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Airbag light on - options please

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airbag
3K views 42 replies 13 participants last post by  Jay_normous 
#1 ·
Hi,

I desperate need of some info as my 147 failed its NCT (MOT) with the airbag light being on constantly.
I've reset the ecu but didn't fixed anything, I've checked the connections under the seats etc etc..
I can get a second hand ecu for €50, is it a case of just swapping them over or should I take it to a garage for a diagnostics machine..?

Thanks for any help

Jay
 
#3 ·
Thanks for the quick reply...

I should of also added that the car had been sat on my drive for 6 years, I had to keep disconnecting the battery as the interior heater flap motor(s) kept flattening it, it's only after numerous disconnecting and reconnecting of the battery that the airbag light come on...

Fingers crossed a diagnostic will solve the cars problem..
 
#6 ·
Even if you solder the wires (get rid of connectors first) you will still need to get the error cleared. Once the airbag light is on the system is not operational-no airbags....
Could be a lot worse after 6 years (you would need to change the cambelt etc too due to age-sorry to break that to you!!!)
 
#7 ·
Thanks for your reply also...

It has been recommended to me to cut out the connector blocks and solder the joints as you mentioned. This I will do before heading the garage.
However I read somewhere that if your air bag light is on for more than 24 hours then a new ECU is required..?
I had the car in the garage only 8-9 months ago to have the cam belt changed, new brakes, back box etc etc so all good there...
And to think in 6 years its only done 30 odd miles, 15 of them were on Sunday..!

On another note I'm hoping the interior flap thing can be sorted as its just killing the battery..!
 
#8 · (Edited)
....
However I read somewhere that if your air bag light is on for more than 24 hours then a new ECU is required..?
.....
Very unlikely I think (unless the error is within the ECU itself). I'm sure I'm not the only owner to have the air bag warning light on for some months before getting the error checked. I don't see the ECU going to a total fail condition because of a simple open-circuit error.

As said before if you resolve any potential problems first then get the error condition checked - hopefully the solution will not be expensive at all.

My error for example, was not the under seat connector but the steering wheel contact ring. No parts were changed, the error was reset and no further problem. Its just assumed to be a transitory problem. I had the habit of turning the steering wheel to the lock position as I switched the engine off and I guess that could have thrown up a faulty error reading. I'm not saying that's your problem but it could be equally simple to sort out.
 
#11 ·
Something to remember is that if the Airbag error light is on then the system is disabled - hence the MOT/NCT failure (a safety system has failed), so you should always get it fixed as soon as possible as you never know when some idiot will hit you.

As the light is supposed to flash at start up to show the system is working, covering up the bulb will also be a automatic faulure.
 
#18 ·
older Alfas <2004 need a reset airbag warning with Examiner, Alfadiag , multiecuscan etc
will not reset automatically.
check out youtube rarebear14 for a demo on my 156 with Alfadiag
 
#23 ·
As, previously stated, the light going out depends on the year of the car's manufacture.
Best bet is to also check the connectors in the boot, thats where the problem was with mine. If yours is one of the older cars, the codes will be stored in the ECU and will need to be reset, get a copy of Multiscan and a cable from Rarebear and reap the rewards on diagnostics...
 
#31 ·
Ok, so the car has now been with them for nearly a week now..!
Got a phone call the other day to say the diagnostics showed a fault with an air bag in one of the seats and they weren't to sure so they'll "have to strip it down"..

Thought as much since I'd removed all the dodgey connectors, was given a quote of 4 hours labour..! Gangsters!
 
#35 ·
On a 2005 147 JTDm where the airbag light was on, I just fumlbed something with the wires/connector under the drivers seat and the light was off ;)

I'm also wondering, when only the connector of one seat airbag is erroneous and the light turns on, is the WHOLE airbag system turned off? (including steer airbag and other airbags)? Or is only the one with broken connector turned off? I don't see the reason why the steer airbag should be turned off when only the seat airbag has an error....
 
#39 ·
O.k< so rang the garage this morning to get more info about this dodgey ECU, and it turns out the lady on the phone got mixed up with another Alfa and mine is indeed fixed and was only the dodgey connecters that was at fault...

Hoping to collect it later on today...!! Only been waiting nearly 6 years for this day...!!
 
#40 ·
the airbag crash sensor is actually not a real ECU, its referred to as ACU and is situated on the transmission tunnel, it contains a lead ball which activates a switch when it gets more than 2 G decelleration and activates the airbags.
 
#42 ·
Dont have much experience on alfas, but my previous car a renault megane, had the airbag light on, and went to a dealer. They said it was the ecu also, and replaced it 2 times!

Light was still on... Well I got ****ed cos it was just expense after expense, so I decided to just leave it on. One day while adjusting seats it went off, and stayed off for a long time.

It was the damn connector underneath the seat, the diagnostic doesnt know the fault so it blames it on the ECU or other bull****. Dont get caught in that vicious cycle.

Inspecting my "new" alfa, I found that the connectors underneath the seat are of horrible quality. And true , while fumbling with them a bit, the airbag light came on. Then I replaced the connectors with some proper ones (Its the yellow one), and it stays off now.

For a cheap solution, you can always bind them together with some cable tie , to fix it in a rigid position.
 
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