Expert: Douglas Gan - 4/14/2010

Question
after starting my 2000 Jetta the air bag light goes out but them comes back on. Is there a fuse or breaker that I need to reset?

Answer
Hello Mike:

Sorry for the delay, I was out of town on business.
On most vehicles, the airbag light should come on for @6 seconds, and then go off if the system is working properly.  If there is a fault or a problem in the system, the light will remain illuminated, or flash continuously.  If the airbag light does not work properly, some vehicles have an audible tone that sounds indicating a problem with the airbag light system.  When the light is on (or the tone is sounding), the airbag will NOT deploy, even in an accident.  Our comapny website gives you the procedure for diagnosing and resetting airbag lights on the ...scanlist.aspx page listed below for free.    

The flashing light on your car is telling there is a problem.  On some vehicles, the light is flashing a two digit code.   Your vehicle will require a scan tool for the proper diagnosis (and not the one at Auto Zone---it needs to be European airbag system specific, like a good body shop or the dealer).  Our website will explain everything you need to know about airbag lights and resetting the system.   Once you know the code, you can may be able to repair it yourself.  There are fairly easy procedures that most people are capable of repairing.  
Airbagsolutions.com has the fault code charts to tell you what is wrong!  Although it’s a pay site ($14.95/day), it’s a lot cheaper than going to the dealer. (You don't need to buy a subscription unless you plan on repairing it yourself and want to pursue the code diagnosis)

Some vehicle manufacturers accommodate systems without a scanner (like Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, Infinity, Honda, Acura, Ford, Lincoln, Mazda & Mercury) .  Most all other vehicles require a scan tool for the diagnosis.  Here is a link to the list of vehicle and scanner requirements.
Check out these websites also for more info on airbag systems and the light.
Lastly, check your vehicle for recalls through this link.

http://www.airbagsolutions.com/
http://www.airbagsolutions.com/scanlist.aspx
http://www.airbagsolutions.com/light.aspx
http://blog.airbagsolutions.com/archive/2007/11/18/why-is-my-airbag-light-on.wha...
http://www.airbagsolutions.com/nhtsa.aspx