# Air bag light's on



## valverde (Jul 7, 2004)

Hi i buy a Touareg 2003 but this car has an accident , it has a amber light airbag in the dash, i try to go to the dealer but they say , they can not turn that off because they don't sell the car.
I bought a Vag com software but i want to know if i use it i can do my self , what proccedure i have to follow to do it. 
And if there's any problem if i did it.
Regards
Somebody help me............


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## Bill 2158 (Nov 7, 2003)

*Re: Air bag light's on (valverde)*

I don't know the answer but I suggest being *very* sure/careful of what you do with the vag as to not disable the car or (not sure it's possible but) accidentally deploy the air bag.
Not sure if the dealer is being safe or being a jerk. Was this a VW dealer?


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

*Re: Air bag light's on (Bill 2158)*

Turning off the light is done by clearing the error code in the airbag module. But if the problem is an intermittant short in the cable, the light will come back on. 
Whatever you do, DO NOT test the airbag output. That will deploy the airbags.


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## valverde (Jul 7, 2004)

*Re: Air bag light's on (Bill 2158)*

the light is always on , and the dealer is from Volkswagen but they said they don't sell the car, i bought it in USA , but i live in Costa Rica .
I think there's a solution for this , it happens also with my jetta i use the Vag com software and turns off the light.
Thanks


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

*Re: Air bag light's on (valverde)*


_Quote, originally posted by *valverde* »_the light is always on , and the dealer is from Volkswagen but they said they don't sell the car, i bought it in USA , but i live in Costa Rica .
I think there's a solution for this , it happens also with my jetta i use the Vag com software and turns off the light.
Thanks

The solution is to repair the intermittant short in the wiring. It is a well known problem. Once the intermittant short is repaired, then you can turn off the light with the VAGCOM and it will stay off.
If you turn off the light without repairing the wiring, the light will come back on because you haven't solved the problem.


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## valverde (Jul 7, 2004)

*Re: Air bag light's on (spockcat)*

i read your post, but the light is not intermittant is always on.
regards


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## aircooled (Jul 30, 2003)

*Re: Air bag light's on (spockcat)*


_Quote, originally posted by *spockcat* »_Whatever you do, DO NOT test the airbag output. That will deploy the airbags.


_Quote, originally posted by *RossTech.com* »_
15-Airbags: -- KWP-2000
VAG-COM works fine.
Important Note: Please do NOT run Output Tests (function 03) on your Airbag Controller! 
No, it won't deploy your airbags. But it MAY render the vehicle undrivable. Running Output Tests is supposed to make the airbag controller generate a simulated crash signal to the rest of the systems in the vehicle so that unlocks itself and shuts various things OFF. Unfortunately, one of the things it shuts off in the Touareg is the power supply to the Engine Control Module. Two things are needed (confirmed by a dealer tech who was brave enough to run Output Tests on an Airbag Module):
Clear "Crash Data" code from the DTC Screen in 25 - Immobilizer.

Reset the yellow Circuit breaker under driver's seat. The circuit breaker should be yellow and should be visible/accessible if you remove the carpeted "step" trim panel at the front of the seat (an operation requiring some dexterity, but no tools).
Beginning with Beta 310.0, VAG-COM will pop up a warning if you try to run Output Tests on the Airbag Controller.

Spock, I'm sure that is what you meant to say.


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## aircooled (Jul 30, 2003)

*Re: Air bag light's on (valverde)*


_Quote, originally posted by *valverde* »_i read your post, but the light is not intermittant is always on.
regards

I would read the code. It should tell you why the light was on, and give you an idea on what to fix.


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

*Re: Air bag light's on (valverde)*


_Quote, originally posted by *valverde* »_i read your post, but the light is not intermittant is always on.
regards

But that does not matter if the light is not intermittant. Once the fault is recorded, the light will come on and stay on. The break in the wiring is what may be intermittant. So you may clear the error code. The light will go off. You will drive the car for 10 minutes or 10 days, and suddenly the light will come on again unless you actually fix the problem with the wiring. 
As I said, this is a well known problem. It happened on my Touareg too. It took the dealer 3 tries to fix it properly.


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## spockcat (Jun 5, 2003)

*Re: Air bag light's on (aircooled)*


_Quote, originally posted by *aircooled* »_Spock, I'm sure that is what you meant to say.









