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Message: Re: Airbag warning light - Any quick fix or check before taking it to the dealer?
Changed By: MarcW
Change Date: April 17, 2016 01:37AM
Re: Airbag warning light - Any quick fix or check before taking it to the dealer?
Change Date: April 17, 2016 01:37AM
Re: Airbag warning light - Any quick fix or check before taking it to the dealer?
[quote=BarryL]
Owners manual says to have looked at by Porsche authorized service provider. Has anyone found something simple to check before taking it in.
Thanks,
BarryL
2002 base 2.7, Tip
Seal Grey, 200,537 miles
Santa Cruz, CA[/quote]
You need access to a Durametric or Porsche diagnostics computer to read the error code associated with the error. Even with the error code it is unlikely there is much you can do. There are not a lot of serviceable items associated with an airbag light being on. You might get lucky and the problem is a seat belt switch.
There may not be an error code. There wasn't in the case of the airbag light on in my 2002 2.7l 5-speed. The tech contacted Porsche and Porsche said to replace the airbag control module. The tech did that and the airbag light remained on. He never associated the new airbag control module with the car so he could return the controller to parts and I was not charged for this.
Then he borrowed an instrument cluster from another car, with the owner's permission, and installed it in my car's dash. The airbag light went dark.
The problem was diagnosed to be with the instrument cluster.
IIRC, this failure is due to the way the cluster warning lights (LEDs) are powered and controlled. They are powered all the time. To extinguish the LED a ground circuit must be interrupted. This requires an I/O pin at an output buffer be driven high. If this output buffer pin circuit fails -- and the pin goes low -- the LED comes on. This is a fail safe configuration.
Long story short a new instrument cluster was not a solution. The original cluster was sent to VDO Repair located in Lake Havasu City, AZ, where the VDO repair center is located that among other brands repairs Porsche clusters. The unit came back and was installed. The warning light remained on. I talked to the tech at the repair center afterwards and he said there is another way to repair the instrument cluster. (I was not charged for the ineffective/unsuccessful cluster repair and the dealer didn't charge me for the labor to remove/install the cluster.)
Anyhow, there is another way to repair this and next time I have the car in for service -- I drop it off tomorrow (for its 300K mile service) in fact when I attend the new 2017 911 intro at the dealer -- I will have the cluster removed and sent to Palo Alto Speedometer to have this addressed by another repair technique.
BTW, as best I can tell the VDO Repair center is no longer operating under that name and is no longer in Lake Havasu City, AZ. What comes up when I type in "vdorepair.com" is "http://autoparts.repair/" and the shipping addresses are located in Las Vegas, NV. But I think this time I'll give the Palo Alto place a chance.
For your situation, my best advice is to get the error codes read and from the code or codes then the tech should know what's wrong and the best way to fix it. It may be a bad seat belt switch or something relatively minor and thus relatively inexpensive to address. You want the airbags functional. There is too much at risk if one doesn't work right. And you never know. I have pics of my new 2008 Cayman S that got t-boned and both the driver and passenger airbags went off and probably saved my passenger -- a co-worker -- and myself from serious injury. While the car was totaled we we walked away unscathed. I do remember face planting the airbag as it deployed. Amazing technology.
Oh, I wanted to add consider visiting the repair center link I posted above, the "autoparts.repair" link. There are sections devoted to DIY repair. I didn't bother to visit the sections/read the info but there may be some info there that can help you do your own repair.
Owners manual says to have looked at by Porsche authorized service provider. Has anyone found something simple to check before taking it in.
Thanks,
BarryL
2002 base 2.7, Tip
Seal Grey, 200,537 miles
Santa Cruz, CA[/quote]
You need access to a Durametric or Porsche diagnostics computer to read the error code associated with the error. Even with the error code it is unlikely there is much you can do. There are not a lot of serviceable items associated with an airbag light being on. You might get lucky and the problem is a seat belt switch.
There may not be an error code. There wasn't in the case of the airbag light on in my 2002 2.7l 5-speed. The tech contacted Porsche and Porsche said to replace the airbag control module. The tech did that and the airbag light remained on. He never associated the new airbag control module with the car so he could return the controller to parts and I was not charged for this.
