Airbag Light

[s2rjn]

O no! Airbag light on dashboard is on - just beeped a warning and lit up on drive home

My warranty expired in March and I haven't renewed it! going to call opc in the morning

Can anyone tell me likely causes and remedies and ballpark costs to expect for these problems so i am prepared with 'knowledge' - if there is any - before i start the conversation with the opc

its always best to sound like you know what you are talking about with regard to the potential cause - ie fuse = 20p, new air bag system= £400,000

its a 2005 987 S - 32k miles

Any help would be great

Thanks in advance

Rich

 

[Nick_USA]

There are a range of things that it could be. Seat belt buckle micro-switch is a common one but could be a range of other things. If you are in the London area PM me as I have a PIWIS which will confirm where the fault is for free. Nick

 

[s2rjn]

Thanks for the offer I really appreciate unfortunately I'm in Cardiff I've read a bit about the seat belter holder sensor and I am hoping it s that! cheers rich

 

[Glyn]

You really need the code that triggered the light to know where to start looking. Investment in a Durametric will be of use to you now and in the future (and it can reset airbag lights) For a couple of hundred you will find this kit one of your best buys for the Car

 

[s2rjn]

just got back from opc - fault reader read 'no fault present' so they they turned off the light, charged me £60 for 1/2 hour labour (it took them 1.5 minutes - i timed them) and said bring it back if it happens again i really hoping it doesn't! thanks all

 

[Glyn]

But it will. Airbag light common fault is the air bag spring unit - this sits behind the steering wheel air bag, the cables inside break - yours appears to have triggered the fault and further movement of the steering wheel has corrected the fault that caused it - so you get a no faults reading (There must have been a fault to trigger it) However as you drive the cables will seperate again and trigger the fault - what then - another £60

 

[s2rjn]

ok - so what do you suggest I do - if the OPC tell me no fault found i cant really say take the steering wheel off and repair the airbag spring unit beacuse a bloke on the forum told me can I ! ........so far I've been told: seat belt buckle micro-switch a faulty CPU and now a broken airbag spring unit!!! basically noone bloody knows do they - and nothing can be done until it happens again and a fault is registered for the OPC or a specialist to read! if/when that does happen I'll be taking it back to the OPC and I'll insist they take-off the original £60 from the £1000's they will no doubt try to charge me!

 

[Mark_Bennett]

ORIGINAL: s2rjn basically noone bloody knows do they -

Um no. That's the problem with it being a range of posibilities... I don't think having a go at people who have tried to help is really on. Have a go at the OPC for not investigating (especially if it's common for "x" or "y" to happen) but not owners who have taken time to reply and are trying to help.

 

[s2rjn]

sorry mate - but i didn't like the tone of his email how is what he wrote helping?

 

[Glyn]

We have offered a range of options that are known to trigger the fault, Of course "no one bloody knows" because we dont have a fault code, however if you post a question surely you expected a range of opinions, however the air bag spring unit is one part that can trigger the light but on a code read will indicate no faults. The tone of my mail was intended to be helpfull in that armed with a little knowledge you can approach the dealer and suggest the air bag spring unit, especially when they get a nil faults reading - this then allows you to bargain on the "what happens if the light illuminates again" You cant keep paying £60 without further exploration - at some point you will have to bite the bullet and change parts over

 

[s2rjn]

ok sorry - tail between my legs time - the airbag light is back and you were right this time a 'need service in 30 days' warning flashed up which i have never seen before ( next service not due till dec 2010) but cleared when the engine started there was then another beep about 25 miles later and the airbag light lit up! ....so its back to OPC.. One thing to note, the car had just been washed with a jet wash when the 'need service' light lit up and i am sure the first occurrence of the airbag light happened a few weeks again after a jet wash - any ideas, could water have caused this? if so that could explain the no fault found reading - any suggestions would be gratefully received and i promise to keep my toys in my pram this time regards s2rjn

 

[Glyn]

