MOT failed - airbag warning light is on.
Checked and cleaned all 4 yellow plug and sockets .. still on
Had a friend with a Multiscan (I think is the name) check any errors but there are none showing. Plugged it in the socket under the dash (by the fuses)
Do you have to plug in anywhere else ?
Any other pointers would be a help
Thanks in advance
Dont know to be honest - ECU's are a black art to me and I relied on his wisdom
Silly Q .... is te airbag ECU the same one as the socket on the fusebox or should I be looking somewhere else ?
It is the same socket but it is a different pin to the engine ECU, which is why you can not use a standard cable - you need one that has been adapted to connect to the Aigbag ECU as well.
after cleaning all the yellow sockets, turn the ignition to MAR wait for all lights to go off then turn ignition back off.
Repeat 3 times. Leave the car for about an hour and come back to it. hey presto light is now off.
Know this because I did the same, got pi**ed off because it didn't turn off, went inside for a cuppa and a episode of wheeler dealers then got back in the car and no light! has happened a couple of times - now this is my tried and tested method.
That's only for Airbag / SRS systems and you get an advisory that the lamp doesn't illuminate.
Other lamps;
ABS light MUST work, and go out when the engine is running (all other procedures for checking, such as time limits have been removed).
Engine Management Lamp isn't part of the MOT - we don't care if it's on or not!
EPS lamp must work.
DSC lamp must work.
Brake warning lamp must work.
If you have HID headlights, cleaning devices must work.
Other popular misconceptions cleared;
A catalytic convertor must be present if it left the factory with one. Petrols only, at this time.
Battery security is now part of the test.
Inner cv boots are now testable.
Spare wheel must be secure, but no check on condition!
Rear wipers are not testable.
Front fogs are not testable.
Brake imbalance has changed, it is now 30% on each axle (was 25% on front only). Actually better for the customer, because the readings are now taken at full brake effort, not continuously through the whole range as before. If it fails now on imbalance, it MUST be bad!!!
Wiring security and condition is testable now as well, so watch out for those speaker and amp cables lying haphazardly around the boot!
And in the event of an accident that piece of tape will also inflate and save your life! :what:
Fooling the MOT tester may seem like a clever thing to do but when it comes to critical safety components surely its worth knowing they're going to work when they're needed...
Ok.. had it to a local garage and hes had a look... Error codes brought up everything Drivers side airbag fault, passenger..drivers side curtain, passenger side curtain, ecu... so much so that it cant possibly have a fault everywhere - cleared the codes and they just popped back up again and the led is still on.
Where is the control box ? and can you unplug one and plug another in? or do they have to be coded to the car ?
Oh and any other ideas would be appreciated
Ive got a son that turned into a git when he turned 13 .. I didn't realise the airbags did the same !!!
You mean to tell me they have a 10 yr lifespan ?
David I did not ! did you ? they tested a 30 year old Mercedes and the airbags went off like they were installed yesterday !
this 10 year lifespan is just to prevent any legal issues if after 10 year the airbags did not deploy !
afaik nobody replaced airbags and squibs after ten years !!!
I've encountered several answers from several garages to the airbag light MOT fail or not question so I've spoken with VOSA for an answer. There are only 3 written rejections, these are an obviously missing airbag (switched off passenger side does not count), a seat belt pre-tensioner missing or deployed and an "illuminated malfunction indicator lamp". VOSA say if the light does not come on there is no requirement to test the system any further, it's an advisory - not a fail.
To balance this, of course, the airbag system should be working for your and your passenger's safety.
As an update albeit a week late.
Went to the local Scrappers and took an airbag ECU out of a similar car (obviously one without crash damage !). Put it in mine and had the faults reset by a local garage (£10 for the reset)
Airbag light comes on and goes out as it should and I have a brand new MOT cert !
A silly question, what if i have a airbag light on the dash and the problem is with passengers airbag on the seat. Will the others airbags deploy or none of them?
cheap fix, if you have no safety issues, matt black insulating tape over the offending warning light, i have done this before and passed MOT(NCT), not recommended, but if you are on a budget it works. Some people love their Alfas and will do anything to keep them on the road, if you don't have a job and need your car, **** happens, been there done that !. Saying that, I go a job and spent 1,300 euros re-spraying 2 doors and rear quarter, i love my Alfa, if I have the money, I lavish attention, if not I make do ;-)
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Alfa Romeo Forum
7.1M posts
216.7K members
Since 2001
The friendly Alfa Romeo Club - If you are looking to buy or you are already an Alfa Romeo owner, join alfaowner.com today to get the most from your ownership