Last updated on January 17th, 2023 at 07:25 am
Anytime you turn on your Volkswagen, it is normal for the airbag light to be illuminated for some seconds before going off.
But if the airbag light stays illuminated, this simply means there’s a malfunction.
Note that there are various reasons for the light to be illuminated, but your auto repairer should be able to diagnose the problem to know if there is an issue with the airbag.
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How to Reset a VW Beetle Airbag Module
- Turn off your engine
- You can press the reset tools known as Select, until the yellow and red lights up
- Now turn on your ignition without starting the car
- Now press the tool’s Enter, for about 10 seconds until its lights come on.
Why Is My Airbag Light On In My Volkswagen?
Various things can cause your airbag light to be illuminated. Below are some reasons your Volkswagen is illuminated, and any of these reasons will require urgent attention.
- An interference with the seat belt switch. There is a sensor which detects that the seat belt is properly fastened. When this happens, it can lead to inaccurate or negative reading. Any interference like buckle, receipt, or even such as a coin could trigger a false warning light.
- A damaged clock spring could keep the airbag from deploying. Once the airbag is broken, this could cause the warning light to be illuminated.
- Slight accident can trigger the crash sensors, and it wasn’t strong enough to make the airbags deploy. This kind of situations can illuminate the light. Just make sure that your airbag is reset so that it can deploy when necessary.
Can You Reset Airbag Light without Tool?
Note that in most car models, it is not possible to reset their airbag light without using a scanner. The reason for this is for safety purposes because you should always inspect the fault once the airbag light has occurred. There are many car models that the airbag light can go off on its own when you have repaired the issue.
However, in some older car models, yes it’s possible for you to reset the airbag light without using a scanning tool. You can do this by removing the car battery terminals.
But examine the wiring system underneath the passenger or driver seat if there’s any loose wire or corrosion in the connector plug. Just spray the connector plugs using an electronic cleaner and then restart the car. And if you decide to use scanning tools that make your work easier then see this article for my top recommendation for affordable and best scanners to use.
Will Disconnecting Battery Reset Airbag Light?
Yes sometimes disconnecting the battery is all it takes is just to get rid of the airbag light which helps in resetting the airbag sensor and presents you with a clear dashboard free of airbag light. To do this simply, take off the terminal clamp and allow it to be disconnected for about 5-10 seconds to enable the airbag sensor to reset. After that, reconnect the battery terminal and then turn on the vehicle.
How To Bypass Airbag Light
Bypassing the airbag light that is on by yourself can save you the time of taking your car to the mechanic. Here is step to take to bypass Volkswagen:
Step 1
Use your key to turn on your ignition switch. You can find your switch beside the steering wheel, which has four positions: that is the on, off, start and accessories. Though some cars have two off positions, the first one lets your key to be removed from the car ignition system while the second lets you turn off the car.
Step 2
Allow the airbag system warning light to turn off. It might take about seven seconds. Now turn the ignition off one second once the airbag light has turned off.
Step 3
Now you should turn the car ignition switch back off for more than three seconds.
Step 4
Next, repeat steps 1 to 3 two time, which makes it three times total.
Now you should turn back the ignition switch on for the airbag light to be fully reset. Anytime you start the car, the airbag light system should turn on for about seven seconds before finally turning off.
What Can Cause The Airbag Light To Come On?
Note there could be lots of reasons why your airbag light system will be illuminated. Below are some of the most common reasons:
· Your Airbag System Needs Resetting
In case you have been involved in an accident, and the airbags did not deploy, it means your airbag light will become illuminated. It means the airbag needs to be reset at your local garage.
· Corroded Sensors
In case the car has sustained little water damage, it could be that the sensors have been corroded. If this is the case, it would create an error in the system and cause your airbag light to turn on.
· A Depleted Battery
Whenever your car’s battery is drained, your car airbag backup battery system can be depleted causing the system to report an error.
· Dislodged Wiring
In case your car has side airbags, it means that sometimes the error can come from the side airbag via the passenger’s side. Note that the wires on that airbag can be damaged or even dislodged whenever the passenger’s seat is moved forwards and backwards.
Once you observe that a plug is disconnected, then we recommend that you shouldn’t try plugging it because this could trigger the airbag. Take your car to a local garage for a checkup.
· Faulty Seat Belt
This might be an issue with your seat belt sensor. Note that sometimes your car sensor which detects if you have fastened the car’s seat belts can become faulty. So whenever this happens, this can trigger the airbag light to turn on.
· Replaced The Airbag Clock Spring
Remember that the spring coils found on your steering wheel is meant to continue maintenance between the driver’s airbag and the wiring.
As you use it, the spring can fail or become worn, which causes the airbag warning light to become illuminated.
Conclusion
Whenever you notice the airbag light is illuminated, it’s important you don’t drive your car.
Just have the car inspected by your mechanic as soon as possible. Once the problem is not fixed, your airbags will not deploy.
Remember that your safety is important, so make sure you don’t ignore your airbag warning light.
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Hi dear, I am Dennis Gift, an autobody repair technician with over 4 years of experience; and I love everything about fitness and cars and researching and sharing my experience. And this is where I get to do that freely without reservations. So come along with me.