Xantia Airbag light

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 10 Mar 2007, 14:20

1997 Mk1 V6 Xantia with 2 airbags.

The airbag warning light flashes for a few minutes after turning on the ignition, and then stays on solid.

I had the dash out 3 weeks ago to change the heater matrix, but the airbag light only started coming on today.

Any ideas appreciated.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 10 Mar 2007, 17:08

Check the connectors (orange) under the seats that connect the side airbags and the seatbelt pretensioners. These often work loose and have a bit of metal to short them when they separate to warn you via the airbag light.

I think the dash is not the cause as the airbag ECU is in the centre console under the oddment tray. Having said that, if you had the console out to do the dash there are a lot of airbag wiring connectors floating around in there and they're all worth a check if the seat ones don't do the trick.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 10 Mar 2007, 17:26

Sorry, ignore the bit about side airbags. I missed the bit that you have 2 bags

But the information is still relevant as the sealtbelt pretensioners are also subject to testing via the airbag light.

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 11 Mar 2007, 12:08

I checked all the connectors to both airbags, and the pretensioners, and all looked OK. The next check was the rotary connector thing for the drivers aribag, and it is O/C in one circuit.

Can anyone tell me if these are expensive from Citroen?

Anyone got a spare?

np · Unread post by np » 11 Mar 2007, 19:41

I had mine replaced twice from an idie garage,they cost about £80 each at the time.In the end i got one from the scrapy which lasted longer!Although towards the end of owner ship with me the light had started to come on again now & then.

AndersDK · Unread post by **AndersDK** » 11 Mar 2007, 19:58

0290 03 441025 STEERING WHEEL CAP COLUMN JACKET SAC GONFLABLE COTE CONDUCTEUR DEPUIS OPR 06965 (dec'95 on)
http://www.citroen-pr.net/catalogues/il ... 410250.gif

item5 :
05 - 4112 X6 - ROTATING SWITCH (approx £60)
- DRIVERS AIR BAG AND WITHOUT REMOTE RADIO CONTROL
05 - 4112 X7 - ROTATING SWITCH (approx £90)
- DRIVERS AIR BAG AND REMOTE RADIO CONTROL

NOTE : its the same 2 part versions any model variant dec'95 onwards.

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 12 Mar 2007, 18:30

Thanks. At that price I will take my chances with a used part.

The annoying thing is that when I was up to my neck removing the dashboard to do the heater, someone who lives around the corner came along and asked if I needed any parts because he has a mate breaking a Xantia TD, but I told him I didn't need anything and now I have no idea which house he lives in... Oh well, off to ebay.

Mandrake · Unread post by **Mandrake** » 12 Mar 2007, 19:06

Has anyone considered that the airbag is just faulty, and the light might be telling the truth ? Unlikely, but possible

Regards,
Simon

Unread post by **SteveG** » 13 Mar 2007, 21:18

np wrote:I had mine replaced twice from an idie garage,they cost about £80 each at the time.In the end i got one from the scrapy which lasted longer!Although towards the end of owner ship with me the light had started to come on again now & then.

And it stays on every time now

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 16 Mar 2007, 19:51

A rotary connector from a local parts recyler has fixed the airbag light.

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 11 May 2007, 17:16

Its gone again

The rotary connector is broken in one of the airbag contacts.
I suppose it is just bad luck.

I checked the centering of the steering wheel, and on hard left lock, the top of the wheel is at about 170 degrees, and at hard right lock it is at about 190 degrees. I don't think that the +/- 10 degrees should be significant.

I went to Autos and Sons at Bottisham near Cambridge to pick up a replacement, but unfortunately none of the 5 Xantias they are breaking had the correct part

It is fairly obvious that there are (at least) 3 versions of connector:
* No airbag (just stereo controls),
* Single airbag (with the airbag warning LED on the steering wheel),
* Multiple airbags (with the airbag warning light on the dash).

I think that the connector might have been common with the Peugeot 406 (if any of those had stereo controls on the steering wheel).

So still looking.

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 11 May 2007, 17:31

Mandrake wrote:Has anyone considered that the airbag is just faulty, and the light might be telling the truth ? Unlikely, but possible

Regards,
Simon

I agree here, too many warning lights have these quirks of not working and people think the warning system is faulty, but lets not forget the actual thing the warning light is warning us about could really be faulty. Never forget that possibility it could save a life. But at least xantia_v6 is onto the problem.

Unread post by **xantia_v6** » 11 May 2007, 17:42

Yes, but in this case it is easy to test the connector with an ohm meter. The replacement I fitted 2 months ago had continuity on both airbag circuits, but it is now O/C on one of the circuits (as was the original part). I don't see how the airbag can cause the flexi-cable to fail.

deian · Unread post by **deian** » 11 May 2007, 17:46

My money is on the orange plus under the seat, or the rotary thing in the steering wheel, i don't know about airbags and haven't fixed one myself because i'm scared of it blowing up in my face, but reading all the posts here related to airbags point to the above.

Be careful with the OHM meter, they send a small current to measure the resistance... just in case it sends enough to blow the airbags up.

DickieG · Unread post by **DickieG** » 12 May 2007, 08:35

AndersDK wrote:05 - 4112 X6 - ROTATING SWITCH (approx £60)
- DRIVERS AIR BAG AND WITHOUT REMOTE RADIO CONTROL

Take a look at ebay listing number 160116024866