HELP. GOLF GTI airbag light on

**mickvlad** · 10-02-2015,08:05 PM

HELP HELP HELP, Can anyone help me with my airbag light issue. i have just bought a 2000 reg mk4 2.0 gti and it has the dreaded airbag light on dash. i have finished all other work that it needed doing to it to get it ready for its mot, but i do not own a vag diagnostic tool and they are pretty expensive. i am a bit strapped for cash at the moment but i am willing to do a favour mechanicaly in return for help given. need to find out what is wrong with the airbag system to fix it. is there anyone anyone in the stoke on trent area who is willing to help. thanks in advance.

**Doctle Odd** · 10-02-2015,08:10 PM

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...8.kMTwqF0PoXwc

You can buy a cheapo handheld scanner for 30 notes

**zollaf** · 10-02-2015,08:14 PM

no airbag warning light at all, can't fail mot .

**Doctle Odd** · 10-02-2015,08:32 PM

Originally Posted by zollaf

no airbag warning light at all, can't fail mot .

Do they not have to go on and then off? Plenty of cars in Ireland have the air-bag light on the same circuit as the ABS light

**zollaf** · 10-02-2015,08:46 PM

lol, thats a way around it. no, here, by the letter of the mot rules, if the airbag light stays on, it fails. if there is no light at all, not even one when you turn the ignition on, then it is presumed its not fitted with airbags so has to pass. its easy to see an abs pump, sensors etc, but hard to see airba components. the fact the steering wheel says 'SRS' dosn't count as you may have fitted an airbag steering wheel because it looks nice.

**mickvlad** · 10-02-2015,09:39 PM

hi , thanks for the advice but i have 2 cheapo diag tools and both dont work on my car. also here in england if the light does not come on then it is a mot fail. i have taken a car with bulb out and failed .

**Doctle Odd** · 10-02-2015,09:47 PM

VAG Scanner Engine ABS Airbag Diagnostic Scan Tool VW Seat Skoda Audi COM Reset | eBay will do your job easily enough

**KrashBandiKoot** · 10-02-2015,10:29 PM

Originally Posted by zollaf

no airbag warning light at all, can't fail mot .

If the air bag/SRS warning light does not come on and go out to show the system is armed and working it WILL fail the MOT. It's the same with the ABS light, that MUST come on and go out.

Air bag faults are usually due to the pad sensors in the seats, they tend to wear and the mesh gets broken. Modern airbag systems tend to only arm for the passenger side when it detects a passenger in the seat. Drivers air bags are always armed for obvious reasons.

The simple fix to this is to get a bypass unit so the airbag is always armed regardless of a passenger in the seat. It's a small unit that plugs in under the seat instead of the sensor mat. Sadly it will NOT put out the airbag light, that needs a system reset to clear the fault. A scanner will not solve the problem, all it'll do is show the fault code. I'm not sure but you may be able to get the Golf software off Ebay and relevant connecting cable to plug in your laptop into the car; I know you can for BMW, Mini and Rolls Royce/Bentley.