Brian in Tucson

My airbag light has been on a number of time since I got my 01--pulling the seats, rebuilding the door window linkage, etc. Eearly on I bought an
It's always reset the airbag light. No problem. And the Autel is pretty inexpensive.

firsttofallgo

thanks for this. I just got the same Autel took off amazon and it reset my ‘99 996 drivers side buckle error. Easy to use and pretty low cost to have on hand if the light goes on again.

Jonathan White

It sounds like this light is a false positive most of the time. How bad would it be to just unplug the light?

cjvogt

Just picked up a 99 986 and have an airbag light on. Purchased a Foxwell NT 510 Elite to read and clear codes and got a shock when I plugged it in. Following codes and descriptions appeared:

3: Firing Circuit Belt Tensioner, driver side, supply voltage low
48: Internal electronic control module (ECM) Fault
45: LH Primary crash sensor not mounted properly LH Radiator primary crash sensor not mounted to vehicle properly #45 airbag code repair order
195: No explanation
100: No explanation
102: No explanation
21: Diagnostic Monitor Not Mounted to Vehicle Properly Pressure sensor, driverRestraint System - Air Bag Status (Passenger Front Air Bag Circuit Failure) Safing Sensor Not Mounted to Vehicle ProperlySatellite right sensor side airbag Open Circuit
46: LH Primary Crash Sensor Not Mounted to Vehicle Properly #46 Airbag Code Repair order

This seems like a completely terminal airbag system at first glance. I have no idea where to start troubleshooting these codes and the Foxwell will not clear them presumably because they have not been addressed. Can it even be feasible this many things are screwed up, or is this symptomatic of a bad Airbag Control Module? Any Help greatly appreciated!!

Lola Racing

the light is still on after replacing seat belt buckle. Carsoft OBD says "airbag light on". reset it and it still stays on. any other ideas that might clear it?

Pautab1

Wanted to revive this thread in 2021 - I was swapping out the seats in my 2003 996.2 and accidentally reinstalled the harness wrong and it triggered the air bag light. My local independent porsche mechanic wanted $160 to reset the light so I tried alternatives. I read off of other forums that the Autel Autolink AL619 OBD2 scanner clears the airbag and it worked like a charm. Best $99 you can spend.

drmindbender

I have had the airbag light for awhile, had a tech with a PIWIS say it was the seatbelt buckle. Finally got a scanner myself and checked the codes (got a Schwaben from Pelican) and checked and reset the codes; had driver buckle, pass buckle, and code 20 Ignition switch codes. The codes all cleared right away with the command from the scan tool, then the light came back after a few seconds. Checked the codes again and the buckle codes were still gone but the 20 Ignition switch came right back.

Anyone know where to start looking for this one? the wiring between the ignition switch and airbag module?

Thanks for any info you guys have...

Jason N

I am replacing the airbag sensors on my 986 Boxster. Porsche specific Airbag code 56 and 53 are tripped. I have the parts, but I can’t find the sensors in the car. I have looked near the seatbelt reel, under the seat, but can’t find them. Anybody know where they are hiding?

tcora

Bentley says that they are in the door sills, under the carpet. Looks like toward the rear of the door opening. Remove seats and seatbelts, etc etc.

Jason N

OK. Thanks. I will get at it and see how it goes….

Jason N

So, I found the sensors. Exactly as you described - in the door sills towards the rear. Replaced them both but I am still getting the 2 sensor codes 53 and 56 after clearing them. The only thing in the maintenance manual for the codes is to replace the sensors, so I am not sure what else could be causing the codes to trip. Any suggestion? I didn't see anything in the thread that would help this particular problem, but there is a lot there....could have missed it.

Jason N

After a bit more research I have discovered that there are two different part codes for the Airbag sensor module under the centre dash console (996.618.219.01 and 996.618.219.00) as well as for the side airbag sensors in the door sills (996.618.221.01 and 996.618.221.00). Are they compatible with each other or do the .00 sensors and the .01 sensors have to match? Physically they look identical except for the slightly different part number.

Heix

Did you get this resolved? I have the same issue with my 996. I’ve replaced the module to no avail.

xraybravo

Resurrecting again, I am getting an error for the passenger side door air bag. In the past using Deoxit5 to clean the yellow connector behind the door panel has cleared it, but that decided to not work anymore. Error code specifically states passenger side airbag. I am about to start inspecting the wiring harness. Wish me luck.

Jason N

So...i have been working on several other maintenance projects with the car, but the airbag issue still has not been resolved. The airbag module is almost certainly the issue. This module is used in several different models of the same vintage, so if you purchased a module that came from a 911, it will have the same part number but will not be programmed the same and as a result trigger the airbag light. I dont know anyone other than a dealer that will program modules, so I think the only solution is getting a module from the exact same year and model. (For me a 2002 porsche boxster). If anyone has additional insight please share before I buy another module....if I solve the problem I will post the solution.