Technical Airbag Failure - Invisible to MES

[portland_bill]

Trying to help someone with a 2003 Stilo 1.6 16v 3-door, with 'Airbag Failure' warning on the dash display.

Attached MES using ELM cable and did a scan. Reported Eng, Body, Dash and door modules, but no airbag module found.
Looking through the CanBus list while connected showed Airbag 'not present'.
Trying to connect to the airbag, was given a message needed KKL/VagCom connected to pin3 or red adaptor.
I have a Vagcom connector, labelled for MES, with a switch to change the internal pin connections. So with this set to pin 3 we tried again.
Still not able to connect to airbag for diagnosis.

We removed the airbag ECU from under the heater. Connectors look fine, all clean and dry, ECU looks undamaged, no signs of damp. With ECU out, dash warning still the same.

Fuse is fine.

Does this point at a failed ECU? Before this permanent warning, it did pop on and off a few times, then became permanent. I'm guessing ECU because it cannot connect to it, seems to think it is not there. I'm thinking that if individual faults occurred, I should be able to see the airbag ECU and read codes.
Davren I see you have posted a few times about Stilo airbags, any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[Artermis]

I'd be inclined to agree with your assessment of ECU failure, I'm afraid. It's not a totally uncommon failure to have, I've read about it a good few times before in honesty.

 

[dtimmins1985]

I had dreaded airbag faults on the stilo i sold earlier this year.

The ecu can get damaged by condensation and poor earths.

The ecu is behind the heater controls, infront of the pollen filler housing.

Clean connections with contact cleaner and do a scan for modules. If it appears... do a proxy alignment.

Most of the time its bad connections and poor earth.

 

[Davren]

Unless it's the diagnostic section of the airbag ECU that's faulty, MES would show a faulty ECU code.

I'm more inclined to think your adaptor cable is not connecting.
.

 

[dtimmins1985]

I thought that... but he said the module is not showing as present when he checks for can modules with the elm.

That wouldn't stop it from showing up would it? To acces it i have had use a red adaptor... but to see it just used the elm... its the proxy alignment and can bus that reports what is connected.. not the red connector.

Id say ecu or its contacts, earths... if im wrong then davren is probably right.

Correct me if im wrong davren.