I wonder if the air bag ignitor/charge does expire? I don't mean does it fail with age, everything fails with age - does the control unit light the warning light (when a fault is not present) when the system reaches an age?

I've had a couple of cars with airbag squib (ignitor) warnings where the fault was the 'clock spring' feeding power to the squib.

You may be able to confirm the squib is at fault by replacing it with a resistor (of the correct value) and seeing if the control unit can be reset - may save you a few quid if the problem is the wiring between the controller and the squib.

Good luck.

So I'm starting to think about getting it sorted. Somebody mentioned that the slip ring is mounted to the wheel, rather than the steering column? Of so would a whole new wheel (when I say new I mean from a scrapyard or some thing) be my best bet?

kbs mentions a resistor? Does anybody know any more about this? My MOT is in May and I want to start getting the car ready for it.

While I've got this thread open again, I have to ask what might be a stupid question.

Once I've fixed the airbag light, I still have the problem that somebody has covered up the light with some weird looking crud. Would I be able to swap the clocks out of another 6n with the later clock style? And would doing so mess with my odometer, or is the mileage stored on the ECU or similar? So when I plugged in the new clocks the mileage would be the same...

The distance is stored in the speedo, you can "adjust" it with vagtacho, but I'd just swop the lightplate over so you then keep the correct mileage

The distance is stored in the speedo, you can "adjust" it with vagtacho, but I'd just swop the lightplate over so you then keep the correct mileage

So it is possible to keep the mileage? By the lightplate I'm guessing you mean the little LCD bit, or does the whole back come away from the clocks?

(Also do you have any idea about the slip ring being attached to the wheel?)

kbs mentions a resistor? Does anybody know any more about this? My MOT is in May and I want to start getting the car ready for it.

Google "air bag resistor" they are used to replace the squib and the controller is fooled into thinking the airbag is ready to fire.

Obviously, the air bag will never work with this in place.

Sorry if I was wrong to mention a 'clock spring' powering the squib - from other posts here it seems you have slip rings and brushes.

Expect to need to reset the air bag controller once your 'fix' has been applied.

If its just an MOT you are after (and you don't want the air bag to work) then just 'disable' or obscure the Airbag/srs light. Check with you local tester or the MoT forum but last time I looked, you should fail an MoT if the light remains on but if the light NEVER comes on then it should be a pass with an advisory.

The light is already obscured, but not very well. It would be quite noticeable to any MOT tester. That was my understanding too regarding the light, but I read somewhere recently that it may now be a fail if the light never comes on, as well.

My plan was to repair it if I can, but at this stage I just want to get through the MOT and it's not looking likely I'm gonna have any money to spare between now and May to fix it.

Are the resistors safe, and are they difficult to fit?

If I can get a slip ring for an okay price and it fixes the problem I'd like to do that.

I was referring to the black plastic with the speed & RPM, remove the clear front screen, then remove the needles (two small screwdrivers to act as levers, then you can remove the black plastic light plate off, replace with the undamaged light plate, needles back on, front screen and all's good :)

Yeah, that's more or less what I had in my head but backwards. I was thinking of the clocks coming all the way out and taking it apart from the rear.

So if I can salvage the clocks from a breakers it should be a pretty simple solution.

Might get a resistor for now to see if I can get the light to switch off and get the actual slip ring fixed later.

Wondered of you could help me out with a similer problem?!

I got rid of my passenger airbag and fitted a glove box in my 6n, so the light obviously came on, I took off the wheel and got the clocks and removed the light so it wasn't constant on, all sorted and piped it back on all good.

went out to the other side of the city with no problems, had to turn around in a car park and my wheel wouldn't turn so I was stupid and forced it to turn...... A black and white wire came out from behind my wheel (the airbag wire I'm guessing? ) and my horn was stuck on for 30 mins till I lost it and cut the wires under the front just so I could get home in silence! (Don't really need the cops looking at my undeclared mods :/)

I rejoined the wires today and the horn won't work?! :(

i don't have a clue why and wondered if anyone had had a problem like it?

I don't get what's wrong?

Thanks in advance