General Is airbag warning light MOT failure

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General Is airbag warning light MOT failure

chrisd80

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Got passenger and driver airbag light on for 4th time, previous 3 times no fault found this time it said fault with passenger airbag sensor. Took the gamble of just resetting the light for £15 but now ten days before MOT due the lights have come back on is this a MOT fail. Car is punto Active 5 door 54 reg. Any tips on fixing the problem or getting the light off.
 
Got passenger and driver airbag light on for 4th time, previous 3 times no fault found this time it said fault with passenger airbag sensor. Took the gamble of just resetting the light for £15 but now ten days before MOT due the lights have come back on is this a MOT fail. Car is punto Active 5 door 54 reg. Any tips on fixing the problem or getting the light off.
i was told by my garage i use, that the air bag warning light being on will not cause car to fail mot, i was also told this at halfords auto centre
 
I beieve that either it will get a Fail now or will in the near future...

Either way it should be fixed as the chances are the Airbags wont deploy when you need them.... (n)
 
its probably the wiring that runs along the top of the glovebox at fault.

theres a fiat dealer fix to sort that out.
 
Airbag light on is currently a "Pass and Advisory" item.

Depending on the exact fault, there's several fixes (of which the exclusion switch wiring mod is one). There is no "passenger airbag sensor", so need a better description of the fault (or find someone with a better code reader, as for the light to be on there is always a fault).
 
Airbag light is not MOT failure nor is it an advisory as airbags are deemed 'accessories' so are not currently covered under MOT regs.
To anyone about to MOT their car and is unsure, if your tester does fail it point out this fact and ask them to show you where it states in the MOT guidelines that airbags are deemed a failure and they will soon change it when they realise your not a pushover and you know what your talking about.
 
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How can they fail it if its not a failure?

because they now use the computerised system, and I thought when generating the Failure sheets, and advisory sheets.. they dont type anything in, they select from a list which is why it has a code number next to it.

So.. how can they select Airbag light.. failure if its not a failure point.. surely it would not be in the list of things that can be selected.
 
Airbag light on is currently a "Pass and Advisory" item.

Depending on the exact fault, there's several fixes (of which the exclusion switch wiring mod is one). There is no "passenger airbag sensor", so need a better description of the fault (or find someone with a better code reader, as for the light to be on there is always a fault).

The guy at the auto electrics garage I always use said when he tested the fault, are you sure the key operated switch for the passenger airbag isn't on? checked that and it was in correct position. He then said it must be the passenger airbag circuit board needs replacing. Told me I can buy from Fiat, scrap yard or parts shop, said if I got part he could fit it.

He is a small garage and relies on word of mouth and not fancy advertising so know he's not trying to con me.
 
answering my own question but found this on another forum. mot.uk.co.uk/manual/contents. No mention of airbag lights likewise reverse light one of my bulbs has stopped working now, plus rear windscreen wiper. Fixed wiper with a normal wiper trimmed down to size.
 
Heads up peeps. Since April 1 last the airbag , abs , ebs and esc systems indicator lamps are fail if lit or not working for the nct test on this side of the pond.
 
They should be a failure really.. might "inconvienience" some people and be a "nuisance"

but like seat belts.. airbags, pretentioners are a life saving device and a critical safety system.

So any idiot who reports an MOT place for failing a car on it is out of order really.
It might not be something that is supposed to fail a car.. so fine the examiner has broken the guidelines.

But he hasnt broken them in the interests of getting work out of you.. and may I add theres plenty of garages who do purposely fail things that should be advisory just to get work out of you.. which is why i never take my cars to a garage for an MOT but rather an independant MOT station.. 2 cars ive taken to a garage, they failed it on some stuff.. then I took it to 2 other independant places for a 2nd oppinion and it was considered a pass... so thats the kind of thing people "should" be reporting.

not the person who fails the car on airbags in the interests of your own personal safety rather than anything else.. because thats what it boils down to.. regardless of whether it meets fail criteria.. failing it forces you to put it right, and that could later on save your life in an accident.

flip side.. it dont fail, or even is put down as an advisory.. how many of you will keep putting it off.. just because its an extra cost.. and it isnt a fail and therefore not a necessity... then you could drive down the road.. have a head on collision, airbags dont function and you end up dead... so then where does the responsibility lie?.. the MOT guy following the guidelines who could of saved your life? or you for putting it off just because it wasnt a fail.

