Airbag light

Q The airbag light is on in my 2004 Ford Galaxy TDI Ghia and VCDS shows the following fault code which comes back as soon as you clear it: ‘01217 - Side Airbag Igniter; Driver Side (N199) 32-00 Resistance Too High’. I’m not really sure what this means, so can you advise me on what needs replacing? Ben Jones

A This code indicates that the side airbag circuit has a fault, which may be for one of two reasons. The first is that the igniter is faulty, but the second and most likely is that the circuit is at fault. This may be either because of a poor connection at the plug or a wiring malfunction causing an open or short circuit.

The side airbag is located in the seat and, because the code shows resistance being too high, I would first check the connection between the seat and the loom. You should be able to find the connecting wire beneath the seat. After disconnecting the battery, unfasten this connector, clean it with an electrical switch cleaning spray and reassemble it. After reconnecting the battery, you will need to clear the code again, but if the connection was the fault this should then stay cleared.

If cleaning the connection doesn’t fix the fault, Ford has a simulator (part number 418-410) that can be plugged into the loom. Using this should determine if the problem is with the igniter or the wiring. If the fault turns out to be the airbag igniter, the seat will need to be removed and stripped to replace the side airbag.