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If inspection station notice that the light is not functional feign surprise.
If the OP has no interest in a working airbag system, this certainly will turn the light off for good. One likely problem area in this circuit is the steering wheel flex circuit, AKA "the clockspring", which has crimped-on connectors at each end of the long ribbon. If he eventually gets a VAG-COM, then he'll know why the airbag light comes on.
Seeing all the discussion has renewed my interest in having a go at fixing the problem for real. Thank you for the offer jseklund....I am actually in brighton MA so the cape would be a bit of a drive....especially since the PS rear wheel bearing is howling (again).
Getting a VAGCOM all depends on how long I plan to keep this car. So far, my only recurring issues have been the airbag light (a few times) and a constant stream of wheel bearings (for which codes are not useful).
The airbag light is on because the drivers seat has been removed numerous times. Once to deal with a split lower cushion (I replaced the leather) and once to deal with a split upper cushion. I ended up splicing a replacement seat upper back into my lower assembly. It came out of a side impact airbag car so I just never wired up that side airbag. Worked this way for a long time until recently, the DS seat heater quit...and the airbag light came on. I made solid splices but i guess all the commotion down there has taken its toll on the connectors.
Are the ROSS connectors the only route? $250 is a lot. On the flipside...is there any way to reach the back of the cluster easily from the bottom or is it blocked by bracing, modules and harnesses?
Seeing all the discussion has renewed my interest in having a go at fixing the problem for real. Thank you for the offer jseklund....I am actually in brighton MA so the cape would be a bit of a drive....especially since the PS rear wheel bearing is howling (again).
Getting a VAGCOM all depends on how long I plan to keep this car. So far, my only recurring issues have been the airbag light (a few times) and a constant stream of wheel bearings (for which codes are not useful).
The airbag light is on because the drivers seat has been removed numerous times. Once to deal with a split lower cushion (I replaced the leather) and once to deal with a split upper cushion. I ended up splicing a replacement seat upper back into my lower assembly. It came out of a side impact airbag car so I just never wired up that side airbag. Worked this way for a long time until recently, the DS seat heater quit...and the airbag light came on. I made solid splices but i guess all the commotion down there has taken its toll on the connectors.
Are the ROSS connectors the only route? $250 is a lot. On the flipside...is there any way to reach the back of the cluster easily from the bottom or is it blocked by bracing, modules and harnesses?
Its a PCB with LED's embedded and little cones over where the LED's shine onto the face that contains the speedometer numbers. I could peel the face back if I knew how to take the needles off but a wire to cut would be ideal.
It should be wire #6 ...white/yellow. Cutting this leaves the light on, though. I guess I could always try to snake a little tube in there and try to fill the cone with black RTV
Its a bit of a hick method for a german car, but I disassembled the instrument cluster to the point where I could gently lift the corner of the gauge facing, slide the thinnest extension tube for a tube of black high temp silicone rtv into the light fairing and I injected the entire housing with black RTV. I also preemptively "fixed" my ABS light, reassembled and they are both dark as night!
I've just done the disconnection af the "Brake Pad Warning Light" according to a specified procedure - now it is off forever OK. The problem is, that I've got another light instead: The Airbag Warning Light! Someone has the wiring diagram of which connection plug/number this warning is?
After making constant ground to the Brake Pad Warning circuit.