peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib

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Sat 19 Jan 2013 17:54
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - kuntics1

hi all

just got off from car diagnostic because i have the air bag light on / off .

i tried all you guys advised checked wires under seat , plugs etc.sometimes worked when i just give a little touch light went off but few days later came back so i went to check again.

the computer said code 8 right front side airbag squib not really know how to fix it , i mean i thought just a little soldering job but now it looks more serious

one more thing mechanic plug off all connectors then re-connected but nothing happened.Typical just when he left i found under driver seat 1 red connector guess what light went off and stayed off all day after little play with it.if it`s really a squib then it`s costly

so as usuall any of your help much appreciated

thanks,guys,kuntics1

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Sat 19 Jan 2013 19:12
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - Collos25

You need to replace with a simulator these are very cheap compared with a new seat sqab and take only a few minutes to fit.

www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_sop=7&_sacat=0&_nk...c

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Sat 19 Jan 2013 21:32
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - Robin the Technician

Hi,

You've confirmed what is a well known problem - the plugs under the seats are the cause. They need to be completely removed. If you cut the plugs off and re-connect the wires i.e red to red, black to black ( colours used as an example) the problem will be fixed. Unplugging and re-connecting will not fix it. Soldering the wires together is the best method.

Do this first BEFORE buying anything expensive. This repair costs nothing and will fix your problem.

Hope this helps

Robin the Technician - I fix, therefore I am

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Mon 21 Jan 2013 11:24
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - kuntics1

hi Robin

i tried to explain this to the auto electician even printed this page to show him what can be a cure for my problem but he said computer shows this code for side air bag problem.

also we unplugged all connectors and wait but the air bag sign still not went off so he said it cannot be a problem.he was positive about a problem caused by the squib at steering wheel, because thats the message shown on his computer.

do you think he tried to trick me?

i not goint to buy anything expensive as i do believe you more than him, i already had to pay 45£ to put my car on computer.i think myself a little work uder driver seat do fix my problem as you said as well.also as i wrote just he went i was keep doing some work and one of the big plug i just unpugged then put back again and it`s worked even since it did not come back. one more thing if i do soldering the wires i cannot do any harm to air bag system or any electrical stuff?

anyway he comes back today with some update because i need to replace the temperature sensor because i have warning sign sometimes on dashboard as engine coolant temp high it says so he said it need to be replaced and i`ll post it asap the result

many thanks for your help Robin

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Mon 21 Jan 2013 12:00
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - Collos25

I do not think that the procedure given by Robin will work as you need to put some type of resistance in the circuit and a diode,the plug in units that you can buy have the diodes and resister installed .If you know the values of the components then you can buy them very cheaply for eg all BMW use a 2x100ohm resistors and a IN 1410 diode when soldered together they copy the squab mat .By doing it Robins way if it works I think the airbag system will not operate in the passenger seat.

You cannot turn the airbag light of other than by connecting to a Lexia computor even though the problem has been cured - there are air bag light computors on the market but be very careful as most do not work.

Just a thought.

Edited by Collos25 on 21/01/2013 at 12:06

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Mon 21 Jan 2013 12:53
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - Robin the Technician
This is a well documented and known fault within the Peugeot/ Citroen group. They have even issued a bulletin to fix the problem....and that fix is to cut out the plugs under the seats and reconnect the wires to the seat sensors (colour to colour) and the problem is fixed. I have done MANY of these - even my own Peugeot 406 with 100% complete success.

"I do not think that the procedure given by Robin will work as you need to put some type of resistance in the circuit and a diode,the plug in units that you can buy have the diodes and resister installed .If you know the values of the components then you can buy them very cheaply for eg all BMW use a 2x100ohm resistors and a IN 1410 diode when soldered together they copy the squab mat .By doing it Robins way if it works I think the airbag system will not operate in the passenger seat."

This has nothing to do with resistance etc - it is about removing the faulty connection plugs under the seats. By bypassing them (cutting them out and re-connecting the wires back to the sensors) the problem is removed.

I think if a repairer is not prepared to do what the customer asks -i.e. reading these instructions, then ignoring them, then I would take it elsewhere.

However, feel free to ignore this advice and spend your hard earned cash if you wish - I only offer what I know - your choice is to ignore it if you want to.....

Hope this helps
Robin the Technician - I fix, therefore I am
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Mon 21 Jan 2013 13:05
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - Collos25

Im sorry I mis understood you you are going to leave the sqab in place and only remove the plug and socket.This is also a common fault on BMWs but more common is the shab mat actually goes faulty hence the electrical components..Once an airbag light is on it should not be able to turn it off without first interegrating the computer.