Yeah, I know there was something bad happening when you test the output but I was too lazy to look it up.


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## Bill 2158 (Nov 7, 2003)

*Re: Air bag light's on (Bill 2158)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Bill 2158* »_<blaugh> as to not disable the car or </blaugh>

Hey, I was first to word it poorly and too lazy to look it up


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## mayfield (Jun 2, 2004)

is it possible to clear the ecu code (that makes the airbag light visible on the dash) without using a vag-com?


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## aircooled (Jul 30, 2003)

*Re: (mayfield)*

No. DIY with a VAG-COM, or get it cleared at the dealership, but remember that the light is probably on for a reason, and will likely come back if you don't fix the actual problem.


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## mayfield (Jun 2, 2004)

i actually removed the seats in my vehicle (jetta mkiv) to vacuum it out, and i stumbled across this thread. 
Now, i had inserted my key *did not crank the vehicle* and turned it so that I could listen to the radio while i cleaned this caused the air bag light to come on, and it stored that tid-bit of data in the eeprom in the ecu. I thought to myself, yea, that light should turn off once I replug all the plugs back into my seats. we'll, i was wrong, and now my seats are replugged, and the air bag light is still on. I disconnected the negative cable on my battery prior to unplugging the seats, and proceed to replug the negative while the seats were disconnected only to listen to the radio, and then i unplugged the negative on the battery again to replug the seats after i was done cleaning the vehicle.
I will see if i can goto the dealership to have them check out the code ---hopefully they will not charge me for this since I believe that this is no more then a 60sec fix? I went to autozone to see if they had access to a vag-com, and they had a diagnostics device but not a vag-com..that diagnostics device could reslve my problem. *shrrug*


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## aircooled (Jul 30, 2003)

*Re: (mayfield)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mayfield* »_...hopefully they will not charge me for this since I believe that this is no more then a 60sec fix...

Have you had many dealing with VW dealers? Free scans?!?























Actually, if you have a really GOOD dealership and some kind of relationship or history, you might be able to get this done. I would chat up a tech or bribe him with some beer. He'll probably have you come back at 5pm to take care of the problem, and take your beer.


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## 4x4s (Dec 18, 2003)

*Re: (mayfield)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mayfield* »_
...Now, i had inserted my key *did not crank the vehicle* and turned it so that I could listen to the radio while i ...


For future reference, you don't need to insert the key to listen to the radio. Just push the on button.


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## Yeti35 (May 17, 2006)

*Re: (4x4s)*


_Quote, originally posted by *4x4s* »_
For future reference, you don't need to insert the key to listen to the radio. Just push the on button.

 He was referring to a Jetta, so they may be different.


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## DCC (Oct 12, 2000)

*Re: (mayfield)*


_Quote, originally posted by *mayfield* »_i actually removed the seats in my vehicle (jetta mkiv) to vacuum it out, and i stumbled across this thread. 
Now, i had inserted my key *did not crank the vehicle* and turned it so that I could listen to the radio while i cleaned this caused the air bag light to come on, and it stored that tid-bit of data in the eeprom in the ecu. I thought to myself, yea, that light should turn off once I replug all the plugs back into my seats. we'll, i was wrong, and now my seats are replugged, and the air bag light is still on. I disconnected the negative cable on my battery prior to unplugging the seats, and proceed to replug the negative while the seats were disconnected only to listen to the radio, and then i unplugged the negative on the battery again to replug the seats after i was done cleaning the vehicle.
I will see if i can goto the dealership to have them check out the code ---hopefully they will not charge me for this since I believe that this is no more then a 60sec fix? I went to autozone to see if they had access to a vag-com, and they had a diagnostics device but not a vag-com..that diagnostics device could reslve my problem. *shrrug*

Removing your seat and then re-connecting the battery is what threw the fault code.
If you did not re-connect the battery till everything was re-installed and plugged in, there probably would have been no fault to trigger the AirBag light.
The dealership should be able to reset it for you if you tell them what you did instead of paying them to run a diagnosis on the car.


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## dorset_treg (May 10, 2007)

*Re: (DCC)*

UK touaregs have a recall on them due to a steering column wiring loom problem causing the airbag warning light to come on. Basically to much strain on the loom, so they replace it with a modified one. You may want to investigate this as part of recall 90D7.....


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