AirBag warning light stays on

Randy_Graves · November 18th, 2003, 16:40

Yesterday morning when starting our 2000 Golf GLS TDI the dashboard airbag warning light came on and.... stayed on! I looked her over to see if she had taken a bump without my knowledge and there are no signs of impact anywhere on her. None of the airbags have deployed. The light just came on yesterday and has stayed on ever since while driving.

When starting her up the AirBag light will go off breifly (about 1 sec.) and then comes back on solid.

Any advise? Anything I can check or repair myself without taking her to the dealer?

Thank You for any input regarding!

Curious Chris · November 18th, 2003, 17:33

VagCom required to really answer you.

On my 1999.5 I had the same issue that I cleared over and over again as it was the electrical connector on the passenger side airbag that would trigger the airbag light every time someone rode in the back seat. I totalled the car before I could get around to fixing it.

So find someone with VagCom clicking on the VagCom List at the top of the page.

Dave_D · November 19th, 2003, 06:30

I also had a similar problem with my 1999.5 Jetta. Tom Walker was kind enough to pull the code for me, which indicated a short to ground in the driver's side seat belt tensioner igniter. I pulled the pillar cover and disconnected the connector there and checked the igniter with a multimeter. I reassembled the connector and put the pillar cover back on. This didn't correct the air-bag light. Several weeks later I picked up the VAG-COM interface and the pulled the code from the air-bag controller again and cleared it. It stayed clear, so it appears that the problem was in the connector.

Get someone with a VAG-COM to pull the code from the air bag controller and check out whatever it indicates. Your problem might simply be a poor connection like mine was. A VAG-COM or equivalent is essential to correcting your problem.

Randy_Graves · November 21st, 2003, 15:56

Dave,

Thanks for your reply! I had decided that the best course of action was to purchase VAG-COM (no one near me who has one). However there is a warning on the VAG-COM site regarding using VAG-COM with a particular airbag controller (6Q0-909-605-A) on 2000/2001 Golf/Jetta's. The warning indicates that scanning this particular controller will induce a permanent fault into the controller, requiring that the controller be replaced! Sure enough, this is the controller that I have in my 2000 Golf. I am at a loss of what to do next.

In searching the Internet it seems that airbag problems are common on 2000 Golf/Jetta's, with repair prices being quoted at $400 - $1,100 dollars.

Does anyone have any suggestions short of taking my Golf to the dealer? We have 3 newer VW's and have used the local dealer for our warrenty work. I am sorry to say that I can say nothing good about this dealer. I hesitate to do any paid service business with them.

Any help/advise is greatly appreciated!

Thank you,

wildhare73 · November 21st, 2003, 19:32

Was just talking to the fellow from Ross-tech about that car yesterday and the airbag issue. I wouldn't hook it to vag-com. Bring it to the dealer and have them reset the light, it more than likely won't require any new equipment. I just took my airbag out today and on reassembly the light stayed on and I needed to reset the error code with vag-com (luckily I have an older car that doesn't mind the vag).

Although the dealer I get parts from has a bad rep, the mechanics I've asked to give me a minute (and I mean 1-5, not 15-20) have been really helpful.

It might just need to be hooked up to a scanner and have the code reset, which should take all of <5mins.

Randy_Graves · November 22nd, 2003, 10:54

In an effort to avoid having to take my Golf to the dealer for service, I am considering replacing my VAG-COM non-compatable airbag controler 6Q0-909-605-A with a compatible 1C0-909-605-A unit.

I can't seem to find one a 1C0-909-605-A used. There are however lots of used airbag controllers with the same part numbers ending in -F

Does anyone know the differences between a 6Q0-909-605-A and the 6Q0-909-605-F? Or a 1C0-909-605-A and 1C0-909-605-F?

Lastly, am I correct in understanding there may be a chance that even though my current airbag controller is the unit with the known issue of VAG-COM compatibility, that the VAG-COM unit may still be be able to read and re-set my airbag fault code?

