Airbag Warning Light AAAAAAAArghh

[Greeners]

Originally Posted by T-Cut

So in theory, you've only a 10% chance of success when modifying an individual connector! That's worth remembering if all your fiddling under the driver's seat seems futile.

TC

The problem with the drivers seat (and passenger) is that the connectors are under the seat where as the rear ones are on the shelf. The front seats also slide backwards and forwards, which again can dislodge the connectors.

If you look under the front seats, there is a diamond cut out which the connector should sit in and prevent it from popping apart.

[GERFIX]

I'm glad I never went to the bother of removing various bits'n'pieces from around the parcel shelf. I went out to the car just now, pulled the connector from under the driver's seat, wiggled it, put it back and voila, no SRS light. It felt quite tightly connected but it appeared to be simply stuffed under one of the seat springs. Is this correct or has a previous owner used the "quick fix" method? I will, of course, do a proper job at a later, more convenient date but that's fine for now.

[Greeners]

Colin

I've got a photo somewhere of how it should fit, but no it shouldn't be stuffed in the spring.

[brownie21]

Originally Posted by T-Cut

Tighten the suspect connector together using a small plastic zip tie wrapped lengthways around the unit. Use pliers to pull it as tight as humanly possible. If this doesn't solve the problem, tie the other connector in similar fashion. If that doesn't fix it, go under the other front seat and repeat the above. Through a process of elimination, the offender should be neutralised.

TC

I have done this on the drivers side (giving myself cramp in the process) and it hasn't worked. I will do the same on the passenger side when I get the feeling back in my left leg. If this doesn't work then I will cut and reconnect the wires with more sensible connectors. These things are impossible to pull apart never mind push together.

[Greeners]

Originally Posted by brownie21

I have done this on the drivers side (giving myself cramp in the process) and it hasn't worked. I will do the same on the passenger side when I get the feeling back in my left leg. If this doesn't work then I will cut and reconnect the wires with more sensible connectors. These things are impossible to pull apart never mind push together.

They should come apart very easily, there is a clip that pushes in (I think) that then alows the connectors to part.

[Jules]

Don't waste time with them!
I can't understand members reluctance to "snip & forget" these very poor design connectors.
Snip yellow connectors out, replace with alternative connectors.
(Lucas, bullet, bulgin, Oxley in line crimps anything will suffice)


From a thread I posted back in 2006

The reason for the Rover plugs failing is because the male pins in the yellow housing are gold plated and the female sockets are nickel plated..............
resulting in dissimilar metals reacting together called the cathodic effect. (giving a resistive bad connection)

A silly design that costs pence to fix but hey, don't knock Rover for this, the same problem happens to Renault Clio's and some Vauxhalls and other makes.
__________________

You won't have to go under the seats again apart from hoovering

[brownie21]

Had to push passenger seat forward last night to get some heavy gear in the back. Once car was emptied, wife got in and pushed seat back again and the warning light went out - yeah.............................................. .............just came back on

[stocktake]

Good News that, hopefully you have pinpointed your problem. Just remember when the light is on, none of the airbags are active!

[brownie21]

Funny this. It's now out and staying out. Must be the weather..

[Rupert]

Sorry, I don't know how to do the 'quote' thing that refers to bits in parts of a thread, but ...

I too had problems with the air bag warning light; not only was I also told that the airbags would not deploy if the light was on, but that the seat belt pretensioners would be inactive as well.

I did have it fixed (or so I thought) several weeks ago, but once - just once - the blasted light came on again in the week! I'm told the issue is not so much the poor connectors but is also to do with the pressure pad sensors in the seats, and the fact that the connecting cable is woefully short, so that whenever the seat rake is adjusted there is a good chance of instigating a malfunction all over again (which could go a long way to explaining why it seems to happen for several members when their wife or partner has been in the car, since they will probably need to alter the seat position to suit, requiring it to be moved back again later ... always assuming, that is, that the principal driver is the tall one!). Then there's the front passenger seat to consider too ... just sorting out the driver's side isn't really good enough.

Finally, you'll need to have the ECU memory reset, otherwise the car seems to recall that this was an issue once before and at the least provocation it'll tease you all over again!

I still love my car though ..... Rupert