Removing Airbag ECU

[Cup_Phil]

My cup is in the process of being stripped for track abuse - and next year I'm planning on entering a race series with it

Tonight I took all the carpet and sound deadening out the front
I got to the airbag ecu and figured I might as well bin it as I don't have any air bags in the car any more and obviously run harnesses

So I've unplugged it and for the moment just tied all the wiring up
Car still runs but has a service and airbag light on permanently

My plan was when I get a dirty diesel runaround to strip the clio completely - and cut out all the wiring I don't need like airbag and stereo etc.. but I don't fancy driving the car with the service light permanently on and it will stop me MOT'ing if I need to in the future

So...... what do all the people do with clio race cars? Is there a way to tell the ECU that there isn't any airbags in the car at all?

 

[Cro]

It'll pass MOT fine but if it really annoys you take out or cover the bulb

 

[Cup_Phil]

It's just the fact that if something does go and the service light needs to come on - I won't know because it's stuck on anyway lol

 

[Gt rob]

it wont pass mot next year though! air bags will be tested next year!

 

[Cro]

But once its stripped there'll only be a couple of things left wired up to go wrong so easy stuff

If something does go wrong, the service light won't be the thing to tell you is my advice anyway

it wont pass mot next year though! air bags will be tested next year!

Now are they going to test airbags.... or check and see if the light is on? No light no fail

 

[MicKPM]

The MOT stations aren't stupid and know that the SRS system light is supposed to come on and then go off again - there will be so many cars failed on this.

It will be different if the car itself has been de-SRS'd but the rules are very simple and very clear; IF the car has SRS units deployed in the vehicle then as a safety device the system it must function correctly and in its entirety. So, any signs of an airbag or pre-tensioner fitted to your car means the system must work and if not you will find a piece of paper detailing why the garage has refused to issue an MOT certificate and destroying the LED/SMD on the PCB won't count for shiz.

The simplist way to get rid is to have the SRS de-programmed from the UCH setup via a Clip but resistors are an option however another new section coming in this January for MOT testing is wiring!

If you do put in resistors make sure they're in good or else this will also constitute a fail.

Mick

 

[Jonny1*2]

didn't think you could reprogramme the UCH to do that Mick? Thought the "programming" options were very limited.

 

[Cup_Phil]

I need to rebump this

All my airbags are binned now - so are the side impact sensors and all the seatbelts
It's a fully stripped track car

I've tried removing the airbag ecu - but I'm stuck with a light on the dash.
I found a guide on here saying to remove pin 7 from the plug - but that was a ph1 and I've had a look at mine and it's different

Can you definately re-program the UCH through clip to say the car has no safety system at all?

If not I'm gonna have to run on track with a safety ecu, loads of wiring and loads of bodged in resistors

And please don't say just ignore the light - I need it to be MOT'd as I'm doing some european road trips in it next year

Ta

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Is the airbag ECU that box in front of the gearstick?

Mine's fully stripped too, and I wanted to remove this but I wasn't so sure.

 

[JackJack]

Is the airbag ECU that box in front of the gearstick?

Mine's fully stripped too, and I wanted to remove this but I wasn't so sure.

Yes that's it.

 

[mr.pink87]

If you have a RSTuner with airbag module you can switch the the airbag fault codes off. Renault dealer should also be able to do this.

 

[Cup_Phil]

Dan - yeah it is

Right - here's what I've found out

Remove airbag ecu = Fault code on dash
Remove either of the side impact sensors = Fault code on dash after 2 seconds

So I can't remove either of these 3 things

However - all airbags are removed, all seat belts - and using the RSTuner I've disabled all airbag ecu warning codes = NO FAULT yay LOL

My dashboard is fully out the car at the moment so I've then taken all the wiring from the airbags and seat belt tensioners and neatly taped+cable tied it up behind the dash where the airbag used to be

End result is I've still got the airbag ecu - but it weighs about the same as a packet of fags anyway
And I've still got 2 small wires going under the seats to the side impact sensors - but other than that nothing is visible
And most importantly I've binned about 6kg of air bags and over 4kg of sound deadening from behind the dash

I think that's about the best you can do with these late model 172's to be honest

 

[Jonny1*2]

Cool. Airbags can be turned off yes. In theory the computer can be removed, then disconnect the wires which go into the uch and that may cure it. Id be suprised if that would work though. Impedance usually causes faults on the airbag system. Otherwise if your dash is out remove the bulb

 

[LewisTaylor]

Just done a search regarding airbag ECU and found this. I've been messing about inside my car today and wanted to remove my airbag ECU, as i don't have any now! but after reading this i guess i cant do this? same with the side impact sensor's?

