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Vauxhall Corsa 04 plate - Vauxhall ECU installation - a legendary challenge? - Ste J

Background to this seeming mini-epic is that my daughter has a little 1 litre, 04 plate, 52000 mile Corsa that she's kept in lovely condition. Just been for an MOT and its failed on a lit SRS/Airbag warning light. Couple of other little easily sorted niggles but we were told we'd need a proper specialist to sort the warning light.

Duly took it along to main dealer service outfit for a run on the diagnostics box and we have an error code for the passenger seatbelt pretensioner and another for the airbag ECU. Plus a parts-only quote for 700 quid for the necessary bits. Ringing around the independent Vauxhall outfits and those sharing Opel lineage (around Reading) and no-one seems interested in quoting for the work to fix, or, be willing to fit parts I can source myself. Even a few back street mechanics of my aquaintance dont seem willing to entertain the job stating a lack of the proper tooling to tackle the work.

Hoping to find wisdom from the forum as to the reason why fitting an ECU and pretensioner, in a 14 year old billy-basic Corsa, would be such a significant challenge that the independent market wants nothing to do with it?. Any advice and suggestions as to a non-main dealer option would be appreciated too as, if I'm looking at £1300+ to get this through its test, I can buy her something newer, with fewer miles and a better spec for the main dealer-fit money.

Cheers.

Edited by Ste J on 16/08/2018 at 00:15

Vauxhall Corsa 04 plate - Vauxhall ECU installation - a legendary challenge? - elekie&a/c doctor
Disconnect and clean the connections to the seat belt tensioner on the belt stalk and under the seat. Get the codes cleared from the airbag ecu and I would think you are fixed. Very unlikely to be an ecu fault.
Vauxhall Corsa 04 plate - Vauxhall ECU installation - a legendary challenge? - Chris M

But disconnect the battery first!

Vauxhall Corsa 04 plate - Vauxhall ECU installation - a legendary challenge? - Ste J

Doc & Chris

That advice fits with what I'd read online about most of these airbag light faults. Was surprised no-one seemed to want to take the money to at least determine whether it was an easy fix like that. Got an auto electrician heading to her to follow up on advice given.

Thanks for the advice and confirming there are no special rituals or unicorn tears required to fix an 04 Corsa!.

Cheers

Steve