T14086 one minute your telling people.. they should only let dealers work on airbag systems, because its a critical safety device, refuse to give anybody any real help with airbag problems other than telling them its a dealer fix.. and fiat share that view with you, because they only allow dealers and top level techs fit the "dealer only" repair on the airbag system.

the next minute, your telling people to report an MOT inspector, to get them struck off just for looking out for somebodys safety, and potentially save their life.
 
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I would like to know why airbag wiring (which is known to be weak on Mk2 Puntos) must only be repaired by a Fiat expert. Cars have lots of other safety related systems e.g. steering where the Fiat expert only rule doesn't seem to apply.

By all means, get an electrical expert on the job, and I am in no way condoning DIY bodgers, but I dont see why that HAS to be a Fiat trained technician.
 
I would like to know why airbag wiring (which is known to be weak on Mk2 Puntos) must only be repaired by a Fiat expert. Cars have lots of other safety related systems e.g. steering where the Fiat expert only rule doesn't seem to apply.

By all means, get an electrical expert on the job, and I am in no way condoning DIY bodgers, but I dont see why that HAS to be a Fiat trained technician.

Hi I agree.. ok fair enough fiat technician has the trainin to do it properly... and no doubnt that is the safest way of doing the repair.

but who are fiat to decide who works on our cars?.. if you do something wrong.. you only have yourself to blame.

problem is, all good and well saying.. its only £20 or whatever it costs plus labour on top... but the fiat dealer around here, will charge £90 labour for that.. you get charged £85 just for a diagnostic.. standard fee apparently.. and i bet most dealers are the same.. and some people might not be able to afford that.. so what are you supposed to do? die in an accident just because you couldnt afford the £110.. seems petty but some people dont have much disposable income...and for you to attempt a repair.. at least it increases the chances of it working when you need it.. rather than it not working at all.

ok.. theres the safety aspect.. and if the system is not worked on professionally you can detonate the airbags.. and I have no doubt thats what Fiat are taking into consideration by making it dealer only.

But at the end of the day, if you work on your car and dont take proper precautions its your responsibility, and your fault.. in some respects its no different to your brakes.. dont work on them correctly and they wont be there when you need them.

Most people are too scared to touch airbags anyway, and those who do seem to ask first because they are aware of the exposive risk.. but say they dont do it.. at least a local garage can have a go.

its like technical service bulletins.

Im on friendly terms with my local dealer.. I walk in there, ask if theres a tsb on anything.. and generally they are quite helpfull they will look it up for me.

fine it has a copyright notice saying shouldnt be reproduced without permission.. but to be honest not like your going to go publishing it on the internet or selling the information on is it..in regards to your own personal use whos going to report the dealer for giving it to you.. or who even knows you have it? and to be honest gives a rats ass about it.

Obviously if you publicly publicise the information your asking for trouble, and to get sued... but personal use who cares?

some of these fiat technicians could be a lot more helpfull and let us know what is written in these tsbs.. dont even need to publicise it, or copy it.

if it says about cutting wires and joining.. thats all they have to say, dont need to replicate the wording.

I think its just a means of monopolising so if you want the fix done, or have a problem nobody else can fix you take it to a dealer because they have the insider knowledge.

another TSB which is dealer only fitting I cant understand is the VSS wiring modification.. from what I gather its a wire or something that goes into 1 of the connectors on the wiring where it goes into the fusebox...thats not exactly dangerous.. could say yes theres a risk of blowing your electrics.. but its no different to somebody tapping into their wiring to fit a dvd player, or footwell lights... or an alarm... risk you take
 
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My car has the airbag light on. No worries its just the passenger side fix it needs.
Wrong!
When I took the steering wheel off to replace the clockspring (horn not working) I found there is no yellow airbag system wire from the column side to connect to the clockspring.

