Air Bag

sean

Member
Hi All,
This is only my second post so thanks in advance for any help. I recently took the front seat out of my A2 to get a long length of plinth in, I noticed that the airbag light was on but assumed that it was because the seat was removed. I put the seat back in today but the light has stayed on.
Local Audi main dealer wants £135 to connect and reset! I also need a service and asked if they could come to some agreement but no (what credit crunch?) Is there any way I can reset e.g. leave battery off etc.

What a cracking car soooo pleased with it ave 60mpg!
Thanks again for any help
 
Hi Sean,

A tip for carrying long lengths of wood. Take the rear seat out behind the front passenger seat and then adjust the front passenger seat back so that it tilts back to the horizontal position. Cover the seat with a blanket and load up the wood and secure in place with the seat belts of the front and rear seats.

I think you need something like VAGCOM to reset the warning about the airbag, but you will do no harm by disconnecting the negative terminal for an hour or so. Check you have the radio code first, but I don't think you will need it.

John.
 
When I turned my car back on with an air bag disconnected, the airbag light came on.

I reconnected it, but the airbag light stayed.

I reset it with VAG-COM, and all sorted.

It didn'y occur if I reconnected the airbag before switching on. Just my 2c.

A
 
I have removed the steering wheel airbag a few times and always disconnect the battery earth lead first. Before re-connecting the battery I turn on the ignition key then refit the battery lead. The risk is minimal (but deadly) so if the airbag were to activate when first powered up, at least you are not sitting in the drivers seat. I may be lucky but have never had the airbag lamp come on using this procedure.

For first timers, Skipton has covered to do's and don'ts on airbag safety many times so run a search to check out his advice.

Cheers Spike
 
And for safetys sake, I'll reiterate the do's and don'ts again here:

Whenever you work on any airbag system, be it drivers, passenger, seat or seatbelts (there is a similar pyrotechnic system to activate the pre-tensioner system) ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE BATTERY NEGATIVE LEAD.

Always disconnect the battery lead whilst the ignition is on (car not actually running though) - this helps to minimise any residual current spikes left in the system.

Before actually handling any airbag, ALWAYS BRING YOURSELF AND THE CAR TO EARTH POTENTIAL.

In practise, what this means is that you should touch the door striker plate and the ground (the tarmac, or slabs on the ground) at the same time. This ensures that you and the car are both at the same electical state as the earth, so there'll be no static electric problems (don't carry out this sort of work in thunderstorms though!!).

Keep earthing yourself and the car at regular intervals, especially if you wear nylon underpants;)

When reconnecting the airnag, as Spike said, turn the key in the ignition to the ACC position and then connect the battery negative lead, making sure that no occupants are in the car and at least one door is open, so that is the airbag does go off, the blast will disipate sideways, rather than be directed back at you in the boot.

Follow the above and you will be able to work on any airbag in absolute safety.

Cheers,

Mike
 
I have hit another car and released both front airbags and front seat belt tensioners.
Wife' A2 is a 2004 BHC without ISOfix and without a key to lock the passenger airbag
A donor car is in place; 2002 AMF without ISOfix and without a key to lock the passenger airbag.

The brilliant safety info by Skipton01 in post#5 is read several times and front airbags, belt units and crash sensor below hand brake is removed.
My local workshop advised me to use all air bag related parts from the donor. (his experience with A2 is though limited)
Is that a good advice?
Is the crash sensor under the hand brake the only crash sensor?
Should I use the front seats from the donor too, or will that not simplify the process to get the system up running again?
Cheers
dieselfan
 
I am unsure if the air bag controller can simply be taken from one car to another with or without its existing air bags. I would have thought the controller was paired to the car so whether just a simple VCDS reprogram or a new blank unit is needed is beyond my knowledge level with air bags.
 
Is the air bag controller located under the handbrake the only controller?
 
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Yes it is under the handbrake. Be aware the part number depends on your airbag specification and chassis number. Found this info.....


8Z0959655F - control unit for driver/front passenger, side and curtain airbags / F >> 8Z-4-016 245* / PR-4X3


8Z0959655H -control unit for driver/front passenger, side and curtain airbags and the possibility of deactivating the front passenger airbag / F 8Z-4-016 246>>* / PR-4X3


8Z0959655E - control unit for driver/front passenger and side airbags / F >> 8Z-4-016 245* / PR-4X1


8Z0959655G - control unit for driver/front passenger and side airbags and the possibility of deactivating of the front passenger airbag / F 8Z-4-016 256>>*
 
So provided the part number is the same and a quick check with VCDS to ensure both coded the same and with the usual precautions think you will be OK. ANY issues check with someone local to you.
 
Do not know enough about the airbag controller. I do not know if it contains a "one time" trigger device that can not be reset, or if your current controller can be reset. You would need someone local to you with suitable knowledge and software to answer that one.
Certainly worth a full VCDS scan to see exactly what the reports as there may be other areas not yet considered.
 
If it helps I had a 1999 A4 that had no fault lamp for airbag but did have a permanent fault stored for airbag deployment this may allow the bags to be replaced and codes cleared without changing Ecu's. You could place resistors in place of the airbags to test the hypothese
 
@Howey - is correct that I reduce risk for issues by taking the ECU from the donor too? (in addition to airbags, belts and control unit)
@audifan - I have started to search for a competent person to help me with the airbag case but must say that if there is a need for A2 competence, then it will be difficult... VAG have not had airbags nor control unit available for several years so if an A2 is in an accident and airbags are released, the car will be scrapped regardless of other damage.... thats one reason for the competence over here to low or very low.
Cheers
dieselfan
 
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