General i hope this cures my airbag problem

[grundleweed]

I have the common airbag light problem it was diagnosed with dealer computer as either being passenger seat airbag pressure mat or the exclusion switch.

However im changing my seats this week to leather.. so im really hoping this solves the problem if not then its either
a) the exclusion switch - how to you change this?
b) ive been really unlucky and got another seat with faulty presure mat

 

[mzhussein]

check the connector under the passenger and drivers seat, (orange ones) unplug clean with contact cleaner from halfords (£5), plug it back in, problem disappears

 

[ROWENA]

Cut plugs off solder them together that sorts the buggers!!!! :devil:

 

[mzhussein]

lol, its true, havnt resorted to that yet, my latest fix seems to be holding....(expects to go out and have it fail DOH)

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

the exclusion switch - how to you change this?

It should just pull out (possibly need a flat head screw driver behind it), and then simply remove connector behind it, put connector onto replacement and push back into place

 

[grundleweed]

i am right in thinking the exclusion switch is on the end of the dash where you can put the key in to turn the airbag off right?

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

i am right in thinking the exclusion switch is on the end of the dash where you can put the key in to turn the airbag off right?

Yep, as far as I'm aware. 'Excludes' the airbag

 

[grundleweed]

so surely if i turned off the airbag with the exclusion switch it should stop my airbag warning light coming on??

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

so surely if i turned off the airbag with the exclusion switch it should stop my airbag warning light coming on??

No, as it's an aux circuit to the airbag system. tbh can't see how the switch would cause the airbag light to come on. Only 2 wires to it. So if switch was disconnected I assum it would be the same as the switch being in the off posittion.

Should cause 'airbag deactivated' light to appear on dash when that switch is off.

Might be worth having a play with turning it on and off to see if it helps.

Jon.

 

[roy lovelock]

nope when i first bought mine i turned the airbag off when we had our baby in the car and the bloody thing still bleeped air bag failure. but as what has been previously mentioned a bit of contact cleaner on the connections does the job. i do mine once a year and havent (touch wood) had the fault return.
roy

 

[Argonought]

Cut plugs off solder them together that sorts the buggers!!!! :devil:

This Forum doesn't condone this suggestion :shakehead:

Remember, almost all Fiat garages will refuse to fault find any air bag issues once you've done this

 

[grundleweed]

I took a look under the seat today and could not see a orange connector . Is there a way to get the harness and connectors out from under the seat or do I have to lift the seat off the rails to get access to it.

 

[Argonought]

There's a large number of threads on this topic - use the Search tool

 

[Morty Mort]

I took a look under the seat today and could not see a orange connector . Is there a way to get the harness and connectors out from under the seat or do I have to lift the seat off the rails to get access to it.

I couldn't find the orange connector either - for 3 years, and thought I had a new wiring loom. But then when I was to change the OCS mat I found them to be soldered - extremely professional, just as they were melted together and covered with some shrink plastic covering. Couldn't have done it better myself.

Try to find a thick yellow cable going under the seat. This goes to the original orange connector wich is situated on a plastic cover underneath the seat that slides out.

PS. It was my baby's seat that wrecked the OCS mat (two static points of heavy pressure), and causes the same symptoms as other airbag failures with the red light on the dash going ding-ding-ding.

A trip to the Examiner will diagnose the culprit.

 

[grundleweed]

well ive changed all my interior today for leather and i still have the same airbag problem so as i previously said im either

a) really unlucky and got another seat with faulty pressure sensor or
b) its the exclusion switch.

(it was either 1 of the 2 as it was hooked upto fiats examinor computer which said it was either pressure sensor or exclusion switch)

and also the fact my key doesnt work on the exclusion switch makes me think its been changed at some point in the past...

 

[john55]

a) really unlucky and got another seat with faulty pressure sensor or
b) its the exclusion switch.

I have never heard of an exclusion switch fail, but seat sensors fail all the time. I am betting on A.

You could take the sensor out of your old seat and plug it in to see if you can get the light to go off. Often if you turn them upside down or bend them in a certain way they will work again.

 

[grundleweed]

would leather seat and cloth seats pressure pads be the same?

 

[Morty Mort]

would leather seat and cloth seats pressure pads be the same?

Propably, but there are two different OCS mats - if that is what you are referring to. Either they work on a 5 door / 3 door / Abarth / Dynamic etc. You must get the correct one for the airbag ECU to work it out.

 

[grundleweed]

Well mine is a 5dr abarth that had cloth seats and I got a set of leather seats from another 5dr I'm pretty sure it was from an abarth But I guess if I put my original mat back in the new seat that should be ok??


Also if I get airbag failure warning does this mean airbag system is shut off thus could use baby seat (even tho I can't turn off exclusion switch )

what's the yellow airbag warning for on dash?

 

[Morty Mort]

Yellow warning means the airbag is shut off. There are two yellow airbag symbols. Either front passenger or both rear seat airbags - correct me if wrong.

Yellow light will flash when someone sits down in the passenger seat. Beware, it was my baby seat that trashed the OCS.

Red warning means failure. If you just change the seat cover, you will not need to remove the cushion. The OCS is glued to the cushion, so if you order a new mat, the cushion will come with it - made in France...