Can I find any wiring guide that will tell me where to look for the connector at the other end of that wire - so I can trace it back. Nope!

So I'm still stuck with no airbags. At least its 100x safer than the 900cc bike I used to have for transport.
 
WhiteSei,

I have some handwritten notes on airbag wiring. Think it's from when I fixed the passenger side fault for someone else.

Though the wires for the airbag go in the upper side as yellow and yellow/white, the colours going down the column are blue and brown/white. I have shown these as connected via pins 11 and 12 of a 12-way connector (is that part of the clockspring?). I didn't note which was 11 and which was 12 though.

Just for elimination purposes, the horn exits the clockspring on pins 7 and 8 of that 12-way connector. Wires are black/pink and black (again, I didn't note which was which).

Other pins of the 12-way are not used. Don't know why they used a 12-way for four wires.

The horn wires go off to a steering column switch unit (not through any switch contacts though). One goes off to the relay and the other to an earth.

The airbag wires (that you need to find) go to the airbag ECU. The blue goes to terminal 21 and the brown/white goes to terminal 22. However, DTE shows this pair going through connector Q10 on pins B8 (blue) and A8 (brown/white). I haven't located that connector, assuming it's not the 12-way one I mention above.


Now back to topic: Before I fixed this one it went through two MOTs. One time it got an advisory, the other it wasn't mentioned.

I avoid the paranoia that surrounds airbags. They are, after all a Supplementary Restraining System (SRS). Wearing a seat belt is what really saves your life. Airbags were invented for Americans because they don't like wearing seat belts.

Despite "advice" about a new section of wiring loom and its requirement to be fitted by a main dealer, I fixed the fault by dismantling the passenger side inhibit switch and the connector that attaches to it and fettling them up. Got a cheap KKL lead, modified it to talk to airbag ECU, reset the error and it's been fine ever since (about a year I think).

red.
 
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tbh, even tho i agree that any safety related faults should be an mot fail, things like airbags shouldnt necessarily come into that as such. yes they may save your life, BUT, IF said person chooses to to ignore the fault, they are the only one to blame for any injuries caused to themselves. plenty of older cars dont have airbags, not to mention the god knows how many cars that have had aftermarket "sporty" steering wheels fitted that dont have airbags. anything that may jeopardize 3rd partys for sure should be an instant fail, not matter how supperficial. anything thats designed only for the drivers safety should be an advisory with the exception of things like seatbelts, but even they can restrain the driver to stop themselves becoming a potential harmful missile outside the car in extreme circumstances. what im trying to say is drivers side airbags should not come into play as a fail... but passenger side ones, id say maybe should.
 
Aside of MOTs, I wonder how this scenario would play out:

You give a lift to someone and are involved in an RTC. Your passenger gets injured and you end up in a civil court where he is claiming compensation from you because your insurance are not interested (they cite the small print of your policy where it says you will maintain the vehicle in a good state of repair). The barrister acting for your passenger says, "So, you were aware that a factory fitted safety system in your car was not working yet you still offered to carry my client as a passenger, exposing him to danger?"

red
 
Aside of MOTs, I wonder how this scenario would play out:

You give a lift to someone and are involved in an RTC. Your passenger gets injured and you end up in a civil court where he is claiming compensation from you because your insurance are not interested (they cite the small print of your policy where it says you will maintain the vehicle in a good state of repair). The barrister acting for your passenger says, "So, you were aware that a factory fitted safety system in your car was not working yet you still offered to carry my client as a passenger, exposing him to danger?"

red
exactly my point. driver wants to be an idiot on his own or put his own life at risk, its up to him, add public/passengers into the mix and they should become priority for safety. thats why i said passenger side airbags should perhaps be a fail.
 
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