Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'00 Volkswagen Beetle, Airbag Light
Q: My daughter bought a used ‘00 Volkswagen Bug. When she bought it, the airbag light was on. The dealer she bought it from sent it to a VW dealer where it was repaired, however the repair only lasted two weeks and now her 30-day warranty with the used car dealer is up. Any idea on how she can get it fixed reasonably? I see 4 or 5 bulletins on air bags in the TSB section of ALLDATA. - Bill B. A: There is no way to determine the cost of repairs until you take a couple of steps. The first step is to ask the airbag computer why the light is on. Once you have this information, the next step will be to diagnose the cause. Unfortunately, there is no other way to approach this problem. There are about 50 different diagnostic trouble codes for the airbag system on your daughter’s vehicle. To correctly diagnose the airbag system will require a scan tool to read the computer codes and to review the computer’s data. This information is necessary unless you’re planning on a ‘hit or miss replace the parts’ approach. I would suggest scheduling an appointment to have the codes retrieved and diagnosis performed. Once you’ve taken these steps you’ll then know what parts are needed and what the cost of repairs will be. In the mean time realize that the airbag system will not function correctly in the event of an accident.
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