If there's a way of removing it i'd like to know as it looks messy, and isn't needed

 

[Cup_Phil]

Simple answer - nope

As soon as you disconnect it the airbag light goes off on the dash
But seeing as I took my dials apart to put a bit of tape over the engine mangement and coilpack fault light - I also taped over the airbag light

I then removed the side impact sensors and the airbag ecu - and I chopped all the airbag ecu wiring out as far up the loom as I could (some of it is shared with the OBDII port - so scary stuff)

I've now got a very chopped up interior loom, very chopped up engine loom, omex running everything and black elecrical tape over most of my dials as they light up like a christmas tree LOL

 

[LewisTaylor]

I might aswell take mine out, my airbag and serv light are on anyway, resistor's dont seem to be working in my car lol. So I'm either gonna have to tape over my lights or get the Race Dash.

Will get that airbag ecu out tomorrow.

 

[Struggler]

since when did having an airbag light on mean MOT fail?!
i couldnt care less about the light being on, but my previous cars have gone through MOT's fine with the airbag and SERV light on!!

so what if there is no trace of any airbag system in the car??
i.e all airbags, airbag ecu, pretensioners, side impact sensors and wiring removed, is it then ok to have the light on?? as there is no system in the car??
or is it then just ok to have no airbag light what so ever?! (where as usually it would have to come on, then go out after a number of seconds?!)

and what is this about wiring that i alse read??

 

[JackJack]

since when did having an airbag light on mean MOT fail?!

January 2012.

 

[Struggler]

can you just take the bulb out of the clocks? or will this effect everything else too??

also what other revisions are they bringing in as of 01/2012?? i cant seem to find a decent list!

 

[LewisTaylor]

It's a new law regarding warning lights, I'll be having all my airbag system out by time of MOT in September and a race dash with no airbag warning lights

I doubt you'll get away with removing the bulbs in less you MOT tester is pretty thick as they are supposed to light up when you turn the key

 

[Cup_Phil]

Do a search - there's several full threads about it on here

 

[Struggler]

reading the revions means here(http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/car-servicing-repair/mot-changes-2012.html)
it likely that harnesses and buckets will be a reason for failure!!

as it is an obvious removal of factory pretensioners
and fixed buckets will not move back and forth!!

 

[Struggler]

result, ive removed all the airbags, wiring, side impact sensorts, airbag ecu, pretensioners, and wiring and guess what!!

no airbag light what so ever!! rather chuffed with myself tbh, but have no idea what single changed caused the lights to turn off!! lol

 

[LewisTaylor]

I've read a few stories of ph1's doing that once the airbag ecu is removed

 

[Struggler]

ph1s are born for track abuse!!

 

[dmallett]

I may do this to my ph1, does the light still illuminate when you put the key in?

 

[DannyR]

I'm cutting my light out lol!

 

[dmallett]

MOT fail then though

 

[dmallett]

just stuck some resistors in, seemed to work for now. so happy days

 

[RS_Nicks]

Needed to re-bump this thread..

I have a ph2 172 cup race car and am seeking to do same - want to strip all airbag and pretensioner bits and wiring out - I have tried 3.3ohm resistors in the past with no success - is there a known fix now that enables complete removal of all airbag ecu parts?

 

[Cup_Phil]

I removed my airbag ecu - cut all the wiring out - and then just removed the warning light on the dash

Best you can do I think as the warning light is put on by the ecu

 

[Asher172]

I removed my airbag ecu - cut all the wiring out - and then just removed the warning light on the dash

Best you can do I think as the warning light is put on by the ecu

Apologies for revising possibly one of the oldest threads. I've just cut my airbag pre tensioners out and associated wiring, now the car wont turn over. Did you have this issue?

 

[GrahamS]

The airbag ecu doesn't control the immobilisers so you probably cut a can line. The wire hub for the can network is in the section which goes down to the airbag ECU.

 

[colesy]

Sorry to revive an old thread, so if remove the airbag wiring and the airbag ecu the car will still run? Or does the uch need a can signal from the airbag ecu to run? I will try it tomorrow but sat here pondering at the moment
Light on the dash doesn’t worry me too much

 

[Bilb123]

Run fine did mine couple of weeks ago . Removed all of it air bags, ecu and as much of the cable as I could. Just don’t cut the obd cable’s that runs up with it. I messed about trying to stop the light coming on, ended up just putting some tape over.

 

[colesy]

Cool cheers @Bilb123. I cable tied all the airbag wires up behind dash today along with moving the ecu and it just looks messy. The car will only have 1 more mot before itll become full on trailer queen track car so i can get round the light being on. Cheers 👍🏻