I expect this ones been done to death and it's somewhere else on the forum but as I'm new here can anyone help me out.

I have purchased an Octavia I which has the airbag light permanently on. The airbags have not been deployed. The light on will fail the Hackney MOT which the car is going through asap.

Is this an expensive trip to the dealers or are there any checks I can do myself?

Somone with VAG-COM will be able to help.

Oddly enough we have another member from your locality who drives in your area.

http://briskoda.net/forums/members/taxi%2B219/

Also worth checking the VAG-COM list in the diagnostics section.

Now I am no mechanic (far from it!) but I have been doing a bit of rooting about and I have a theory- The car has had a new interior which I think included new front seats. The wiring that runs from the seat belt catch leads to a housing under the drivers seat but is not connected to anything. Are these seats non-airbag seats?

If the seats have an airbag, they will be marked as such, on the side of the backrest closest to the B pilllar.

What model of Octavia do you drive? and what seats have been installed?, some pictures may help.

The wiring that runs from the seat belt catch leads to a housing under the drivers seat but is not connected to anything.

That is the seat belt warning light plug, some MKI Octavia's can't be coded out with VAG-COM etc and the only other way of turning the seatbelt warning light off (other than plugging in the seatbelt!) is to unplug it, as yours has been done.

Are these seats non-airbag seats?

as fordfan says the seats will have 'airbag' embroidered into the outside edge of both front seats if your have them fitted. (most VRS seats are non airbag)

If the seats have an airbag, they will be marked as such, on the side of the backrest closest to the B pilllar.

What model of Octavia do you drive? and what seats have been installed?, some pictures may help.

Theyre not air bag seats. Its an X reg Mark I. Has passenger and drivers air bag.

I now know it's an X reg, specifically what model is it?, an SLX, Elegance, Ambiente, Classic?, the first 2 have side airbags as standard, if it is one of those and the seats are now non airbag, that'll be the reason that the light is on, as the control unit will be expecting to see them. If all the airbags that the car left the factory with are present, then the light is on for a different reason. Have a look at this post:

http://briskoda.net/forums/diagnostics-vag-com/airbag-resetting/114891/