MOT failure? Airbags?

[Pebbles167]

Hi all,

A friends car has failed its M.O.T on account of the airbag light being on. I am speaking to them over the phone and have nothing to do with this myself, I just thought I could use some pistonheads wisdom to pass on.

They have paid around £500 For various repairs so would rather not scrap.

That said, the car is an old hatchback, only needs to last the next 6 - 12 months.

According to the garage the airbag has been deployed, however there are no signs of damage and replacing the airbag its self has not fixed this. The car is a low model and only has the one airbag in the steering wheel.

What I want to know is, can they do an easy fix that would be legal? Ie: remove air bag, and the corresponding bulb from the dash.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

Edited by Pebbles167 on Friday 9th May 20:48

[kambites]

It's almost certainly not an "airbag light" that's on but rather a "secondary restraint system" light. Usually, the cause is that an electrical cable has fallen out of the bottom of the seat belt buckle, meaning that the pre-tensioner wont fire in an accident.

[MG CHRIS]

SRS and air bag is the same thing and its supplemental restraint system not secondary. Yes you can remove the bulb as the light is not testing like the abs light ie must do a self test.

However I wouldn't thing the garage that mot'd it will do that mine deffenitly doesn't do that.

You will have an advisory on air bag light missing though.

[kambites]

MG CHRIS said:

SRS and air bag is the same thing and its supplemental restraint system not secondary.

The SRS light covers the seat load-weight sensors on every car I've ever seen the light come on on. I've never once seen a car turn its SRS light on due to an actual air-bag fault.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

He/she wouldn't be the first car to pass MOT with thick black tape over warning light.....

...although agree source problem needs sorting

[Tc24]

Replied to other abandoned topic, but didn't see this one first -

These share a lot of parts with the Saxo. My Saxo's airbag light came on after I knocked the plug under the drivers seat while hoovering it. Taking it out and plugging it back in resolved the issue.

Alternatively, as the instrument clusters come out quite easily, if my only concern was getting it through the MOT, I'd piggyback the airbag light off one of the others that turns on and off at startup

[ClassicMercs]

The light came on with our works pool Rover 75 the other day. I was thinking the worst - with the MOT due any day. Its due replacement anyway, but nobody seems to like the idea of a Zafira that I'm suggesting (used - cheap - petrol <no DPF> - space to carry goods or folks - lack of petrol estate cars available). But we are not buying the desired LandWind E32

Quick call to our specialist who mentioned to check the connectors under the seat. A quick poke and a spray of some electrical contact fluid and the job was sorted.

Given our car has several users and electrically adjustable seats - one guys adjusts as he thinks he's in a sports car <doing deliveries around the corner>, another adjusts as he sits on the wheel like certain ladies might - and the others sit properly like powerful company directors. Its hardly surprising that the problem was easily resolved as advised.

Anyone looking for a 75 Tourer with all the toys - BMW diesel - a mere 185k on the clock and wear to match ? I would happily be confident to hop in and do a non stop Lands End to John O Groats run.

[paintman]

If you do a 'search' you will find SRS lights have been a recent topic. the current MOT position is this.
If the light is on it will fail.
If the light doesn't illuminate at all it will pass with an advisory.