Airbag short to ground

**Martynas26** · 26-05-2015,07:28 PM

Fault code says is short to ground drivers side airbag.done rewire under seat. But still got fault and airbag light. Car is 04 a4 b6 1.9tdi quattro. Help guys please. Its only fault driving me crazy.

**Flash2** · 27-05-2015,03:26 AM

Did you clear the code after doing the wiring repair?

If your Audi is like VWs there is another connector under a cover on the floor at the front of the seat. Disconnect the yellow connector there and then recheck the fault code. If the short to ground is now shown as intermittent and you have a new static code saying something like "upper limit exceeded" then it's either the airbag itself that's shorted or a short on the seat base wiring somewhere. The "upper limit exceeded" code tells you that the wiring between the connector at the seat and the airbag ECM is OK, so the fault must be on the seat.

Jim.

**Martynas26** · 27-05-2015,01:36 PM

Thanks m8. Yeah its got another connector in that place. I delete fault after repair. And after couple minutes drive its come back. I try that u suggest. That if i cut of that connector too?

**Flash2** · 27-05-2015,06:47 PM

Originally Posted by Martynas26

That if i cut of that connector too?

I don't think a connector is the problem. A loose connection on a connector would give you the "upper limit exceeded" trouble code, not a short to ground.

**Martynas26** · 27-05-2015,07:23 PM

On connector is two wire one black & one blue. Close to is running thick brown cable. Is the one which shortening?

**Martynas26** · 27-05-2015,07:24 PM

I will do thing thats in your first post. To get any progress and faults.

**Flash2** · 27-05-2015,07:50 PM

On airbag system, a short to ground code usually means the wiring has rubbed through on to the body somewhere. If you disconnect the connector at the seat like I suggested, then recheck the code that will give you a clue where the damage to the wiring is. If the short to ground code changes status to "intermittent/sporadic" once the seat connector is unplugged that tells you the damage must be on the seat base. If the short to ground code remains "static/present" then the damage is on the wiring between the connector under the floor and the airbag control unit.

If the two wires on the airbag connector to had shorted together your trouble code would more likely be "lower limit exceeded".
Lower limit exceeded means the circuit resistance is too low (shorted together) and upper limit exceeded means the resistance is too high (open circuit).

**Martynas26** · 27-05-2015,08:10 PM

Thanks alot. You give me more understanding on that these words means. I do the tests tomorrow and write the outcome. Thanks again.

**Martynas26** · 01-06-2015,01:12 PM

I disconnected connector under carper and yeah the fault code went to uper limit exeded.do test drive to see or short to groun will back but its not. So problem will be in the seat. But dont want to rip all seat apart to check wiring.
But still it is easy to remove airbag?

**Flash2** · 01-06-2015,04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Martynas26

I disconnected connector under carper and yeah the fault code went to uper limit exeded.do test drive to see or short to groun will back but its not. So problem will be in the seat. But dont want to rip all seat apart to check wiring.
But still it is easy to remove airbag?

I've never had to replace a side airbag on a VW/Audi. You'd need to unhook the seat back fabric at the bottom and roll it up towards the top to expose the airbag. You might need to split the seat back from the base to unhook the fabric. The airbag itself will probably be secured to the seat frame by a couple of 10mm nuts.

The fault code suggests it's the wiring that's rubbed through or has been trapped somewhere on the seat base though as opposed to the airbag itself being faulty.