Octavia 2.0 TDI 2012 Air bag fault

[malgreen]

Hi need some advise please; last week the air bar warning light came on my 2012 Octavia 2.0 TDI 70,000 miles. I  took it to a local garage who carried out a diagnostic check and that it showed code 04C5 O/S/F side impact sensor. They cleared the code and said if it came on again I would need a new sensor. 20 miles later it came on again; I took it back to the garage and they replaced the sensor at a cost in total of £216. Drove the car for about 20 miles and back came the warning light. I rung them to say the fault hadn't been fixed and they are now trying to say the fault was fixed and that this must be another fault and I will have to pay again. I feel I am being ripped off. How accurate should a diagnostic check behas anyone suffered a similar fate. Thks

[alw70]

I had a fault come up with the airbag on the drivers side due to a random issue with the connector under the seat. If there is a momentary loss of contact it'll throw the warning light; the code and the warning light remain until cleared, even if contact is resumed. I used some cable ties to hold the connectors tight together and the light hasn't ever come on since - you might want to try that first before cutting out all of the connectors and soldering the seat wiring directly to the loom.

[malgreen]

Thanks for advice you would have thought that the garage that charged me £220 to re new the door impact sensor would have know this. Now I still have the fault. How do you access the connector is it easily accessible. I am taking the car back to see what they have to say and will re post the outcome later in the week. I do not intend to go running into there arms again and pay another £200 I just hope they are professional enough to put it right ( but some how I doubt it)

[alw70]

The connector is really easy to get to - just slide the seats back and there is a small plastic panel that can be unclipped. The connectors are underneath.

 

Just make sure that you don't let the garage charge you for doing it - or even worse let the garage think that they fixed the problem after fixing it yourself! 

[malgreen]

Update on Air bag warning  light:  I took the car to Skoda in Plymouth for a second opinion, they carried out a diagnostic check where it came back as O/S/F side impact sensor. They immediately identified the fault which was in fact the yellow wire that leads from the car chassis side pillar  to the door; ( they even took a photo for me) It's apparent that the first garage correctly identified the same fault but then went straight to the door sensor replacing it at a cost of £220 this wouldn't have solved the problem as it was the damaged wire. They have then re set the fault where I have driven out only for the air bag warning light to come back on the next day due to the faulty wire. Annoyingly the first garage said they checked the wiring before they changed the door sensor; (they obviously hadn't) they also said they had checked the old sensor and had found it to be faulty ( Skoda have said it would be unlikely they would be able to check the actual sensor) Finally the original garage when I rung to complain said it could be a bigger problem to do with the engine management system. Whilst at Skoda I have decided to trade in the Octavia for another vehicle - lower mileage etc... the air bag light is still on and I guess Skoda will fix that when they take the car. I am extremely reluctant to allow the original garage to try and fix the fault and will ask them at least to re-imburse their labour charge for failing to correctly identify the problem and to be honest have lost all confidence in them and just felt they were greasing me up when they mentioned possible problems with the engine management system.

[malgreen]

Original garage have fixed the problem and said will send £100 cheque back. Have decided to trade in the Octavia initially for a Fabia Monte Carlo which after experiencing a severe pull to the left changed my mind and gone for a little Rapid connect 5 months old with 300 miles on the clock. Ok not an Octavia but will be ok for town driving and £2400 off rrp with spare wheel thrown in. 

[spiney2]

I have just had an airbag warning light come on and I have found 2 connectors under the panel under the LHD drivers seat as described above.  I see that the cable goes back further under the seat where there is another yellow connector. Do both yellow connectors need to be replaced/renovated? If a Ross-Tech VAGCOM diagnostic tool was available, would it indicate which airbag was at "fault"?

[Anddenton]

I have just had an airbag warning light come on and I have found 2 connectors under the panel under the LHD drivers seat as described above.  I see that the cable goes back further under the seat where there is another yellow connector. Do both yellow connectors need to be replaced/renovated? If a Ross-Tech VAGCOM diagnostic tool was available, would it indicate which airbag was at "fault"?

Vcds should indicate which airbag is registering the problem.

[spiney2]

Thank you Anddernton and Mike.

Do you know what the black connector (with blue wires) is for please? (Beside the yellow airbag connector under the cover, under the drivers seat.)

[spiney2]

Thanks Mike.

[spiney2]

I am not a newbie; My Octavia2 is almost 9years old.

