Hi guys,

Just bought my first wagon, 98 GL. It needs a bit of work but among other things I've noticed the airbag light stays on. What can I do to diagnose and repair myself?

I suspect it's just a coincidence but there's also a cable hanging loose under the passenger seat. It's in black heatshrink, about 8mm diameter with a white connector. It also has a single black wire coming out as well. I've felt around under the seat and it comes out of a proper port to the front of the passenger seat, on the floor but does not appear to plug in anywhere. I had thought at first it might be something to do with the airbag but it's got no yellow on it. Then I thought perhaps a CD changer or something?

Advice please!

Thanks!

 

has the steering wheel got an airbag on it? Just wondering whether its been replaced at somepoint and the plug for the airbag inside the steering wheel is floating around in limbo

 

Steering wheel does have an airbag, everything appears ok on the surface, apart from looking at it though I don't know what I can do. The last thing I want is to damage it or set it off - but I don't want to have to take it to a main dealer if I don't have to.

Just a thought, the rear bumper is loose and moves SLIGHTLY (other thread - https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...part-rust.html) - could it perhaps be that the rear bumper sensors have something to do with it? The bumper only moves by a few mils though, don't think it would be this.

As far as I am aware the car has never been in a collision and the airbag light was already on when I collected it from the garage I bought it from. It had passed an MOT four months earlier, would this have been picked up on an MOT? Before you ask I got it at a low price with no warranty!

 

The MOT would have failed it on a lit airbag light.It might be something as simple as a fuse.Check all the fuses under the steering column (well slightly to the right of it) and make sure none have blown

 

Thanks, I thought exactly what you said but haven't been able to check the fuses yet. The situation meant that the car was mot'd months back and the car sat out on the garage forecourt until now and was only started every couple of months or so - could something have happened in this space of time or could the garage be trying to pull a fast one? Or perhaps there is another possibility if it's not the fuse?

 

Most decent garages will be able to plug a code reader into the dash port and read off the fault, if there is one, and do a reset, if there isn't. Ring around and ask.

Better than having it either fail if you need it, or go off in your face when you don't