Practically Classics Forum

As you all probably know the airbag warning light will become part of the mot test in the near future. For those that have not heard about this change, it basically means that your vehicles airbag warning light must illuminate and extinguish after a few seconds to show that the system is working correctly. If the warning light fails to light or fails to extinguish, the car will fail a future mot test.

Some cars built during the 1990s used a mechanical system that did not feature the above warning light. The mechanical airbag system has no external electrical circuitry or power supply. They are entirely self containing units. The following list of vehicles all featured a mechanical airbag system as standard equipment or as an optional extra –

Fiat Seicento 1997-99
Subaru Justy 1995-99
Toyota Starlet 1996-99
Toyota Corolla 1991-97
Toyota Corolla 1997-00
Toyota Celica 1993-99

The way to identify if a Subaru or Toyota is fitted with a mechanical airbag system is to look for a small access panel fitted in the side of the steering wheel. When disarming the system, this access panel has to removed and a plastic lever located behind the access panel moved to the disarm position.
A word of warning on some Toyotas. The steering wheel may have ‘SRS’ stamped on the wheel instead of ‘AIRBAG’, but a steering wheel with ‘SRS’ stamped on it can still be a mechanical system, as I discovered on my fathers Corolla. If you are unsure, just look for the access panel which will prove it is a mechanical system.

The Fiat Seicento featured an optional mechanical system up until VIN number 230282.

If your car fails a future mot test do to a non operative airbag warning light (in the mot testers eyes), and you own one of the above vehicles, it will not apply to your car because a mechanical system does not have an airbag warning light. This information just might save you possible hassle come mot time!

Steve

Interestingly (or not, depending how you look at it) the SRS light in my range rover does not illuminate on startup, if i disconnect an airbag it does so I know it works.
I'll see what mr MOT man says when it's due.

I was chatting to my local tester recently and he said it was likely to be the biggest cause of cars being scrapped, due to the difficulty and cost of tracing and rectifying faults.

...the difficulty and cost of getting a dealer to do it, for sure.

My almost-neo-future-classic Alfa 147 daily driver had the warning light illuminated when I bought it. Sorting it out cost me 18 quid for a diagnostic cable - plus some free software and a half-hour's fiddling with connectors. The issue is often down to an intermittent connection: it happens once, then the fault light stays on permanently until the system is reset, even if the fault's sorted itself in the meantime . Suspect it'll be the same on many other makes too.

Ironically if you can get a ECU reader it's easier to track and rectify many such issues than tracing problems in an older, simpler car.

Not hard to set up a circuit...

Turn ignition on, light illuminates.

Start engine, light goes out when the oil light goes out. Or use a 3sec timer.

Very easy to do.

bnicho wrote:Not hard to set up a circuit...

Turn ignition on, light illuminates.

Start engine, light goes out when the oil light goes out. Or use a 3sec timer.

Very easy to do.

I've done that with my focus as i am allergic to airbags (once an airbag has gone off in your face once while driving around normally you'll understand why)