Then he borrowed an instrument cluster from another car, with the owner's permission, and installed it in my car's dash. The airbag light went dark.
The problem was diagnosed to be with the instrument cluster.
IIRC, this failure is due to the way the cluster warning lights (LEDs) are powered and controlled. They are powered all the time. To extinguish the LED a ground circuit must be interrupted. This requires an I/O pin at an output buffer be driven high. If this output buffer pin circuit fails -- and the pin goes low -- the LED comes on. This is a fail safe configuration.
Long story short a new instrument cluster was not a solution. The original cluster was sent to VDO Repair located in Lake Havasu City, AZ, where the VDO repair center is located that among other brands repairs Porsche clusters. The unit came back and was installed. The warning light remained on. I talked to the tech at the repair center afterwards and he said there is another way to repair the instrument cluster. (I was not charged for the ineffective/unsuccessful cluster repair and the dealer didn't charge me for the labor to remove/install the cluster.)
Anyhow, there is another way to repair this and next time I have the car in for service -- I drop it off tomorrow (for its 300K mile service) in fact when I attend the new 2017 911 intro at the dealer -- I will have the cluster removed and sent to Palo Alto Speedometer to have this addressed by another repair technique.
BTW, as best I can tell the VDO Repair center is no longer operating under that name and is no longer in Lake Havasu City, AZ. What comes up when I type in "vdorepair.com" is "http://autoparts.repair/" and the shipping addresses are located in Las Vegas, NV. But I think this time I'll give the Palo Alto place a chance.
For your situation, my best advice is to get the error codes read and from the code or codes then the tech should know what's wrong and the best way to fix it. It may be a bad seat belt switch or something relatively minor and thus relatively inexpensive to address. You want the airbags functional. There is too much at risk if one doesn't work right. And you never know. I have pics of my new 2008 Cayman S that got t-boned and both the driver and passenger airbags went off and probably saved my passenger -- a co-worker -- and myself from serious injury. While the car was totaled we we walked away unscathed. I do remember face planting the airbag as it deployed. Amazing technology.
Oh, I wanted to add consider visiting the repair center link I posted above, the "autoparts.repair" link. There are sections devoted to DIY repair. I didn't bother to visit the sections/read the info but there may be some info there that can help you do your own repair.
Original Message
Author: MarcWDate: April 17, 2016 01:32AM
Re: Airbag warning light - Any quick fix or check before taking it to the dealer?
[quote=BarryL]
Owners manual says to have looked at by Porsche authorized service provider. Has anyone found something simple to check before taking it in.
Thanks,
BarryL
2002 base 2.7, Tip
Seal Grey, 200,537 miles
Santa Cruz, CA[/quote]
You need access to a Durametric or Porsche diagnostics computer to read the error code associated with the error. Even with the error code it is unlikely there is much you can do. There are not a lot of serviceable items associated with an airbag light being on. You might get lucky and the problem is a seat belt switch.
There may not be an error code. There wasn't in the case of the airbag light on in my 2002 2.7l 5-speed. The tech contacted Porsche and Porsche said to replace the airbag control module. The tech did that and the airbag light remained on. He never associated the new airbag control module with the car so he could return the controller to parts and I was not charged for this.
Then he borrowed an instrument cluster from another car, with the owner's permission, and installed it in my car's dash. The airbag light went dark.
The problem was diagnosed to be with the instrument cluster.
IIRC, this failure is due to the way the cluster warning lights (LEDs) are powered and controlled. They are powered all the time. To extinguish the LED a ground circuit must be interrupted. This requires an I/O pin at an output buffer be driven high. If this output buffer pin circuit fails -- and the pin goes low -- the LED comes on. This is a fail safe configuration.
Long story short a new instrument cluster was not a solution. The original cluster was sent to VDO Repair located in Lake Havasu City, AZ, where the VDO repair center is located that among other brands repairs Porsche clusters. The unit came back and was installed. The warning light remained on. I talked to the tech at the repair center afterwards and he said there is another way to repair the instrument cluster. (I was not charged for the ineffective/unsuccessful cluster repair and the dealer didn't charge me for the labor to remove/install the cluster.)
