Air Bag light flashing
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Discussion

.blue

Original Poster:

726 posts

210 months

Saturday 3rd July 2010
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The initial message was deleted from this topic on 16 August 2010 at 16:18

JC2012

517 posts

246 months

Saturday 3rd July 2010
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A reset will enable the light to be disengaged if there is a problematic area on the system diagnostics on the vehicle will reveal the troubled item(s)

Where are you located? I can put you in touch with someone that can run diagnostics and reset if your in Surrey Hampshire Berkshire.

Edited by JC2012 on Saturday 3rd July 23:04

netherfield

3,186 posts

214 months

Saturday 3rd July 2010
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Had something similar on a VW,placed a heavy parcel on the back seat,seat belt not in use,got a flashing light for the airbag.

Thinking if I took the parcel out and ignition key out things would be back to normal,but no,had to go to VW to reset,although vagcom reported no problems at all.

.blue

Original Poster:

726 posts

210 months

Saturday 3rd July 2010
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It shouldn't be too hard to reset, I've found steps online that should do the trick.

I'm wondering though if the belt pre-tensioners did go off, do they need looking at before the light is reset - is it something to worry about or nothing major?

Netherfield, do you know if VW simply resetted it or if they did some checks/resetting of the actual seat belt system?

DaveL86

884 posts

207 months

Saturday 3rd July 2010
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netherfield said:
although vagcom reported no problems at all.
Vag-Com doesn't scan air bag modules unless you specifically ask it to and you have to be careful about doing so as just scanning some airbag modules for error codes can brick them which means you will need a new physical module or a air bag specialist to flash the module back to life.

I think the issue only affects 2000-2002 VAG car's so it really depends on the year if its safe or not, but you're best leaving air bags to the pro's ( main dealers + pro's very rarely turn up in the same sentence )

EDIT:

The dodgy module is 6Q0-909-605-A

More info here: http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/vw_issues.html

Added this just in case someone found this thread in the future via the search function.

Edited by DaveL86 on Saturday 3rd July 23:19

WhoseGeneration

4,090 posts

237 months

Saturday 3rd July 2010
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How old is the car?
Iirc, Nissan specify a check of the airbags and associated circuitry at ten years vehicle age.

Edit, sometimes this can be due to connectors in the system, such that a disconnect and several reconnects to "clean" the contacts might help.

DISCLAIMER, airbag wiring is identified by yellow wrapping and should not be interferred with unless you are technically competent and understand the procedures involved.

Edited by WhoseGeneration on Saturday 3rd July 23:25

.blue

Original Poster:

726 posts

210 months

Saturday 3rd July 2010
quotequote all
WhoseGeneration said:
How old is the car?
Iirc, Nissan specify a check of the airbags and associated circuitry at ten years vehicle age.
It's 5 years old so that's unlikely.

WhoseGeneration

4,090 posts

237 months

Saturday 3rd July 2010
quotequote all
.blue said:
WhoseGeneration said:
How old is the car?
Iirc, Nissan specify a check of the airbags and associated circuitry at ten years vehicle age.
It's 5 years old so that's unlikely.
Ah, however, it's an integrated system, the airbags and seatbelt pretensioners work in unison, so you need to get to the reason that light is flashing.
Your "testing" the ABS should have nothing to do with the airbags system.
Just constantly resetting the light will not resolve the problem.

.blue

Original Poster:

726 posts

210 months

Saturday 3rd July 2010
quotequote all
WhoseGeneration said:
.blue said:
WhoseGeneration said:
How old is the car?
Iirc, Nissan specify a check of the airbags and associated circuitry at ten years vehicle age.
It's 5 years old so that's unlikely.
Ah, however, it's an integrated system, the airbags and seatbelt pretensioners work in unison, so you need to get to the reason that light is flashing.
Your "testing" the ABS should have nothing to do with the airbags system.
Just constantly resetting the light will not resolve the problem.
Could you tell me a bit about pre-tensioners? They tighten the belt under sharp braking, right? To use simple language, do they 'loosen' on their own or do I need technicians to do this? In other words, if they did fire, would i need to get a technician to reset them before they work again?

In fairness the light was on only once before when I bought the car. Apparently the cable for the airbags could have been nudged when the car was being cleaned before it was sold and the light won't go off once it's come on until it's been reset.

So I don't think there's a recurring problem as such, because it's been fine since the initial issue when I got the car.

davepoth

29,395 posts

229 months

Sunday 4th July 2010
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The pretensioner is a little explosive charge, like the one that fires the airbag. Once it goes off it needs replacing.

WhoseGeneration

4,090 posts

237 months

Sunday 4th July 2010
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.blue said:
Could you tell me a bit about pre-tensioners? They tighten the belt under sharp braking, right? To use simple language, do they 'loosen' on their own or do I need technicians to do this? In other words, if they did fire, would i need to get a technician to reset them before they work again?

In fairness the light was on only once before when I bought the car. Apparently the cable for the airbags could have been nudged when the car was being cleaned before it was sold and the light won't go off once it's come on until it's been reset.

So I don't think there's a recurring problem as such, because it's been fine since the initial issue when I got the car.
Nope, pretensioners work in conjunction with the airbags, they are actuated by a small explosive charge just before airbags deploy to tighten the seatbelts and restrain the occupants to help minimise any harm from airbag deployment.
Sharp braking will not do this.
If they have fired, it would be apparent and new ones are needed, however the airbags would also have fired and that would be visible.
The airbag light should come on with ignition on and after system check, go out.
Anyway, I think you need to get this checked by a competent Nissan dealer.

ymwoods

2,194 posts

207 months

Sunday 4th July 2010
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If the pre-tensioners had fired you would know about it as they would yank you back into your seat, HARD. The seatbelt would have been gripping your body and would not work like normal seatbelts again.

davepoth

29,395 posts

229 months

Sunday 4th July 2010
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Does depend really. I have a feeling some cars are designed to fire the pretensioners if you do an emergency stop from massive speeds, because the engineers figure the only time such a thing will happen is when there's about to be a crash.

WhoseGeneration

4,090 posts

237 months

Sunday 4th July 2010
quotequote all
davepoth said:
Does depend really. I have a feeling some cars are designed to fire the pretensioners if you do an emergency stop from massive speeds, because the engineers figure the only time such a thing will happen is when there's about to be a crash.
Which cars?

tossbag

1,590 posts

236 months

Sunday 4th July 2010
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davepoth said:
I have a feeling...
Awesome advice there mate.
So should we expect the roads to be strewn with learner drivers with faces full of airbags after their emergency stop test?

ymwoods

2,194 posts

207 months

Sunday 4th July 2010
quotequote all
davepoth said:
Does depend really. I have a feeling some cars are designed to fire the pretensioners if you do an emergency stop from massive speeds, because the engineers figure the only time such a thing will happen is when there's about to be a crash.
They wouldn't, that would be very expensive! How many times have you had to slam on because someone pulled out on you yet not hit them? If everytime you did that the pre-tensioners went off you, and everyone else, would be very poor people!

The computer in the car can detect when a crash happens (sensors in the wings and arse of the car usually) and, in less than a second, fire, well before the force of the impact is even being felt by your body yet.

bazking69

8,620 posts

220 months

Sunday 4th July 2010
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Any independent garage should be able to reset it for a fraction of the price the dealer charges.