Hi,

I removed the front passenger seat in order to accommodate a large payload. Since replacing the seat the airbag / seatbelt warning lamp on the instrument panel is permanently glowing. I know there is nothing wrong with either seat belts or airbags, this was purely caused by disconnecting the wiring to the passenger seat, seat belt.

Can anyone advise a cure to this, or am I going to need an auto electrician?

Thanks

Its because you turned on the ignition with it unplugged. Reconnect it and plug in a OBDIi Diagnostics device and clear the fault codes! Should be problem solved. All you need is one of those £5 jobs :)

Thanks GingerFlame,

Much appreciated,

and readers, please forgive the multi posting, I was getting messages saying I wasn't allowed to post the topic.

On 4/6/2015 at 9:33 PM, Tangolegs said:

On 4/6/2015 at 8:47 PM, GingerFlame said:

Its because you turned on the ignition with it unplugged. Reconnect it and plug in a OBDIi Diagnostics device and clear the fault codes! Should be problem solved. All you need is one of those £5 jobs :)

My mk 6 fiesta airbag warning light started to come on about two months ago. I've taken it to three Uk garages, But each failed to find the fault. (The airbag computer wasn't talking to the cars main computer they said.) So with no data, and the MOT coming up, I was worried! And changed the airbag module. Still the light came on!  But strangely  plugging in a satnav into the cigarette lighter has turned the light off.  (At least while it is plugged in) Today it passed the MOT.  Why is that?

 

1 hour ago, devmike said:

 

I don't think it's an MOT failure to have the light on. I know someone who has had the light on for the past 6 years.

If the SRS lamp was on (as in remained on following the self-testing) then it should've failed. Section 5.4 of the MOT manual covers this part of the test and has been subject to changes over the years and not all testers necessarily keep on top of its evolution. 

Incidentally, you might think that a missing/defective SRS light would also be grounds for failure and whilst it used to be (a few years back) this is no longer the case. To use VOSA's own words, 'If no lamp is present or it doesn’t illuminate then it can’t indicate a system fault, so it can’t be failed'. This might sound rather at odds with the purpose of the MOT test however I do recall reading that the removal of rejection due to a missing/defective SRS light was actually down to the requirement to comply with EU harmonisation obligations which don't allow deviation from a standardised test - I think VOSA relectuantly went along with it given they had no choice in the matter. Perhaps once Brexit is done and dusted we'll be getting this rule put back in!

1 hour ago, MJNewton said:

I think VOSA relectuantly went along with it given they had no choice in the matter. Perhaps once Brexit is done and dusted we'll be getting this rule put back in!

I doubt it, I think there's more important regs for the ivory tower to sort out. It's one of them were you're not going to come across a problem with airbags at an MOT, so will get brushed under the mat, with a sort of "it's not broken, don't fix it" attitude.