I have unbolted the drivers seat (No. 10 spline driver needed) to get at the 2 yellow air-bag connectors. It is necessary to disconnect the yellow and black connectors in the recess and release the cable clamp. I did not find any obvious breaks in the cables. I repeatedly broke and remade the connectors in the hope of improving the conductivity. I have ordered a Ross-Tech VCDS HEX-USB+CAN Interface so that I can clear the air-bag fault indicator. I have taken some pictures that may be of help to others. I will report the result in a week or so and add the Ross tool to the map. (1^st one in France!)

The pictures show:-

The recess under the LHD drivers seat – 2 connectors removed.

The under side of the seat showing the 2^nd connector at the back. The white slider releases the connection.

The cable clamp which clips to the side of the recess. 2 releases, one each side. Closest marked with

the VW logo. Squeeze both to lift the clamp vertically.

The recess with cable clamp and connectors replaced Seat tilted back.

     

[spiney2]

I received the Ross-Tech tool and erased the air bag fault. It returned instantly. I cut out the 1st connector and  soldered in by-pass wires.  No change the warning light returns.  I have the drivers seat out of the car and I can find no sign of cable damage. If I want to remove the 2nd yellow connector I shall have to make the joint disconnectable so that the seat can be removed. Difficult though because it is well under the seat. I cannot see where the air bag cable runs towards the fuse box; it does not appear to enter the door sill. .

[spiney2]

PS Airbag fault info

1 Fault Found:

 

01221 - Crash Sensor Side Airbag; Driver Side (G179)

010 - Open or Short to Plus - MIL ON

Anyone know what MIL ON means?

[spiney2]

Mike, I have not been able to find Eddie-NL's guide for stripping the seats, despite searching.  I wonder if the airbag control is on the LHS of the transmission tunnel on a LHD vehicle - suppose so?

[Eddie-NL]

PS Airbag fault info

1 Fault Found:

 

01221 - Crash Sensor Side Airbag; Driver Side (G179)

010 - Open or Short to Plus - MIL ON

Anyone know what MIL ON means?

 

This fault relates to the sensor mounted in the door and not the seat

 

I would suggest you inspect / check the wiring from the Airbag module to the sensor in the door (most probably in the door)

 

If the wiring is ok then you would need a new sensor

[spiney2]

Thank you Mike and Eddie.  I cannot see any indication of an air bag in the door.  There are indications on the windscreen pillar and on the pillar between the doors. In the Owners Manual the "Side Air bag" is shown in the seat-back-side. I will search for the "Crash Sensor"..

[spiney2]

OK. What a nitwit I am. READ the posts! Thank you

[spiney2]

Fixed.  Found a broken brown wire in the door cable bellows. There was almost no slack. Didn't know how to release the connectors, so I soldered in a short length of wire in situ.  Made more difficult by the corrosion on Skoda's copper wire, which I scraped away with a modelling knife. I cleared the airbag fault with VCDS and it has not reappeared.  Thanks for all the help.

[kmeleady]

Hi sorry for jumping in on this thread but i think you might be able to help me.im trying to repair a previous owners botched repair under the seat.i cut out a bad connection between the floor and lead running to the second plug.i wrote down the colour orientation then lost it.i need to know which wire goes to which between brown,black,yellow and the green,white,brown shown in your pic.thanks

[kmeleady]

Hi sorry for jumping in on this thread but i think you might be able to help me.im trying to repair a previous owners botched repair under the seat.i cut out a bad connection between the floor and lead running to the second plug.i wrote down the colour orientation then lost it.i need to know which wire goes to which between brown,black,yellow and the green,white,brown shown in your pic.thanks

[promethian]

On 17/04/2015 at 16:53, spiney2 said:

Fixed.  Found a broken brown wire in the door cable bellows. There was almost no slack. Didn't know how to release the connectors, so I soldered in a short length of wire in situ.  Made more difficult by the corrosion on Skoda's copper wire, which I scraped away with a modelling knife. I cleared the airbag fault with VCDS and it has not reappeared.  Thanks for all the help.

 

Another like for this one.

 

I had exactly the same fault, in exactly the same place with the Brown wire.

 

 

[benludo]

hello jumping in on an old thread! have a fault code of g256 driver side rear crash sensor on a Octavia 2006  but where is the sensor located 

[gav_is_con]

Very common threads on here for pre-fl. If cleaning does not work. Cut the connector and solder together. Please take this carefully. Disconnect battery. And observe colours either side of loom. 

[gav_is_con]

Can also be issues with door cabling, I think I read this too. Please do a search on here. 

Process of elimination perhaps.