S2rjn, When the light illuminates it has to be triggered and a code stored in the module, Indeed there are a number of possibilities that trigger the airbag light, common a few years ago was the seat belt buckle and there was a modification to correct. Taking of the door cards with ignition on will trigger it too. Usually the air bag being triggered by a belt buckle becomes obvious because it is usually (but not everytime) triggered just as you buckle up (or unbuckle) It appears to be an earthing fault - You described it coming on whilst driving - so i would be surprised if the buckle was the problem - unless you were fiddling with the buckle at the time (thinking it was a sheep - sorry - just checking the toys and the pram) Therefore i would suspect the only part that had movement at the time of the trigger was the steering wheel. Behind the steering wheel is the spring unit - no idea why they call it that as it doesnt have a spring in it at all, Inside is a computer style type ribbon, it is wound round a few times and as you turn the wheel this ribbon moves. The movement over a number of years does cause the ribbon to break inside but its never a clean break in that once broken it remains broken - as you continue to drive the ribbon cables end up connecting again so when a test is done it fails to re illuminate the light, however to trigger it must have thrown the code, It is possible the garage simply reset the light without reading the code and that is why we dont know precisely what to look for. When the ribbon gets worse you will find the horn fails to work - but only when the ignition is on - when ignition is off it will work - no idea why this happens either. You will find the air bag unit to be about £350 but you may find one on E-bay a lot cheaper. If you get yourself a Durametric kit for about £200 it will read all codes in all areas of the car and it will reset your airbag light too. Good luck with it Glyn

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

I agree with Glyn that it seems like an intermittent connection, but I would have thought that a fault code would have been logged. On the 987 the airbag contact unit and PSM steering angle sensor are all in one, just behind the steering wheel airbag. £169.25 inc VAT. There are so many things it could be that it would be a nightmare to track down if there are no codes.

 

[gammonnetti]

My airbag warning light came on as I pulled into a filling station. The car was three months outside its warranty and with 15,000 careful miles on the clock. I took it to Porsche Mid Sussex where it turned out to be related to the driver’s door airbag and like you I was told it showed no fault and re set at a cost of £50. A few days later it came on again and this time they said that a relay had gone taking out a second relay and here’s your bill for £800. I wrote Any Goss a Porsche UK and after a lot of haggling they paid 50% of the bill. ___________________ Stewart 987 Atlas Grey

 

[s2rjn]

Thanks - that is what I am fearing to be honest, its annoying how one light can potentially cost a sh*tload isn't it It is booked in at OPC next week and they are giving me a 'courtesy' car and have agreed to credit the original £60 I against any invoice I get charged for this visit - which makes me think I'll be getting even more rinsed!! I am seriosuly thinking about cancelling the inspection at the OPC and just and buying the durametric enthusiast software for £225 and then just turning it off everytime if comes on Has anyone used the durametric? regards S2RJN

 

[Glyn]

Yes, ive got the durametric and its a superb piece of kit. When my airbag light came on it identified the drivers airbag circuit - so it made it easy to track down, plus you can reset as many times as you like whilst you explore different solutions. It may take a little time to nail the exact part fault but at least it costs nothing to reset. The Durametric team respond well to e-mails so if you read a fault code and not sure just what its telling you they will mail you back with hints and tips. Lucky you, as Durametric have just released version 6 of their software - which is downloadable for free - and all future updates are free - all new code and extra functionality especially for the 987/997 (986 code is version 5.2.1 or something like that) though they will be releasing the 986 with even more added function within 6 weeks or so. Good luck with it

 

[s2rjn]

thanks - ordered it today so will keep you posted lets hope i can findthe problem cheers s2rjn

 

[Richard_Hamilton]

ORIGINAL: Glyn Lucky you, as Durametric have just released version 6 of their software - which is downloadable for free - and all future updates are free - all new code and extra functionality especially for the 987/997 (986 code is version 5.2.1 or something like that) though they will be releasing the 986 with even more added function within 6 weeks or so.

+1. Unfortunately, if you have the older Durametric interface, it isn't compatible with v.6 of the software. [].

 

[Glyn]

Yes Richard perhaps i should have mentioned that - but as s2rjn has just ordered he will get version 2 so i didnt think to mention that, indeed all supplied modules after Feb 08 are version 2 - and just checked mine - Feb 08 and it is version 2. oh yes and good luck to s2rjn in getting to the bottom of the fault - Just hope my diagnosis re airbag spring unit is spot on - Im confident, would hate to be wrong

 

[TimEwins]

Have we forgotten that an Airbag Fault light could be a an Airbag Fault? It might save your life to get it sorted rather than just 'keep turning it off' I had a problem with my light coming on too ... it was due to the battery level being so low the electrics were malfunctioning :0( New battery didn't fix this, a new Ignition Switch did I was aware that this could have cost £££, but ended up costing £20 for the switch, plus 3/4 hour labour Intermitant fault are always difficult to trace