mrbenn Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Think the 1996 onwards rule applies to cars made and sold in the US. For the UK (EU) it is cars made from 2001 onwards - ETA it is 2004 for diesel engined cars. The Matiz of this age, from memory, has a 12 pin OBD 1 socket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted December 19, 2018 Author Share Posted December 19, 2018 Aye. It's a big old chunky thing that nothing seems to fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightBulbFun Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Aye. It's a big old chunky thing that nothing seems to fit. do you know the pinout, and if the pins match anything else? maybe make a DIY adapter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve79 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 In that case it sounds like a GM 12-pin ALDL cable. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F141924049984 Looks like the seller is up your way Ian dollywobbler 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beko1987 Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Can't SiC knock something together? LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbenn Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 It is indeed the old GM plug. Sadly, software is the main hurdle. My(decent) local garage couldn’t even read the fault codes in mine. I remember the guys at Car Mechanics mag having trouble turning the airbag light off on the project Matiz. Could maybe have a word with them and see if they have any suggestions, Ian. oldcars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted December 20, 2018 Author Share Posted December 20, 2018 I'm starting to think that the easiest course of action might be to simply remove the airbags. Not like I never drive around in complete death-traps anyway. egg and barefoot 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisItalSLX Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 Is Mr MOT Man going to think that is a suitable solution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted December 20, 2018 Author Share Posted December 20, 2018 I believe it is a solution. As far as I know, there's no ban on fitting sports steering wheels to cars that had airbags originally for instance. Ghosty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loserone Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 As long as the car was also sold without airbags. If every matiz had them, I think you need to keep them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted December 20, 2018 Author Share Posted December 20, 2018 Drat. Every UK Matiz had them. That seems an odd rule though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dome Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 That's frustrating. Does the airbag have a separate ECU causing the EML? If so could you replace it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 I've got a diagram here for a PC ALDL interface (same system the TBi system fitted by Lada to the late 90s Nivas), if the software is accessible I could knock the hardware together pretty easily I'd think. I've just not bothered yet as I've not actually needed one... mat_the_cat and LightBulbFun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schaefft Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 If you consider replacing the airbag steering wheel, you might as well just remove the bulb, get it through the test, put it back in and find a solution without throwing away money. Or would a non-illuminating airbag light be a fail? catsinthewelder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsinthewelder Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 I'm fairly sure that one of our more technically gifted members had a solution to that problem involving a small circuitboard that would replicate the light coming on with the ignition then quickly extinguishing. It would be better to fix it properly if possible though as you might as well have working safety kit. LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrcento Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 All you need really is to rewire the light from an alternate switched source (probably stereo) and fit a timed relay in, light will come on with ignition and extinguish after a few seconds. Of course it's a bad idea 99% of the time and pretty underhand given it's all to create an illusion that a safety item is there and working, but when it's unfixable and that or the car effectively made un-motable and you'd just remove the airbag if it was allowed anyway, then it falls into the 1% of time it is ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 Well this is still crawling on. Car is now pretty much MOT ready bar the sodding airbag light. I think we may go 'bulb out' to get a pass. It seems a stupid rule, but apparently if it doesn't come on, it's not a fail. If it stays on, it's a fail... After that, I still want to get it properly sorted out. I would never fit a timer to fake it. That's ludicrous on a car I might sell one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Does a GM Tech II with a GM software loaded work on these? I know the GM software seems to work with most GM models for basic code reading/erasing of many modules. If so, I have a Tech 2 you could borrow and I think I have a ALDL connector in the box. I'll go check in a minute... (I'll have to get a GM card or load GM software over the Saab software on the one I have). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted January 3, 2019 Author Share Posted January 3, 2019 I have no idea. This is me way out of my comfort zone. I think it's one reason I sought the Favorit. Refreshingly light on computers (bar an engine ECU. I'll allow that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egg Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 As posted on Facebook, My Mondeo has gone through 3 MOTs (2 testers) without the airbag even getting the advisory (it should have). My airbag control module is disconnected completely, so no chance of it firing. And of course, as was much lauded at the time, every Mondeo had a drivers airbag, even a base! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Which of these does the diagnostic port look like? LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 I believe it is a solution. As far as I know, there's no ban on fitting sports steering wheels to cars that had airbags originally for instance.My mate has a Clio 182 that had an aftermarket non airbag wheel fitted. The car came with an airbag. Previous testers passed it. Latest failed it. Has to have an airbag wheel if the car came with one. Clio is obvious to have one, Matiz maybe not. Won't help it though if airbag light is glowing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 I assume you've tried the trick of disconnecting the battery for half hour? Of course needs no active codes for that to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbenn Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 I assume you've tried the trick of disconnecting the battery for half hour? Of course needs no active codes for that to work. This doesn't work on these. Tried it on mine with no success. SiC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrcento Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Well this is still crawling on. Car is now pretty much MOT ready bar the sodding airbag light. I think we may go 'bulb out' to get a pass. It seems a stupid rule, but apparently if it doesn't come on, it's not a fail. If it stays on, it's a fail... After that, I still want to get it properly sorted out. I would never fit a timer to fake it. That's ludicrous on a car I might sell one day. Not as stupid a rule as it initially seems, some cars have airbags but no airbag light to illuminate, particularly ones with mechanically triggered bags, like my Discovery, likely certain early 90's jags etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beko1987 Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Sounds like it'll be much easier to get a pass with the bulb out, then a lovely hub nut video legal drive to somewhere with the kit and film it all working mrbenn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 https://www.chevroletownersclub.co.uk/forum/21-matiz/4038-air-bag-warning-light.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted January 4, 2019 Author Share Posted January 4, 2019 https://www.chevroletownersclub.co.uk/forum/21-matiz/4038-air-bag-warning-light.html That doesn't appear to really move things along... We're going bulb out. SIC - I'm not with the car, so can't confirm what the socket looks like. egg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted January 8, 2019 Author Share Posted January 8, 2019 Remove the bulb worked! MOT passed with advisory. Annoyingly, I discovered this fact just after a friend and colleague departed my house for his home not a million miles from where the Matiz is. That was quite annoying. I also don't know how big the bill is going to be yet, but am fearing the worst. Probably going to jump on a train and collect it on Friday. Maybe. Floatylight, Coprolalia, egg and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrbenn Posted January 8, 2019 Share Posted January 8, 2019 Great news! I've been rooting for the little thing LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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