MOT - Airbag light

CliffyBiro · 3 Jul 2011 at 23:42

Clio in for MOT on the 18th and I've still not sorted the issue with the service and airbag lights being on due to a bad connection of the connectors underneath the seats.

Are the airbags an MOT fail? Have had conflicting answers so far.

MagicBoy · 3 Jul 2011 at 23:56

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18259643

Hades · 3 Jul 2011 at 23:56

Pretty sure airbags aren't a faiure until the new rules in January.

CliffyBiro · 4 Jul 2011 at 00:11

Good stuff.

The start of that other thread had conflicting answers aswell, I see. I wasn't too sure from my own google-fu.

MissChief · 4 Jul 2011 at 00:12

My side airbag light has been on since I got it and it's passed MoT twice in that time.

MagicBoy · 4 Jul 2011 at 00:20

Hades said:
Pretty sure airbags aren't a faiure until the new rules in January.

That's a pain.

CliffyBiro · 4 Jul 2011 at 00:31

7.1.5. Airbag:
(a) Airbags obviously missing or not suitable with the vehicle.
(b) Airbag obviously non-operative.

From the 2012 changes

Scania · 4 Jul 2011 at 00:33

I wonder how long it will be until the powers that be decide airbags themselves need changing?

Afaik they have a service life of circa 10 years or so?

It would be an effective "stealth scrappage" scheme in effect.

MissChief said:
My side airbag light has been on since I got it and it's passed MoT twice in that time.

The new regs won't be an issue hopefully - it cost less than £10 to sort my e39's light, hopefully yours is something equally simple.

MagicBoy · 4 Jul 2011 at 00:46

Let me guess, overpaid tax-stealing EU bureaucrat busybodies came up with this. Looking at the changes it seems likely the cost of an MOT is going up again.

I think I'm definitely hanging on to the vRS for a bit longer. Less to go wrong with it!

Lopéz · 4 Jul 2011 at 07:18

Actually, the Ministry say they are trying to work the changes into the existing MOT structure so that the extra time taken for the tester is minimal - therefore no extra hassle for garages and no (or minimal) extra cost for the customer. Of course in practice who knows if it will work out, but that's the idea anyway.

Mud · 4 Jul 2011 at 08:15

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
I wonder how long it will be until the powers that be decide airbags themselves need changing?

Afaik they have a service life of circa 10 years or so?

It would be an effective "stealth scrappage" scheme in effect.

The new regs won't be an issue hopefully - it cost less than £10 to sort my e39's light, hopefully yours is something equally simple.

I was under the impression the 10 years figure was a conservative estimate from when air bags first came in, and has now been revised up. Think it might have been a Haynes manual where I read that or told by a Peugeot dealership, but to be honest I'm not 100% where I got that notion from.

stoofa · 4 Jul 2011 at 09:36

If you've got an airbag light on the dash it usually means that there is a problem with the airbag.
It being an MOT failure or not - that should be furthest from the front of your mind.

If you're involved in an accident and the bags don't go off when they should or your air bags decide to deploy when they shouldn't just because you couldn't be bothered to get them looked at I feel is a far bigger worry.

Lyle44 · 4 Jul 2011 at 13:19

I was looking at my Haynes manual for Mk.1 Xsara over the weekend and noticed seatbelt pre tensioners and airbags to be replaced every 10 years regardless of mileage. Though asking around most people don't seem to bother with doing this.
L

stulid · 4 Jul 2011 at 13:23

Stick a piece of black tape over the light. sorted.

Clarkey · 4 Jul 2011 at 13:29

stulid said:
Stick a piece of black tape over the light. sorted.

Not really, they will expect to see the light flash up for the power on self test, they do this for ABS currently.

ins0mn1ac · 4 Jul 2011 at 17:53

Car passed my MOT in march with my airbag light on, I think it's my tensioner plug? under the seat, the clip on it has snapped it keeps coming out and triggering the light. Trip to the scrappy last weekend all sorted

Clarkey · 4 Jul 2011 at 18:50

**** sake, my ****ing SRS light has decided to come back on today, only replaced the clock spring a month or two ago :mad:

Hope my mates fancy OBD tool can communicate with it.

MissChief · 4 Jul 2011 at 23:49

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
I wonder how long it will be until the powers that be decide airbags themselves need changing?

Afaik they have a service life of circa 10 years or so?

It would be an effective "stealth scrappage" scheme in effect.

The new regs won't be an issue hopefully - it cost less than £10 to sort my e39's light, hopefully yours is something equally simple.

it's the connectors under the seat. if I reach under and push them together the light stays off, but as soon as the kids pull the seat forward to get into the back they come on again. if it's a problem I'll just cut the connectors off and tape them together.

Scania · 5 Jul 2011 at 11:17

MissChief said:
it's the connectors under the seat. if I reach under and push them together the light stays off, but as soon as the kids pull the seat forward to get into the back they come on again. if it's a problem I'll just cut the connectors off and tape them together.

This seems to be the problem in my e39 - my daughter jumps in the car & raises the seat,which often then triggers the airbag light, yet the garage can't find any fault with the wiring or connectors.... :confused:

CliffyBiro · 5 Jul 2011 at 12:52

Same in the Clios. Connectors under both seats that seem hyper-sensitive to movement.