Alfa Romeo Forum banner

GTV pretensioners with airbag warning light

13K views 25 replies 10 participants last post by  alfapash 
G
#1 ·
Can anyone tell me what pretensioners are and where they can be located?
Airbag warning light seen as a common problem with GTVs!
 
#2 ·
They are the bit that the seat belt clicks into, they are mounted to the seat and the problem is that the lead is pulled when seat is moved with ignition on. Reach below seat and make sure the connection (Yellow wires) is correctly in place and then do a seat belt ecu reset.
 
#3 · (Edited)
The airbag/seat pretensioner light on our 916 Spider has come on and stays on, without any apparent reason other than that possibly the connector under the seat was jolted when the seat was adjusted with the engine running. Can anyone tell me how to do a seat belt ecu reset other than by visiting a dealer or using a laptop reset programme and lead as described in previous posts on this subject? With at least one FIAT we have owned some ecu functions could be reset easily by the owner. We are on holiday in southern Spain with our Spider, and not keen to visit a local Alfa dealer if we can avoid it!
 
#4 ·
The ECU has to be reset by a diagnostic program, there is no other way. The cable costs £23 in the UK and the software is free. Many 916's are driving around with the warning light on.

Here is the cable you need.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALFA-FIAT...iagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item3ce0f1ad6d

This only works with phase 2 & 3 cars. Yours should be a phase 3 so you should be fine

Here is the software link
Multiecuscan - Diagnostics software for Italian cars The free version will clear the code for you.

Or you could use
DnEcuDiag - A .NET Ecu Diagnostic Application - Download: DnEcuDiag 3.5.0.3
 
#5 ·
Once you've reset the airbag light, it's a good idea to disconnect the battery wait 20 mins and then disconnect the wiring block under the seat and clean the terminals, the end of the male connector has a small 4=way cut in the top, carefully use a thin a flat blade to open it out a little, when you push the 2 connectors back together, this will ensure a tighter fit.
 
#9 ·
Might be worth a check of the connector on top of the pretentioner (down the side of the seat).
Looks like the connector on top of the pretensioner was the cause all along as it was a little loose and wobbly. I reset the airbag light on the dash to off and gave the connector a prod and a shake. Sure enough the airbag light came back on. I reset the airbag light to off again and gave the yellow connector under the seat a good tug and shake and the airbag light stayed off.

To help cure the problem I first of all removed the negative lead (I have an isolator switch) from the battery and waited 20 minutes. I then unbolted the seat, disconnected the yellow connector under the seat and removed the seat from the car.
I removed the black cover and unplugged the yellow connector from the top of the pretensioner by pulling upwards. I then used a jewellers screwdriver to prise the cover off the connector to ensure the connections inside were sound. They were so I sprayed the inside of the connector with electrical contact cleaner before replacing the cover. I plugged the connector back in to the pretensioner and secured it firmly with a cable tie to help prevent it moving. See photo. I put the black cover over the pretensioner and returned the seat to the car remembering to connect the yellow connector under the seat before bolting it back to the floor.
I reconnected the negative lead on the battery, switched the ignition to MAR and moved the seat backwards and forwards several times to see if the airbag light came back on. Hooray it hasn't! :) I hope it stays that way.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. In the end we took the Spider to Fimalaga, the Fiat and Alfa dealers in Malaga. They couldn't have been more helpful - so nice to be greeted with compliments on how well looked after the car is, and appreciation of it to the extent that one of the guys had a model of it - same Alfa red - in his office. Sorted in 45 mins, and only 47 euros. Key thing is that we now feel confident that we have friends there who will look after our Fiats and Alfas when necessary, as we spend a lot of time out here, travelling out by car at least once a year, often twice. We chatted about Top Gear and Fifth Gear, which they watch online, and I taught them the term 'petrol head'! So much more personal contact than some UK dealers nowadays...
 
#15 ·
Remove the cover under the steering wheel, 3 plastic T-lugs hold it on, undo with a flat blade screwdriver. The connector is on the righthand side at the top. I recommend holding the back of it when plugging or removing the lead that connects to your laptop. Mine always feels a bit wobbly.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top