Anyhow, there is another way to repair this and next time I have the car in for service -- I drop it off tomorrow (for its 300K mile service) in fact when I attend the new 2017 911 intro at the dealer -- I will have the cluster removed and sent to Palo Alto Speedometer to have this addressed by another repair technique.
BTW, as best I can tell the VDO Repair center is no longer operating under that name and is no longer in Lake Havasu City, AZ. What comes up when I type in "vdorepair.com" is "http://autoparts.repair/" and the shipping addresses are located in Las Vegas, NV. But I think this time I'll give the Palo Alto place a chance.
For your situation, my best advice is to get the error codes read and from the code or codes then the tech should know what's wrong and the best way to fix it. It may be a bad seat belt switch or something relatively minor and thus relatively inexpensive to address. You want the airbags functional. There is too much at risk if one doesn't work right. And you never know. I have pics of my new 2008 Cayman S that got t-boned and both the driver and passenger airbags went off and probably saved my passenger -- a co-worker -- and myself from serious injury. While the car was totaled we we walked away unscathed. I do remember face planting the airbag as it deployed. Amazing technology.
Owners manual says to have looked at by Porsche authorized service provider. Has anyone found something simple to check before taking it in.
Thanks,
BarryL
2002 base 2.7, Tip
Seal Grey, 200,537 miles
Santa Cruz, CA[/quote]
You need access to a Durametric or Porsche diagnostics computer to read the error code associated with the error. Even with the error code it is unlikely there is much you can do. There are not a lot of serviceable items associated with an airbag light being on. You might get lucky and the problem is a seat belt switch.
There may not be an error code. There wasn't in the case of the airbag light on in my 2002 2.7l 5-speed. The tech contacted Porsche and Porsche said to replace the airbag control module. The tech did that and the airbag light remained on. He never associated the new airbag control module with the car so he could return the controller to parts and I was not charged for this.
Then he borrowed an instrument cluster from another car, with the owner's permission, and installed it in my car's dash. The airbag light went dark.
The problem was diagnosed to be with the instrument cluster.
IIRC, this failure is due to the way the cluster warning lights (LEDs) are powered and controlled. They are powered all the time. To extinguish the LED a ground circuit must be interrupted. This requires an I/O pin at an output buffer be driven high. If this output buffer pin circuit fails -- and the pin goes low -- the LED comes on. This is a fail safe configuration.
Long story short a new instrument cluster was not a solution. The original cluster was sent to VDO Repair located in Lake Havasu City, AZ, where the VDO repair center is located that among other brands repairs Porsche clusters. The unit came back and was installed. The warning light remained on. I talked to the tech at the repair center afterwards and he said there is another way to repair the instrument cluster. (I was not charged for the ineffective/unsuccessful cluster repair and the dealer didn't charge me for the labor to remove/install the cluster.)
Anyhow, there is another way to repair this and next time I have the car in for service -- I drop it off tomorrow (for its 300K mile service) in fact when I attend the new 2017 911 intro at the dealer -- I will have the cluster removed and sent to Palo Alto Speedometer to have this addressed by another repair technique.
BTW, as best I can tell the VDO Repair center is no longer operating under that name and is no longer in Lake Havasu City, AZ. What comes up when I type in "vdorepair.com" is "http://autoparts.repair/" and the shipping addresses are located in Las Vegas, NV. But I think this time I'll give the Palo Alto place a chance.
For your situation, my best advice is to get the error codes read and from the code or codes then the tech should know what's wrong and the best way to fix it. It may be a bad seat belt switch or something relatively minor and thus relatively inexpensive to address. You want the airbags functional. There is too much at risk if one doesn't work right. And you never know. I have pics of my new 2008 Cayman S that got t-boned and both the driver and passenger airbags went off and probably saved my passenger -- a co-worker -- and myself from serious injury. While the car was totaled we we walked away unscathed. I do remember face planting the airbag as it deployed. Amazing technology.