malcy Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 Yesterday whilst driving along at a steady 55mph the dash read out indicated an air bag fault it was accompanied by a warning bleep and a fault light on the dashboard. My vehicle is a 2013 (factory built 2014) Fiat Ducato 2.3 Euro 5 with 17000 mls. If any one else has experienced this fault or come across it before I would be cbe glad to here from you as my local garage has spent a couple of hours on it and been unable to fix it. So over to you knowledgable ones, I welcome any suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 That problem should be solved. Takata is replacing such a quantity of airbags that almost collapse their company being market leader. This is not a DIY job. There are a lot safety features built in. Takata had the problem in some cases that shrapnel was blow out and killed one driver in the USA. Seek for professional advice and/or replace your airbag. The Trigger sensors can be the problem. Or call Tim Odell former Ford Ceo of ford europe and of uk origin who closed down ford plants in belgium and the uk and was promoted for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 malcy - 2017-05-02 2:41 PM Yesterday whilst driving along at a steady 55mph the dash read out indicated an air bag fault it was accompanied by a warning bleep and a fault light on the dashboard. My vehicle is a 2013 (factory built 2014) Fiat Ducato 2.3 Euro 5 with 17000 mls. If any one else has experienced this fault or come across it before I would be cbe glad to here from you as my local garage has spent a couple of hours on it and been unable to fix it. So over to you knowledgeable ones, I welcome any suggestions. Malcy, Does your local garage have a scanner capable of interrogating the SRS ECU, as if they do not they are proverbially pi$$ing in the wind. You need to find someone with an appropriate scanner and then the fault code will tell you exactly what needs fixing. For example I had some work done on a 'borrowed' vehicle at work, a BMW X5, and when it was returned to me the SRS light was on and a message saying contact dealer. I scanned it with my Autel MD802 and it told me the RH crash sensor was open circuit. Sure enough when the front bumper had been removed and refitted the fitter had forgotten to plug the sensor back in. Simply solved but it would have been a lot more work without a scanner and probably a trip to the dealer :( Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverback Posted May 2, 2017 Share Posted May 2, 2017 hi, this happened to mine as well, a trip to the fiat prof, and plugged in and tried to reset it (it is a seperate ECU) it couldn't be done, so a new ECU was needed and the garage got in touch with fiat and because i have had regular service done every year they replaced free of charge otherwise i was looking at a £800 bill !!!! hope you have the same result regards Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcy Posted May 3, 2017 Author Share Posted May 3, 2017 Thanks for the replies so far. I've just reread my post and have mistakenly given the wrong the the dates of manufacture and registration. The vehicle was first registered in 2013 and was built in 2012, all the other info is correct, fat thumb syndrome. Silverback, having located the ECU for the airbags it would seem likely they're made of pure gold as the unit is not the size of a fag packet. Can these units be repaired or are they available at motor factors or is this route not advised ? I am currently trying to find an auto electrician but they seem to be a bit thin on the ground at the minute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 malcy - 2017-05-03 10:51 AM I am currently trying to find an auto electrician but they seem to be a bit thin on the ground at the minute. Malcy, As I said previously you do not necessarily need an auto electrician but someone with a suitable scan tool. Try phoning your local parts stores to see if any of them have a suitable tool to scan the air bag module. It may also be referred to as the SRS (Supplementary Restraint System) module. Otherwise you may just be throwing parts at it in the hope of fixing it. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcy Posted May 3, 2017 Author Share Posted May 3, 2017 Thanks for the advice Keith. My local garage did scan for the error codes and even used two code readers suspecting one might be able to clear the error where the other one failed. My knowledge of the electrical systems on modern vehicles is close to zero as I suspect it is for a lot of others,that's why any advice on here is gratefully received. Just a thought, I wonder if Nick Euroserve has had any issues with his fleet of ducatos. I feel guilty just mentioning his name in this post as he does so much for us all. But if it's possible Nick your opinion would be invaluable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobalobs Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 On the day of the first MOT of our 2010 Fiat X250 the airbag light came on .Fearing a failed MOT and a hefty bill we asked the garage to investigate as they had their autoelectrician in that day.Quickly resolved and traced to a broken wire in the drivers seat revolving seat base caused by swivelling the seat continuously in the same direction causing the wire to the seatbelt fixing to tighten and snap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcy Posted May 3, 2017 Author Share Posted May 3, 2017 Thanks Bobalobs. Thought of that but all seems OK in that department. Found an auto electrician who's coming tomorrow so will know soon enough. I hope. I'm still shuddering thinking of Silverback,s £800 bill which he didn't have to pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 Hello, Mad day here and glad to be here to unwind..... Mercifully air bag faults have been rare on Ducato's and i have had only one fault on vans built since 2007. Initially the dealer thought it was a faulty earth but the problem came back and eventually a new ECU was required and replaced under