Thought I would share a solution to a problem I had recently:

After doing some work to fix the door handle cables and latches being stiff, I put it all back together and on start up, I found the airbag light on. Diagnostics told me that it was "left side thorax low resistence"

During the work, I had removed the airbag after disconnecting the battery for 20 mins. So I struggled to understand why I broke the airbag. I went on ebay and bought another one, fitted it, and the error still remained. So both airbags, when plugged in, showed too low resistence.

I then disconnected the airbag, started up the car, and got the error that the airbag resistence was now too large. At least this pointed to the airbag being the issue and not the wiring.

I then started reading up about the airbags in general and found that when you disconnect an airbag, it has a built in switch that short circuits the 2 connectors on the airbag together - a short circuit would explain the resistence too low. And that when you plug in the loom connector, this pushes the short circuit switch out of the way, breaking the short circuit.

When you look at the connectors on the airbag, you can see the short circuit bar touching both pins, and that it just needs to be lifted up out of the way when the connector slides in.

Looking at my loom connector, it pushes in, and then there is a little cover clip thing which slides in on the top to lock the connector into place. Its this sliding cover clip which has 2 little legs that slide forward and lift the shorting bar out of the way.

On my clip, the legs seemed too short to be able do this. Closer inspection revealed that the both legs had been snapped short when I removed the cover clip. When removing the connector from the airbag, the clip is only meant to slide out a few mm, I pulled the clip right off, snapping the legs in the process.

The solution was then to cut a couple of tiny pieces to plastic to match the size of the clip legs and sit then in front of the clip so that when the clip slides in, the plastic pieces lift the bar out of the way. There are groves on the connector so its quite easy to have them sitting in place.

All back together, error reset, and airbag light is now off. A big relief ! coz its MOT is next week!

I dont have pictures of the plastic bits in place ( I dont want to take it apart now its sorted ) but thought I would share this for anyone who might search for the same error.

Lesson learned? When diconnecting the airbag, only pull the little cover clip back a few mm ... not completely off the connector. V8 or else ...

...or dont dis-connect the airbag at all....  ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

that is true! I didn't disconnect it on the other side for some reason. V8 or else ...

as they say, you'll know next time... ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
.

Useful information fisha, many thanks .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

Good info. Did you manage to return the new airbag? Previously..
Vogue SE TD6
Defender 90 2.4
Defender 110 TD5
Vogue 3.5 EFI

I'll probably put the airbag back up on ebay.

It'll not happen again though ... I've just traded in the RR ....  V8 or else ...

For a new one I hope! Previously..
Vogue SE TD6
Defender 90 2.4
Defender 110 TD5
Vogue 3.5 EFI

Nope - Freelander 2 ...

life is full of compromises ! this being one of them. My reasoning is on the so long fatty thread in general section for the reasoning. V8 or else ...