Thank you for your help,

wildhare73 · November 22nd, 2003, 11:35

From what I understand it's a roll of the dice...

Why the resistance on having them quote you an estimate? If they just need to hit a button they might charge you little or nothing. And if they hit you with a big quote just walk...

Randy_Graves · November 22nd, 2003, 14:14

I talked with our local dealer yesterday. They said it would be $75 to hook up the OBD and diagnose the cause of the Airbag warning light.

Any repairs would be additional. If I was to do the work myself, it would be $75 for a diagnose and another $75 to reset the error once I have made the repairs.

We have 3 newer VW's in the family. 1 purchased from this dealer, one from another dealer, and 1 purchased used. This dealer has done the warranty work on all 3. If at all possible, I would like to avoid dealing with them with anything that involves writing a check.

From reading posts on the Internet it looks like airbag warning light issues are a common problem with 2000/2001 VW's. It also looks like a fairly simple system to diagnose and troubleshoot.

I am concerned that if airbag problems are re-occuring or common for our 2000 NB and 2000 Golf, that my need for the dealer to service this system could be re-occuring. And in the long run I might be better off to pay the price to replace the Airbag Controller and diagnose/troubleshoot it myself.

I've placed an order for the Ross VAG-Com package. And waiting for delivery of a Benley Manual. We typically keep our cars for a long time and have made a mental decision to run VW's among the family. It is getting harder with newer cars, but the goal is to service our own vehicles as much as possible.

Advise is much appreciated!
Thank you

Curious Chris · November 22nd, 2003, 14:37

You have just made the best decision: buy VagCom! I bought my VagCom to confirm a screwy MAF failure. Then I had a come and go Airbag light that I would clear with VagCom. Then I just recently had the dreaded flashing glow plug light; VagCom and this site helped me and replace the burned out break light and cleared the code.

So $150 to the dealer for 1 problem, or $200 to Uwe for the tool that lasts the life of your cars. Knowledge is power!!

wildhare73 · November 22nd, 2003, 16:15

Gotcha--

The one thing I would advise you to do (if you haven't already) is call up ross-tech and ask to speak to Uwe (I believe it's pronounced ur-way). He's the owner and he'll tell you about the airbag issue with your car and vag-com. He was eager to show me around when I bought my hexcom and we did talk about the airbag situation for that model car a little bit. Good luck.

Randy_Graves · November 28th, 2003, 07:51

Thanks to everyone who offered help and advise! You input is of great value to me (and our 3 VW's [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] )

I wanted to write and follow up on my original post. The choice I made regarding how to correct our airbag warning light was to purchase a ROSS-Tech Hex-Com and Bentley's CD-ROM.

The Ross-Tech software and web site have a very explicit warning regarding its use on 2000/2001 airbag controllers with a part number 6Q0-909-605-a, such as ours.

Before using the Ross-Tech to querry our vulnerable 6Q0-909-605-A airbag controller; using www.car-parts.com I found 2 wrecking yards who use the Ross-Tech VAG-Com to test their controllers before selling. It took a little hunting, but with the exchange of a couple of emails I had reasonable assurance that I could puchase a 6Q0-909-605-A that had been successfully tested and was compatable with the Ross-Tech VAG-Com. Price for these units was $200.

I had no luck in finding a used 1C0-909-605-A (the replacement airbag controller unit which does not have a compatability issue with the Ross-Tech VAG-Com). The only source I could find for the 1C0-909-605-A was our local dealer who quoted me $507.

In short, with a fall-back plan of purchase a used & compatable 6Q0-909-605-A. I went ahead and tested my unit with the Ross-Tech VAG-Com. My unit tested successfully! I was able to read the code (intermitent high resistance to the drive side airbag) and clear the code.

It is note-worthy to point out that 2 others had replied to me indicating they had the exact same problem on their 99 Golf's.

I will wait and see if the fault code exhibits it'self again before go after the connector/circuit in the drives seat.

Thanks to everyone for all your help!