Edited by Collos25 on 21/01/2013 at 13:09

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Tue 22 Jan 2013 11:15
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - kuntics1

hi Robin

yesterday an electrician came and fixed my car followed your advice so we cut off 2 plugs under both front seats and soldered together by colour then he checked again on his computer for faults found then then deleted them and looks fine.It went off and did not come back.

i knew first time your version could be the right one and i just so happy that seems to be worked.

so i want to say many thanks for your help and advice hope this will stay as it is now.

any problem comes up will post it and might need some more help

so once again great stuff many thanks Robin

kuntics1

Edited by kuntics1 on 22/01/2013 at 11:18

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Wed 23 Jan 2013 15:30
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - Robin the Technician

Hi,

RESULT!!! glad to hear it's been fixed and my advice was worth it. Glad also you didn't spend a fortune on what is a fairly simple job. My position is that motoring cost a fortune and repairs even more so. My philosophy is to effect a reair as cheaply as possible and this is one of them.

Your thanks are appreciated.

Happy motoring!!

Robin the Technician - I fix, therefore I am

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Wed 7 Aug 2013 22:46
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - nikkijo679
Sorry to comment on an old post..

i have this same problem with my citroen c3 pluriel. Mechanics who don't specialise in citroen don't seem to be interested and signpost me to citroen. Those that are citroen experts want to do an expensive diagnostic before touching the car. Halfords have already diagnosed "squib".

I'm pretty much at a loss for what to do. I can't fix it myself as I have no clue! However everywhere I search on google points to this connector thing beneath the seat, mechanics fob me off when I suggest this.

Any tips?! Or any recommendations for mechanics with experience in this around Hampshire/Surrey/Berkshire (long shot I know).

Thanks,

Nikki
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Fri 9 Aug 2013 22:44
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - Robin the Technician

Hi Nikki,

Yes, this is the same problem that plagues the Peugeot/ Citroen range. You need a garage who will follow these instructions - you pay for it - they should do as you instruct. If not, go somewhere else. This is a cheap and easy fix done in about an hour. Sorry, can't offer suggestions for mechanics in your area - I'm in Oxford and only fix the family cars - sorry.

Hope this helps

Robin the Technician - I fix, therefore I am

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Sat 5 Oct 2013 00:18
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - spokes2

Hi Robin. Just wanted to thank you for your advice on this subject. I've learnt about how to cure this problem from you. My 1999 standard 406 hdi estate had the air bag light flashing. So I had a look under each of the front seats and cut out the brown linking plugs for the seat belt tensioners, reconnected with connector blocks and problem solved. Both sides were causing the problem, intermittantly. The car had failed its MOT a few days ago and the garage told me it was an expensive problem - probably the so called 'watch spring' - daft name for that item. Anyway, it wasn't that at all of course. Your remedy easily done and the car got a bonus good clean under the seats which I took out to do the job.

Any suggestions on another problem - engine down on power until 3000rpm or more when more power kicks in. I changed the turbo charger about 8 months ago (had the head off due suspected head gasket gone which was not the case as the problem was the oil cooler letting oil into the coolant) and its been going well. This recent power loss is without the engine condition symbol. Should I discuss this under a new subject heading?

Thanks again for help with the airbag problem. Simon.

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Wed 21 Jan 2015 09:22
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - Tom - Peugeot 406

Hi Robin - I have a very similar problem on a 2001 hDi Peugeot 406 estate, 120K.

Its a model with a primitive Sat-Nav on a little screen, the air-bag warning pops up and takes over that screen. Do your tips work the same on my system?

Can I unbolt the seats and access the area properly or do I have to do the soldering lying on my back?

Actually, I will probably leave this job to my very good mechanic, he has the computer, will he need it to reset the codes?

Regards, Tom

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Fri 23 Jan 2015 11:09
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - Robin the Technician

Hi Tom,

Yes, this will fix the problem - its well known. I found it was easy to unbolt the seat and just lay it back. You can do the job easily. The nice thing is that it costs NOTHING to fix. Theres not many repairs on a car these days that can be fixed for free.

Hope this helps

Robin the Technician - I fix, therefore I am

Edited by Robin the Technician on 23/01/2015 at 11:10

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Tue 8 Sep 2015 11:27
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - cbooysen

Hi Robin,

I have just had this fault come up on my peugeot 307. The garage wants to charge me over £400 for parts and labour for the airbag squib.

Will this work to resolve the problem?

Do you mind talking me through in laymans terms how to do this as I wouldn't have a clue and can't afford these costs!

Many thanks!!

chantal

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Wed 21 Jan 2015 22:58
peugeot 406 - peugeot 406 hdi air bag squib - Cyd

Take it from me (I have 30 years exerience in Automotive Engineering, currently working on seating comfort for JLR):

something like 80% of electrical problems are down to connections, not the equipment.

It's nearly impossible for an airbag module to suddenly go faulty.

In the event of dodgy connections the computer sees the fault on the line to the equipment and can only flag up the equipment - it cannot see the dodgy connection.

ALWAYS check connections first.

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