Airbag warning light on

[MikeT]

I've repaired the connector by replacing the OE with a deans plug to facilitate seat removal if required.

It worked for the first few starts but has returned and will come on with every startup. It blinks for ages, the eventually goes solid until turned off then the process repeats. The repair job is sound.

So, if it's not the infamous underseat connector, what else could be wrong? I got dialogue with the ECU after doing the connector repair and cleared the logged fault. I guess I should load up Lexia again and read the actual recorded fault...

[wheeler]

Do you have lateral airbags in the seats ? have you done these connections aswell?

[MikeT]

Hi Wheeler,

There's just a driver's airbag in the steering wheel on mine, no side airbags on the seats, not even a passenger airbag.

[admiral51]

Hi Mike
I had a problem with my air bag light.It turned out to be the connection on the seatbelt pre tensioner.Its similar to the type that is used for the steering wheel airbag but does get pulled about a bit with everyday use.Its held in place by a metal clip which in my case had lost its shape.
You have to take the seat out of its runners to be able to get at the plastic cover that is held in place with 1 torx screw.Once you have access its easy enough to just secure the connection in place with a cable tie
Mine has now lasted for 2 months without any reacurrance of the fault

Colin

[MikeT]

Hi Colin,

So there's another connector living under the seat, I didn't know that. Thanks.

[admiral51]

Hi Mike

Not under the seat as in where the usual connector issue lives but its the other end of the cable.The cable routes itself up over the seat runner and into the pre tensioner(think thats what its called) which is attatched to the bit the seat belt clips into.If you take the seat out and turn it on its side you can easily see the plastic cover.

Hope this makes sense,my descriptions are up to my usual poor standards

Colin

[MikeT]

I'm sure I'll find it when I can get a chance to look, Colin. Your description was understood. I've Not taken a seat out before but understand you have to shuttle it full back to undo front bolts, then full forward to undo rears?

[admiral51]

Hi Mike

Not sure if there is a wrong way of doing it but i usually do the rear bolts first

Colin

[CitroJim]

One tip.

Drill the round plastic seat pad holes out to 8mm so the seat bolts have clearance. Because they're an interference fit on the bolts, it makes seat removal a nightmare as you have to counter-hold them.

Drilling them out makes refitting (and subsequent removal) so much easier

[c.morewood]

My problem was with the passenger airbag, key operated switch. It just needed a drop of WD40, turning off and on again and hey presto the light went out.
Hope this helps.

[ksanturion10]

+1 for the under seat connector, just touched the wiring, didn't even located where the conn is, and the warning stoped appearing. Nais

[ksanturion10]

Unfortunately, this warning continue to appear nevertheless I've put some thin copper sheets between the pins of the under-seat connector. I will try to look around the belt clip as mentioned above. Does anyone knows where to find this thing - "passenger airbag, key operated switch"?

[xantia_v6]

The design of air bag system changed several times during production of the Xantia, and there was probably also variation between markets.

The S1 Xantia did not have the key operated switch to disable the passenger air bag, so that is not your problem.

Can you describe exactly what symptoms you have and is it the main air bag warning light or the side air bag light that you are having problems with?

[ksanturion10]

I have only the two front airbags - driver and passenger seats. I haven't seen any markings suggesting side airbags.
The symptoms are like the ones already discussed above - sometimes the air bag light starts blinking after some time driving, and sometimes right after the first start for the day. It is blincking for some time and then becomes permanent until the next shut down and restart of the engine.
I think, that the problem lies into the belt clipping device, because at sometimes it tends to unclip by itself , probably something is worn-out as suggested above.
Actually this light started appearing after I changed the ignition key assembly with original one - the old was from another car and had bypass relay for the starter. At first I tought that I've made damage to the driver's air bag cable while the assembly work, but after that I've red about the under seat connector relation...
My MOT is comming and I want to sort-out this problem. If it is possible ofcource. Any help will be appreciated.

P.S.: Ok, ok, just to say, that I'm jumping from a 1985 Kadett E, which don't have nor ABS, nor Airbags, nor whatever . Just kidding, if they start making them again I would take loan and buy new one right a way .
I'm pretty sure now, that I've messed up the rotary switch into the steering wheel.
I removed the seat, and the under seat cable rooting to the pretensioner pyro-stuff, and checked it for continuity - actually had luck, didn't know that I would set the pretensioner on if I've measure it directly through the cable end with the multimeter .
Visually, both have not been activated by now.
I saw videos of checking the "fire starter" (prodigy ) with a multimeter without activating the pyro stuff, but everywhere I've red, those of the Citroen\Peugeot, would fire while been checked. Just wondering how the Airbag system checks them without activating them. I've actually opened the cable connector end, which plugs to the "fire starter" and saw that there is a coil with ferrite core for one of the lines, maybe this has something to do with the system checks for OL's.
Generally, is there a way to check if there is something wrong with the pretensioner assembly without using Lexia?