# Airbag DTC 01217



## nobbyv (May 18, 2001)

Cross post, but I thought I might get some answers here too:
The airbag light on the '00 GTI I just sold is on, scanning it gives this code: 
DTC 01217: Side airbag igniter driver's side (N199). 32-10 resistence too high - intermittent.
Anyone run into this or have any ideas what I should look at? The new owner isn't too happy and I told him I'd try and fix it for him...


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## 1POINT8Terry (Mar 16, 2002)

*Re: Airbag DTC 01217 (nobbyv)*

I've got the same code?


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## nobbyv (May 18, 2001)

*Re: Airbag DTC 01217 (1POINT8Terry)*


_Quote, originally posted by *1POINT8Terry* »_I've got the same code?


I pulled the seat out (battery disconnetced), cleaned the connections, plugged it all back in good, and its been fine since.


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## Maxpowerz (Feb 9, 2004)

iv had this same code, took it apart cleaned it and so on but it kept comming back after a few days so i took it to the stealership to get it checked out with the simulator or what ever 50 bucks later they told me that its going to be like 600bucks to replace the bag because it died i was like WTF!!!! only explanation i got was your car is 5 years old.


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## mschaff (May 26, 2004)

*Re: (Maxpowerz)*

Just got the same code on my girlfriend's 99.5 Golf GL. We were mountain biking at a local park last Wednesday. Came back to the car and when I started it, the airbag light was on. Car has 77,000 miles on it.
Anyone get the feeling this is another 99.5 "lemon" issue (like the door locks, bad MAFs, weak shift linkage, and erased ECU settings after a dead battery)?
I'd like to know if this is a self-serviceable issue or do we have to bite the bullet again for this one. 
I'll tell you, every week, it seems that we have new problem with this f**kin' car. Thanks for any input.
--
Mike


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## kfzmeister (Apr 16, 2004)

*Re: (mschaff)*

Ok guys here's the lowdown on your codes! The wire that runs from underneath the seat to the side airbag is shorting/open. This is a poor design from VW (fixed on late 04-early05). The wire is routed close to the seatback pivots and frequently rubs open. The way to fix this is to remove the seat and carefully inspect the wire; then repair. Or, simply install a new harness (inexpensive). This work should only be carried by a professional!


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## mschaff (May 26, 2004)

*Re: (kfzmeister)*

I know this thread is old, but in case someone is doing searches and needs to know how I ended up solving this on a 99.5 Golf GL. Here it is. Thanks to kfzmeister for pointing out the cuase of the problem.

FIRST THE WARNINGS...READ THEM!!!!
THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE AIRBAG CAN DEPLOY WHEN DISCONNECTED FROM THE CAR. USE THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU CAN BE INJURED OR KILLED IF THE AIRBAG UNEXPECTEDLY DEPLOYS. THIS WILL ALSO RESULT IN A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR AS IT DESTROYS THE SEAT COVER AND REQUIRES A NEW AIRBAG. STATIC ELECTRICTY CAN DEPLOY THE AIRBAG SO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN MOVING THE SEAT. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A SAFETY CONNECTOR THAT CAN BE CONNECTED TO THE END OF THE HARNESS TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF ACCIDENTAL AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, ROSS TECH RECOMMENDS ONLY CERTAIN MODEL VW's HAVE THEIR AIRBAG MODULE SCANNED. DOING SO ON CERTAIN MODELS WILL DESTROY THE AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE BECAUSE OF A BUG IN VW's DESIGN. ON THESE MODELS, THE AIRBAG LIGHT WILL NEVER GO OFF. SEE ROSS-TECH's SITE FOR MORE INFORMATION.
BEFORE REMOVING THE SEAT, DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. IN ADDITION, AFTER REASSEMBLY OF EVERYTHING, PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION TO THE "ON" POSITION, AND THEN RECONNECT THE BATTERY. BE SURE *NOBODY* IS IN THE CAR OR NEAR THE AIRBAGS WHEN YOU RECONNECT EVERYTHING. THIS IS A SAFETY PROCEDURE IN CASE YOU WIRED SOMETHING UP WRONG. SEE A BENTLEY REPAIR MANUAL FOR OTHER PRECAUTIONS.
OK, with that out of the way, here is how I fixed my airbag problem. As I said, the first step is to scan the damn thing first before you start pulling things apart. If it turns out to be a side airbag fault, first try to wiggle the connector under the seat back together. Clear the code and see if the MIL comes back on within a week. If the light stays off, then you found the problem.
If the same code comes back in a few days, you may want to replace the airbag wire harness. This procedure requires seat removal and there is a recommended adapter to plug into the wire harness once the seat is removed to prevent accidental airbag deployment by static, etc. I didn't use this and was very careful. The airbag did not go off, however, I'm not responsible for what happens if you try this repair. It is recommended that all repairs to the airbag system are done by an authorized VW shop/dealer. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!!

I got this airbag code twice after making sure the connection was OK, so I decided to see what I could replace:
01217 - Side Airbag Igniter: Driver Side (N199)
32-10 - Resistance too High - Intermittent

The side airbag connection is under the seat. Look for a bright yellow connector (see below). Over time this plug may have become slightly separated. This is the first thing to check. Here is an exploded (no pun intended) view of the seat disassembly and location of the side airbag (dashed red line). For details about seat removal, you'll may want to consult a Bentley repair manual. Additonally, there is info in the FAQs about seat removal.









Here you can see how the airbag wire harness is routed through the seat to the side of the seat. This is where I suspect that some part of the wire was damaged by repeated movement of the seat (on a two-door model) back and forth to access the rear seats. The blue arrow points to the conduit that I also replaced with the newer design. The yellow arrows point to the wire harness that I replaced.
















Here is the wiring harness I replaced. It is VW part #: 3B0-971-582-F. ($41) Green arrow points to the under-seat connector, and the red arrow points to the airbag connector.








This conduit (blue arrows in the previous pictures) is supposed to take the stress off of the wire harness when the seat is flipped back and forth (on a 2-door Golf to access the rear seats). I noticed the replacement part was slightly different in design indicating maybe the 99.5 design wasn't the best. It is VW part 1J0-971-446-B. ($3) Notice I broke the little tab in the middle hole, so this piece *had* to be replaced.
FRONT (outside):








BACK (seat side):









To replace this, you'll also need 1 tie wrap (VW part # N-020-902-2) and 2 tie wraps with plugs (VW part # N-906-661-01) as these aren't reusuable. You have to cut the existing ones to get the wire harness detached from the seat.
After replacing this wire harness and clearing the code, the airbag light has not come back on in over a year.
Good luck! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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