Bodyshop/Insurer advice...

**nicky** · 7th January 2012, 16:48

Hey guys having a few problems...

I had a rear impact 3 weeks ago and the car was done yesterday. Turned up to collect it and they mentioned they had trouble clearing the airbag code but that the light was off at the minute after clearing the codes. They said the code it was bringing up was passenger side seat harness. They also said they would have trouble getting the third party insurer to pay for this to be fixed as they couldnt prove it was accident related.

Dont know where I stand on getting this fixed as it came on 3-4 days after the accident so im not too sure if I can kick up to much fuss? I wouldnt mind but ive been under the seats all afternoon trying to get the light off - from doing everything to cleaning the connectors with WD40 to reseting the battery - everytime the car is moved the airbag light makes a reappearance.

Do I take it somewhere else and get a second opinion on the fault code? The car never ever gave a symptom or sniff of airbag faults before the accident hence why im so peeved about it.

Cheers

**scarydeath** · 7th January 2012, 16:52

That would surely be quite hard for the third party to dispute. There have been no other accidents since I am assuming - it seems far too coincidental to be anything other.

Either way it is going to have to be fixed as it's a safety thing - so may as well try claim the cost back.

**nicky** · 7th January 2012, 16:54

Oh yes im not too keen on driving it with the airbag light on. Makes me laugh they were so keen to get me in a hire car because the car wasnt road worthy now all of a sudden its proving it was accident damage.

No other impacts at all since hence why I think its related... Im not an idiot and I understand some things are coincidental however seeing as ive in theory "fixed" what the issue is im now wondering if what they have told me is true...

**Rebellion** · 7th January 2012, 17:20

Originally Posted by scarydeath

That would surely be quite hard for the third party to dispute. There have been no other accidents since I am assuming - it seems far too coincidental to be anything other.

Either way it is going to have to be fixed as it's a safety thing - so may as well try claim the cost back.

They could, and in fact will, dispute it quite easilly - they'll say the car was hit in the rear, and all the damage has been repaired. The airbags weren't deployed, and they'll say any electrical gremlins appearing due to poor build quality aren't their concern. They don't pay out when they don't think they have to.

**nicky** · 7th January 2012, 17:29

Oh dont I know it lol...

Ill get a second opinion on the code - it may just be the light needs resetting (after ive cleaned the connectors). At least if I know its the same code I can then do something about it but if its something else why are they lieing?

Cars hey?

**Sigmacca** · 7th January 2012, 18:14

Even if it was just a dirty connection I think the airbag light will keep coming back on untill reset via tech2
I would push for the insurance company to foot the bill

Good luck!

**nicky** · 7th January 2012, 18:40

Id heard rumours of that to be honest. I can probably get the light reset for nothing but will have to wait til next saturday. Just not too chuffed that ive got to sort it lol

**Sigmacca** · 7th January 2012, 18:46

also.. if the light is on and you was unlucky enough to have another accident then the airbags will NOT deploy

**nicky** · 7th January 2012, 19:03

Marvellous lol... And of course its now an MOT fail -_-

**mucklestone** · 7th January 2012, 19:52

Originally Posted by Sigmacca

also.. if the light is on and you was unlucky enough to have another accident then the airbags will NOT deploy

That is not always true and is a common misconception. The real answer is they MAY not, but they might. Without knowing the fault then you cannot say. It depends on the fault and which part of the system is affected. For example if the light is on for a fault in the curtain airbag circuit the front ones should still still work. It totally depends on what is wrong with it.... Also it is a safety system sometimes they will still try to deploy even if it thinks there is a fault just in case....

A common one is that you get the light for the pre-tensioners when swapping an interior. I know of someone who did this and the light was on but the front airbags still deployed when it wrote it off...

Dealerships, bodyshops etc always say they won't work to cover themselves but often they may still work.... I am not suggesting you leave it, and I take not responcibility if you crash and they do not deploy...