warranty. This was a 2014 vehicle. Once you have plugged the diagnostic unit in to the air bag system they are usually very informative and a fault can be narrowed down to either pre-tensioners on seatbelts, occupation sensors in the seats, clock springs (steering wheel), impact sensors or the actual airbag squib itself. If you can't get in to the system with whatever device you are using, it does tend to mean that the ECU itself is faulty but as a last chance you should try the franchised dealer workshop because their equipment is likely to get further than after market kit can. If you do manage to narrow down the fault to a device or the wiring to it there are safety measures that you must follow that include but are not limited to disconnecting the battery and leaving it for at least an hour before touching anything! Look this up; it's very important! I don't recommend repairs to airbags or associated devices as a DIY job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monique.hubrechtsgm Posted May 3, 2017 Share Posted May 3, 2017 A professional fiat garage having that logo plugs in something different that as mentioned above. it is a updated fiat diagnostic thing. It is called :.... find out yourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcy Posted May 3, 2017 Author Share Posted May 3, 2017 Cheers Nick for the reply. As I mentioned earlier I have an auto electrician coming round tomorrow, so I will now tell him of your experience and your background. His response could be interesting if I don't choose my words carefully,but Hey Ho we,ll just have to see. I'll let everyone on here know how I get on when it's all sorted.. Thanks again for all you replies.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
euroserv Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 I have no doubt the electrician will know what he is doing without any input from me! I was hoping that if i explained what he might see to you in advance; that you might be more comfortable with his findings and recommendations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcy Posted May 4, 2017 Author Share Posted May 4, 2017 Thanks again and yes your explanation will do exactly that, namely reassure me as to his competence. As I explained in an earlier post the electrical systems on modern vehicles almost totally baffle me so I'm needing all the reassurance I can get ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverback Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 malcy - 2017-05-03 10:51 AM Thanks for the replies so far. I've just reread my post and have mistakenly given the wrong the the dates of manufacture and registration. The vehicle was first registered in 2013 and was built in 2012, all the other info is correct, fat thumb syndrome. Silverback, having located the ECU for the airbags it would seem likely they're made of pure gold as the unit is not the size of a fag packet. Can these units be repaired or are they available at motor factors or is this route not advised ? I am currently trying to find an auto electrician but they seem to be a bit thin on the ground at the minute. hi Malcy, i don't know if they can be fixed....probably not i would suspect, the fiat guy just plugged it in and tried to reset it cos only one fault showed, and that was it was not "talking" to the main ECU so was just replaced as i said, apparently there are 5 or 6 ECU's on these things for brakes and other things, it was replaced December and i have done 6000 miles since with no problems again with it Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcy Posted May 5, 2017 Author Share Posted May 5, 2017 G. Morning, The auto electrician came eventually last night after being delayed on a job that that turned out to be a lot bigger than he expected. Unfortunately nothing was accomplished as his code reader failed to access the codes needed.He was there about an hour and and didn't want to charge me anything for his time so I gave him a tenner for his Chinese supper, no complaints there then but disappointing all the same. The next step is to get it to a Fiat authorised garage as suggested by Nick Euroserve a and taking it from there. Silverback. You,re right about several ECU,s for different functions being dotted around the vehicle I seem to be learning a lot from this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ham Posted May 5, 2017 Share Posted May 5, 2017 Very interesting . Today I had to move my 2007 ducto van and Hey ho the airbag light came on . Have not got the time to investigate at the moment . Hoping to get a ode reader on Monday to check codes.. will also check all connections under seat .of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malcy Posted May 12, 2017 Author Share Posted May 12, 2017 Just to update you how the airbag was fixed. After having the last auto electrician fail to rectify the fault I was left with no option Other than to take it to a Fiat garage where as rightly stated by Nick Euroserve their code reader would get to the root of the problem no messing. The one I chose was Walton Summit at Bamber Bridge near Preston who specialise in Iveco trucks and Fiat commercials. They informed me that the ecu was kaput and also that the instrument panel needed replacing as the warning lights were dimly lit all the time, which came as a surprise to me.. Now for the good news. Because I had had my vehicle serviced with them previously Fiat would pay 100% for parts and labour and I would only have to pay one hour for the diagnostics. As you can imagine my little face was a picture as collected it from the workshop. I asked about the price of the parts and was told that "without digging out the paperwork and off the top of my head" approx. £500. So as you can see what could have been a very different story turned out very well in the end. Thanks again to all concerned, I hope this helps people understand a little more about the after sales service behind Fiat vehicles, it certainly surprised and delighted me.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.