ClioSport.net

Register a free account today to become a member!
Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

  • When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read more here.

Passenger seat airbag wiring help



Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Was driving back from York to Huddersfield last monday and my airbag light and serv light decided to randomly turn on... I've looked under the passenger seat and I can't figure out how to disconnect the black plug to try and clean up the pins? There is no grey plug but there is electrical tape under there. Is this where someone has maybe soldered my cabling together? As much jiggling as I can do I can't make the lights go off. The car had an MOT on the morning of Monday and the lights came on driving to Huddersfield in the afternoon. My engine management light also decided to come on... Here's some pictures anyway. Sorry for the darkness!

20160310_121943_zpsijk6q0vr.jpg


20160310_121946_zpsmicjufh6.jpg


20160310_121957_zpsbpaydlni.jpg
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Bump, someone able to help? Don't really like driving with an airbag light on and want it sorting!
 

Commie VID

ClioSport Club Member
  Elise 111S, Model 3
I can't figure out how to disconnect the black plug to try and clean up the pins?
I knew this would be asked one day.
I made a thread about that black connector: http://www.cliosport.net/threads/airbag-seat-connectors.790282/
You need a small flat something, like a screwdriver, and wedge it where the pic shows, then they should pull apart.
Definitely looks like the grey connector has been circumvented and the wires connected. You will need to unravel the black electrical tape to see what lurks underneath. If it was soldered, it should actually be fine, our car still has soldered ones for the driver seat.
I've seen in the past bodges where the wires were simply wrapped around each other and then taped up, so you'll have to look to be sure.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
I knew this would be asked one day.
I made a thread about that black connector: http://www.cliosport.net/threads/airbag-seat-connectors.790282/
You need a small flat something, like a screwdriver, and wedge it where the pic shows, then they should pull apart.
Definitely looks like the grey connector has been circumvented and the wires connected. You will need to unravel the black electrical tape to see what lurks underneath. If it was soldered, it should actually be fine, our car still has soldered ones for the driver seat.
I've seen in the past bodges where the wires were simply wrapped around each other and then taped up, so you'll have to look to be sure.

I swear i searched and searched and never saw your thread about the clip! Thanks!

I will unclip that and reconnect it then have a look under the electrical tape tomorrow if the weather is good. Wouldn't surprise me if they have just been wrapped around each other. I had a quick glance under the driver seat the other day too and noticed that one of the wires into a grey block looked to have been cut? just saw remnants of wire going into a plug. Will get a picture of that too!
 

Commie VID

ClioSport Club Member
  Elise 111S, Model 3
Yes, that's how my driver's seat looks. They've cut the wires near the plug, and hopefully should have just connected them together, just bypassing the connector. I've just used mate n lok connectors to repair them. Not sure why these connectors cause so much problems. If I had to guess, the pins are tiny on these grey connectors, so possibly just don't make solid contact after a few years.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Am i right in thinking with the airbag light on, that in a crash no airbags would deploy?
 

Commie VID

ClioSport Club Member
  Elise 111S, Model 3
I would think so. The light on usually points to dodgy connection(s) which would mean they wouldn't work anyway, but I suspect the computer would disable the rest of them? Just a guess.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Well i've been looking under my passenger seat and all of the connections from the grey plug have been soldered together bypassing it. Under the drivers seat some of the wires have been soldered, but there are still two going through a grey connector. Where's the issue most likely to lie? Shall i unsolder and use heatshrink rather than electrical tape incase of a break? I fiddled around but nothing fixed it.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
I unsoldered them all today and fully bypassed the grey connector on the driver side but all airbag lights on still. Got the car hooked up to a diagnostics and there were a fair few errors, (low ecu voltage, multiplexed etc). We cleared these and there was only one left which was a 180 short circuit passenger side which couldn't be removed. Where abouts will this be? Pretensioner?
How shall I progress now? Possible broken wire somewhere?
 
  Clio 172 Merc ML55
180 is the passenger side crash sensor. This is bolted to the sill with 2 10mm bolts, it's a rectangular black box with 2 wires going in to it, might get lucky and just unplug and re connect or may have to replace the sensor
 

Commie VID

ClioSport Club Member
  Elise 111S, Model 3
Yes, was going to mention the sensor, as some quick swotting suggests that code 180 is the passenger side sensor.
Good job thus far, given that seems to be the only code left, I'm sure you've nailed the rest of it!
That sensor is the last possible thing by the looks of it. Given it's location, water could have gotten near the wiring, or something could have chafed the wiring, so fingers crossed for you.
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Well i've removed the sensor, and cleaned up the pins which were a tiny bit green. Sprayed some wd40 in and reconnected, lights still on... There was water in the rear footwells as upon inspection yesterday we found loads of the bungs had pushed up into the car?! is this common? Seemed strange how they were all inside of the car upwards too, must've been about 4-5 out! There's no water in the rear footwell anyway now but could've corroded the wires? What shall i do now? Buy a new crash sensor? Didn't look too bad condition and was genuine renault.

The fault which came up was "short circuit" so could it actually be chafing wires somewhere?
 
  Clio 172 Merc ML55
Assuming you have access to diagnostics I'd swap the sensor with the drivers side one and recheck fault codes (believe drivers side side impact sensor is df179) I'd this is the case then you'll need to replace the sensor, if not then it will indeed be a wiring fault
 

Louis

I Park Like a C**t
ClioSport Club Member
Only have access at my brothers work unfortunately but wont be able to go down again as he's really busy and i'm going back to uni tomorrow. I'll just put a wanted ad up for a crash sensor or try find a scrapper. For the price it'll be maybe worth changing anyway!
Another question, I tried removing the trim above the sensor in the door in order to try and get better access/ visuals as it's pretty tight in there! But it wouldn't pop out completely, apart from near the bonnet handle. How does this clip back on? It's on a little bit but slightly loose. Have i broken a clip or?

One job always causes another...
 


Top