Airbag Issues

wilco184

wilco184

Member of the year 2015
Hi all,

Has anyone experienced anything similar to the following?

In short, the airbag light is on and I'm getting two fault codes for 00588 (N95 steering wheel airbag high resistance - intermittent) and 00654 (N153 drivers seat belt tensioner high resistance - intermittent). As per the video here, the measuring blocks for these airbags (in fields 1 and 3) are constantly flicking between 'correct' and 'too high'.

I've tried a known working drivers steering wheel airbag and the result was the same. I've also removed the steering wheel and checked for loose connectors etc.

Please let me know if you can offer any advice. I'm not sure if the faults are pointing towards a wiring issue, an issue with the control module or a battery issue.

Many thanks,

Matt.
 
If it was my car i would (safely) wire out the multiplugs so cut and solder then heatshrink x2 per wire
 
I have just had an N95 airbag fault cleared.Mine was a sporadic fault.It occured after a full lock right turn.In my case it was a faulty "clock spring".After getting a replacement coded to my car and fault cleared, I investigated the reasons.The old clock spring felt "gritty" and I think mine had a faulty ribbon cable causing my sporadic fault.
 
O07JESTER said:
I have just had an N95 airbag fault cleared.Mine was a sporadic fault.It occured after a full lock right turn.In my case it was a faulty "clock spring".After getting a replacement coded to my car and fault cleared, I investigated the reasons.The old clock spring felt "gritty" and I think mine had a faulty ribbon cable causing my sporadic fault.
Click to expand...
What's this clock spring & where is it located...?
I too have the air bag warning light lit in red, I need to resolve this before the MOT is due just before the end of next month
I'd be grateful of any advice

Paul
 
Hi Paul,
I would get a thorough scan first to verify what's triggered your airbag fault.The "clock spring" is between the steering wheel and indicator/wiper stalks.It is rare for these to fail but in my case it had.If yours is the same then as far as I know the replacement will need coding to your car (abs,steering angle sensor etc)


Martin
 
Hi Paul,if it is definitely the clock spring then the part is cheap.I believe @A2Steve has one for sale.Maybe a member could help with coding?.
 
Hi Matt,

It's interesting that you've got two simultaneous errors, both of which are intermittent.

If we imagine that you've had bad luck and that there are actually two faults, then I'd agree that the slip ring is the likely culprit for 00588. The seat belt tensioner may need replacing, resulting in 00654.
If we imagine that the two faults are somehow related, then I can only blame a dodgy control unit.

What happens if you force faults by actively unplugging the seat belt tensioner and/or the driver's airbag? Do the fault codes change? Does the control unit appear to be making sense of your 'forced faults'? This could provide useful clues.

Warm regards to you and family,

Tom
 
Hi Tom,

Thanks for your help.

I had wondered if the control unit could be at fault as both faults have started within a matter of weeks of each other.

Since my original post, I've spent a bit more time looking at the steering wheel airbag issue. I've found that putting a short between the airbag wiring pins on the airbag side of the clock spring results in VCDS still jumping between 'correct' and too high. However, putting a short on the connector into the clock spring shows as a steady 'too low' on VCDS, which is to be expected. As such, I'll be replacing the clock spring and reporting back accordingly.

For the seatbelt igniter, I'd only spent a little time looking at the issue but found that a short across the connector did not result in 'too low' being shown on VCDS. I suspect an issue with the connector itself as it seems a little weak in construction and the wiring diagram shows there are no other connections until back at the control unit.

With regard to your questions, forcing a fault changes the DTC by loosing the 'intermittent' part. I forget the exact wording but it essentially says the fault is fixed.

Many thanks and kind regards,

Matt.
 
Just a quick note to update this.

The clock spring has been replaced and the issue is still there. At this point, I know the issue is somewhere on the control unit side of the connector into the clock spring.

Has anyone heard of an airbag control unit failing before as it appears to be a likely cause of the issue?

Kind regards,

Matt.
 
I have read some people have had issues with the connector block below the clock spring.Not likely but a possibility,could it be the short connector wire from the clock spring to the airbag itself.But fingers crossed the scan will reveal the cause
 
DSC_2853.JPG
 
This is what has appeared on mine, does this mean the issue is pointing towards the seat belt pretensioners ..?

If so, what can I do to remedy this..??

Any help gladly appreciated

Paul
 
N199 is the airbag in the driver's seat, not the seatbelt pretensioner.

Thanks,

Matt.
 
Its always a good idea to check the under seat multiplugs first...…..they move every time you sit in the seat through weight on the cushion.....FIRSTLY disconnect the battery leave the car to rest for 15mins then unplug the connectors spay with contact cleaner and replug together do this a few times with both front seats, reconnect battery clear fault codes and see if the fault reoccurs...…...you can of course hardwire the plugs if you're handy with a soldering iron........Always my first point of call with airbag faults on any car....
 
Ahhhh ! Great !!!! :):D

Thank you very much Kernow, i will carry that sequence out as suggested when its safe to venture outside, much appreciated ! :)??
 
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