A kind Briskodian in Skegness VAGCOM'd my S Regd Felicia.

Showed

a) a weak airbag resistor. While I am not bothered about the airbag, is there any chance this problem could be dangerous, ie airbag going off at random? Is the problem DIY fixable ?

Alternator is charging ok at about 13.5 v . However, the warning light is still coming on albeit dim. Ideas please. Dirty earth? Exciter wire disturbed when ignition lock barell changed?

2 other things,

How do you get behind the dashboard?

Any helpful sources of sh Felicia spares etc? I need a type approved hatchback towbar and 2 private sellers did not know if type approved - labelling absent or incomplete + one trade seller who just could not be bothered to look.

Tks DF

OK, the airbag will not go off randomly. Not sure about a "weak resistor", probably replacing the airbag would be the case if that really was the problem (the resistor is in the airbag itself and is the system's way of monitoring that the connection between controller and airbag is intact), but often can be due to "clock spring" faults. DIY fixable in terms of replacing the problem part, yes. Not in terms of repairing the airbag itself, that's best replaced and then you can have fun with the old one.

Alternator - I'd say it was the voltage regulator, had similar before, and changing it fixed the problem.

Behind the dashboard? How behind? If you just mean the clocks, etc., then it's easy enough, there's a how-to here somewhere, but it's 5 screws (2 behind the switch end blanks, behind the middle bit of the middle air vent, behind the right-hand blanking plate on the black bit, and behing the right-hand switch blank end plates), and then out it comes, with the speedo cable and column shroud being a PITA during the process.

As for s/h spares, Jim (felicia16v) could well be the man to ask.

ThanKs once again djaychela.

I watched your video of the airbags - its a bit more spectacular than the slomo tv images with a crash test dummy. We (Team Tetford) run a Gravity Kart which was part of the backdrop when the Gadget Show made one and ran it at Cadwell. One of our juniors crashing expensively is a minor Youtube hit. So I am considering fitting a s/h airbag into the nosecone if we can do so safely .

When I got the the (£100) car the steering wheel shroud was sat on the passenger seat. i would never have worked out where these dashboard screws were. I know that there is a 'how-to' on changing the alternator regulator.

Now off to find Jim.......

Sorry about this but will Jim (Felicia 16v) pls step forward.re secondhand parts, towbar especially.. I looked in the J's in Members and there are too many possibles to choose from.

You'll need to look under F for felicia16v.