need help with air bag problem

[ravenfox]

My car was in a front end wreck before I got it but the airbag never deployed. Yet the two airbag lights are on. Is there a way that I can reset them by chance?

Thanks!

[Briano1234]

Yes and no. First try disconnecting the battery for 24 hours.

second drive to the dealer and have them reset it for a charge of course, and hope it doesn't come back on.

third....

Either remove the airbag controller or clip the wires to the led's on the cluster harness.

If you decide to remove or clip the led's let us know because between Ron, and I we have you covered either way.

With both lights on the airbag will not deploy.

[ravenfox]

I have had the battery off for 24 hours and that didn't work. The dealer is being a pain about turning off due to safety issues. I cannot get the car plated without a smog check and they won't pass it because the lights are on.

Can you explain the clips to me please?

[Briano1234]

viewtopic.php?t=1506

You will be cutting the wires to the cluster, so you will need some electrical tape, or heat shrink tubing.

Disconnect the battery

Then there is removing your center console

Then remove the Airbag controller the big honking orange thing.

Remove the connector from the control unit.

Cut the two big black wires and solder them together

the 6 pin connector has 2 black wires.. jump them and its covered

[ravenfox]

thank you very much. I will try this tomorrow. Will that get rid of any codes as well?

[Briano1234]

thank you very much. I will try this tomorrow. Will that get rid of any codes as well?

No, but it will rid you of the air bag.......................Disabling the boxas in removing it will get rid of those codes.

[tolusina]

Here's the two black wire technique.
Minimal disassembly required, all components can remain or be removed as you choose.

Under the fuse box, find the 6 pin connector shown in the pic below, unplug it. The car won't start now, be patent, we'll fix that too.

The two black wires to cut and join are circled in the pic, but don't spice them as shown, I've come up with a much improved method that allows for absolutely painless restoration of the system at a later date if you desire.

So go ahead and cut the two black wires, working on the side of the harness with the female pins in the plug. You now have two pairs of cut wire ends facing each other, strip the insulation off of all four ends, stick two wire ends into one end of a butt connector and crimp, stick the other two wire ends in the other end of the same butt connector and crimp, you're done.
The air bag system is now totally bypassed and the car will start just fine. To restore the system for proper repairs, simply re-connect the halves of the 6 pin plug, leave your splice alone, the air bag system will be fully restored to it's pre-bypass state.

This method is about the easiest possible, no dash or console disassembly is required.

[kamzcab86]

What codes?? Unless your Cab has Digi I, it does not have OBD I. Furthermore, if it's just a smog check, the morons at the test station should a) see that cute little airbag guy under the lights and/or b) be shown the owner's manual in which it provides information about the dash lights. Now, if your state requires safety checks as well, I can understand...

This method is about the easiest possible, no dash or console disassembly is required.

Provided you're a contortionist.

[tolusina]

.......
Provided you're a contortionist.

It's not at all like stuffing oneself into a trunk ya know.
---

I was going to edit/add to my previous post, oh well, a new post instead.

The safety Royalty decreed that one should not be able to simply disconnect the air bag controller and continue drive the car should the air bag system malfunction and illuminate the intentionally annoying warning indicators.
To that end, they very cleverly placed an ignition critical connection in the main harness of the air bag controller. The safety Royals then turned the schematic drawing over the the Department Of Devious Deeds where this ignition critical connection was hidden over several pages of schematics and omitted clear indications of connections.

It took me hours to piece together the actual circuit from the schematics, the splice described above is the result. The splice simply moves that ignition critical connection from one side of the plug to the other and gives you the freedom to connect or disconnect the air bag controller whenever you like with no adverse effects.

[Briano1234]

.......
Provided you're a contortionist.

It's not at all like stuffing oneself into a trunk ya know.
---

I was going to edit/add to my previous post, oh well, a new post instead.

The safety Royalty decreed that one should not be able to simply disconnect the air bag controller and continue drive the car should the air bag system malfunction and illuminate the intentionally annoying warning indicators.
To that end, they very cleverly placed an ignition critical connection in the main harness of the air bag controller. The safety Royals then turned the schematic drawing over the the Department Of Devious Deeds where this ignition critical connection was hidden over several pages of schematics and omitted clear indications of connections.

It took me hours to piece together the actual circuit from the schematics, the splice described above is the result. The splice simply moves that ignition critical connection from one side of the plug to the other and gives you the freedom to connect or disconnect the air bag controller whenever you like with no adverse effects.

That is like the electrical wizards that placed the automatic interlock relay on the backside of the knee-bar but printed in the owners manual that it was in the fuse box.... Goooooooooooooo figure.... I guess it was in the general area of the fuse box.

[ravenfox]

What codes?? Unless your Cab has Digi I, it does not have OBD I. Furthermore, if it's just a smog check, the morons at the test station should a) see that cute little airbag guy under the lights and/or b) be shown the owner's manual in which it provides information about the dash lights. Now, if your state requires safety checks as well, I can understand...

This method is about the easiest possible, no dash or console disassembly is required.

Provided you're a contortionist.

Sorry I am new to cabbys.

I know on my other car even if the light has been turned off that the codes stored in the computer randomly turns it on. I am new to this sorry again if my question seemed silly.

In my area if any light is on they will not pass it. This happened to me in the jetta when we had it. Had the light turned off drove it for 3 weeks went to get it smog checked and when they were testing it the light came on. They failed it. I tried explaining that the check engine light was a old o2 sensor light that had been replaced still a no go.

I will try this later today thanks.

[ravenfox]

Thanks took me about 5 minutes and a little twisting but is done thanks.

There are so many cut wires under there its not funny

[kamzcab86]

Sorry I am new to cabbys.

I know on my other car even if the light has been turned off that the codes stored in the computer randomly turns it on. I am new to this sorry again if my question seemed silly.

In my area if any light is on they will not pass it. This happened to me in the jetta when we had it. Had the light turned off drove it for 3 weeks went to get it smog checked and when they were testing it the light came on. They failed it. I tried explaining that the check engine light was a old o2 sensor light that had been replaced still a no go.

Not at all a silly question. I just find this whole testing thing to be a tad ridiculous (especially with my '00 Jetta). Heck, I'm surprised the testers here in Phoenix didn't ask me what the orange light in the dash was for on my Cab (shift light), or better yet, failed the car immediately 'cuz the alternator and battery light were lit up when they started the car.

[SoCal_Cabby]

hi everyone...remember me?


anyway.
instead of unhooking the battery for 24 hours......unhook the battery and touch the battery cable together....does the same thing, it discharges the capacitors instantly rather than waiting for them to die on their own. i too have an airbag light on in my car....but its a 96 passat....lol

if it was in an accident and the airbags didnt deploy but it made the light come on, then its safe to say the control module is spent and you need a new one....same problem im having with my passat...my P.O. removed mine and f%$#ed up the clock spring...so i got one from a junkyard...well the JY car was hit so i got a bad clock spring....my module is good but my clock spring is grounded out (gottal love cars that hook up to the VAG)

[gull]

That is like the electrical wizards that placed the automatic interlock relay on the backside of the knee-bar but printed in the owners manual that it was in the fuse box.... Goooooooooooooo figure.... I guess it was in the general area of the fuse box.

Heh. Try a Volvo 240 some time. They apparently didn't believe in relay panels. The relays are randomly scattered all over the interior of the car, dangling from the wiring harness or clipped to nearby parts of the dash or body, wherever it seemed convenient to put them. The Bentley manual attempts to show you where they are, but the locations are only approximate, especially if someone else has worked on the car before you. It's like a scavenger hunt.