!!

 

[aileron346]

Mine's gone in for a second time under warranty for this problem. I'm worried it will keep happening post-warranty, so does anyone know if there is either a definitive fix or a self-fix for this?

 

[Bullet]

Sadly for me, the "Error Airbag" warning light has reappeared twice more since my return from France in July. I'm considering buying a diagnostic/reset gizmo to reset the light as VW charge about £80 for the use of their Diagnostic Tool. Anyone have any experience of these and whether they are worth it?

 

[Stu]

Rather than buy the diagnostic tool to turn the light off you should have the fault repaired.

 

[slowcoach65]

I vaguely remember there was a fix, which involved a longer cable, to stop it getting pulled.

Andy

 

[raynormor]

Passenger seat swivelling puts tension on the cable. I've had this three times, once under warranty and twice since. On the last occasssion I made a fuss and my local VW dealer, replaced the cable with a longer one. I thought there was a vw fix for this but apparently not. hopefully fixed for good now more than £200 out of pocket.

 

[JDWB]

Hi,
This happened to me whilst on holiday in France this summer. We came back to our Cali in the services and when I turned the ignition on there it was, the airbag warning light. I got my daughter un the UK to ring our local VW Van Centre and they said it was nothing to worry about and bring it in when we got. I duly took it in and the garage could find nothing wrong and reset the warning light. Last month we were in Scarborough and as I was pulling out of a parking bay the warning light came on again. It was due for a service and under the warrant the garage replaced both end of the plugs under the drivers seat. Hope this fixes the problem. Watch this space.
Regards
Dave

 

[Martin]

Another tip is don't move the seat ( swivel or sliding back and forth ) with the key in the ignition. I have heard that some people have had the new loom fitted under warranty,

 

[markh]

Does anyone know the part no. for the longer airbag loom? Mine is going in on Monday for an airbag fault which I suspect was caused be a pulled wire, although it all looks connected OK when peering under the seat.

I've no doubt that Kettering VW won't have heard of the longer loom so it would be good to quote them a part no. and try to see if they will replace it.

Thanks.
Mark

 

[Californiaman]

<Bump>

Does anyone know the part code for this? My Cali has also popped up the warning light (it did it the first time I rotated the passenger seat after the roof warranty work so, something may have been connected wrong..)

Either way, I would like to get it sorted properly and if there is a new improved/better loom then that seems like the way to go.

My MOT is just about due - will the warning light be a failure?

 

[markh]

I did ask when I took mine in but the guy at the dealership was pretty unhelpful and didn't want to know. Basically said that I shouldn't really take much notice of stuff on the forums!

I really hate this sort of attitude, since people on the forums often know more than them! I also hate that it's very hard to actually speak to the tech guy actually doing the work in these plush dealerships, where the "dirty" bit is all hidden away.

If it happens again I will take it to Listers who are generally a lot more helpful! If you do find out the part no. though in the meantime, please let me know.

Cheers
Mark

 

[markh]

P.S. The warning light will definitely be an MOT failure. They changed the rules on this last year. I had to get rid of my old Honda because it had the airbag warning light on and no one could find the cause. It had passed for many years with the light on prior to the rule change.

 

[trekoclv]

Airbag warning light came on so I enquired at local van centre, my van warranty expired April 2015, £85 for diagnostic to replace unit £900!! Not happy!

 

[calikev]

I would try and find someone local with vag com to reset it for you
First. It may not come back on mine didn't. Then and only then I would
Take it to vw

 

[WelshGas]

Firstly, calm down. The Airbag warning light means there is a problem. Where it is, no one can say, until a diagnostic check has been carried out. There is a central control unit, individual air bags in the Dashboard and each front seat.
It is very rare for the Control Unit or individual air bags to be at fault if no one has been fiddling with them. The most common cause is wiring/wiring loom plugs and on the California the front seats are commonly the problem because the wiring from the base to the seat has to cope with not just fore and aft movement but swivelling through 180* . I would suggest, going by comments on the Forum your problem will be one of the seats and as has been mentioned there is a longer wiring loom for the passenger seat available. Either way I would be surprised if VWCC would not offer to contribute towards if not all the cost of repair, provided your vehicle has been serviced by VW.

As Calikev said if you can get someone to reset it then that may be that. Before doing that check all the plugs from seat base to seat are firmly connected.

 

[Californiaman]

In the end on mine it was a damaged loom under the passenger seat that I was able to repair myself (the VW dealer were utterly rubbish...) Once I repaired the loom, I reset the codes using vagcom.

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[raynormor]

Had a long chat with SMG Cowfold last week. They can't find a longer loom on the parts list. They want to do a diagnostic and then decide a plan of action. I am willing to buy the part and have them fit it but that can't be done!!!
I have just had the 4th failure (air bag warning light on) after one reset and two costly repairs. no confidence in VW.

Does anyone know how the passenger seat comes out - can see bolts on one side but not the other - don't want to start unless I can confidently get it out and back in again. and which connector is it? too many questions

 

[Californiaman]

It's just four bolts to remove the seat. There are two connectors that you should see on the middle under the seat. Once you've removed the four bolts, tilt the seatback forward, them tilt the entire seat Inc the base backwards to gain access to disconnect the wires. My seat came out the passenger door but some say it is easier to take it out through the rear passenger area.


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[SusiBus]

We had it happen 3 times. If anyone knows the part number for the longer replacement wiring loom or has it replaced soon, try to blag it from the dealer because it would be very useful to members. Dealers, to put it politely, often need a little help ! !

 

[raynormor]

tha

It's just four bolts to remove the seat. There are two connectors that you should see on the middle under the seat. Once you've removed the four bolts, tilt the seatback forward, them tilt the entire seat Inc the base backwards to gain access to disconnect the wires. My seat came out the passenger door but some say it is easier to take it out through the rear passenger area.


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nks