29-06-2014, 11:06 PM
Finally got a chance to return!
Got a code reader on the car and discovered the fault was "drivers airbag squib". So a friend and I removed the airbag and the rotary coupler (and detached the two from each other) and then tested continuity through both sides of the coupler (Both sides of the coupler individually, end to end. NOT from one end with the airbag still attached). Nothing! :-s
I figured as it was broken I had nothing to lose, so we started to take it apart. We unclipped the connector that attaches the short cable, that plugs the airbag itself on to the rotary coupler, and slid it out of the side of the coupler. At this point the problem was obvious as we could see where the two "clock springs" should have been attached to this cable but had snapped off (I can only really guess that i somehow, at some point during the rack replacement, managed to over rotate the steering column but I am a little surprised, I can't think why or when :-s Also at each "lock" the coupler seems to have a stop point that is still effective so could it have been forced?).
With a small flat head screw driver and a fair bit of fiddling about we managed to find the two ends in the coupler and pull them out enough to re-solder to the cable, coil them back into the housing and clip the cable back on. We checked the continuity again, having spun the coupler lock to lock and back to central, and Bingo!
Re-installed and the light is gone!
In retrospect, taking photos as I went would have been handy but I didn't really set out dismantling it expecting to be able to fix it, so it didn't cross my mind
Still, anyone else out there with airbag light issues, might be one to check!
I know I mention this earlier in the post but just to re-iterate, as always seems to be mentioned on such topics, DON'T go near the airbag (or pre-tensioners) with a multimeter! I didn't check the continuity of the coupler across the airbag. I disconnected it from the system at both ends and then checked continuity of each side of the coupler individually. Just being sure, It wouldn't make me popular if my first thread on here resulted in someone setting off their airbag at my advice would it :-p
Steve
Got a code reader on the car and discovered the fault was "drivers airbag squib". So a friend and I removed the airbag and the rotary coupler (and detached the two from each other) and then tested continuity through both sides of the coupler (Both sides of the coupler individually, end to end. NOT from one end with the airbag still attached). Nothing! :-s
I figured as it was broken I had nothing to lose, so we started to take it apart. We unclipped the connector that attaches the short cable, that plugs the airbag itself on to the rotary coupler, and slid it out of the side of the coupler. At this point the problem was obvious as we could see where the two "clock springs" should have been attached to this cable but had snapped off (I can only really guess that i somehow, at some point during the rack replacement, managed to over rotate the steering column but I am a little surprised, I can't think why or when :-s Also at each "lock" the coupler seems to have a stop point that is still effective so could it have been forced?).
With a small flat head screw driver and a fair bit of fiddling about we managed to find the two ends in the coupler and pull them out enough to re-solder to the cable, coil them back into the housing and clip the cable back on. We checked the continuity again, having spun the coupler lock to lock and back to central, and Bingo!
Re-installed and the light is gone!
In retrospect, taking photos as I went would have been handy but I didn't really set out dismantling it expecting to be able to fix it, so it didn't cross my mind
Still, anyone else out there with airbag light issues, might be one to check!
I know I mention this earlier in the post but just to re-iterate, as always seems to be mentioned on such topics, DON'T go near the airbag (or pre-tensioners) with a multimeter! I didn't check the continuity of the coupler across the airbag. I disconnected it from the system at both ends and then checked continuity of each side of the coupler individually. Just being sure, It wouldn't make me popular if my first thread on here resulted in someone setting off their airbag at my advice would it :-p
Steve
