'93 944 n/a has had the airbag dash light lit for a while now.

At the worst case, I'd like to know how much it'd cost to replace
the darn thing so the bag pops in collision. What's the worst case
scenario I'm looking at here? Do I need to replace the entire
steering wheel? ~$1k?

(The dealers keep saying I need to bring it in so they can take
a look for an estimate. I frankly don't want to drive it in just
so I can get the numbers.)

If you need good used parts, try Tom's Roreign Car Parts.
( TOMS4N.COM ) I got my '93 960 airbags there, cheap!

They are great people.


Rob '86 745 307k '93 965 109k '94 964 64k

I suspect the system needs to be reset. It might be a legitimate fault, but it could have been caused by voltage or that type of thing as well.

There is information in the FAQ about resetting the SRS system lamp. If you tried this already, never mind.

There are plenty of crash sensors available in junkyards or from recyclers. They should be very cheap -- don't buy the "these are rare" comments because yards don't even save them half of the time because they rarely go bad.

It could be one of the two front seat belts, which would be around $350 as I remember, at retail price. Contact reel in the dash could be the problem. Airbag is also around $400 new if I am not mistaken. Usually the bag and two belts, is $1000.

Prices can vary depending on the source, obviously. Also, it could be a connection issue with the wires that go to the steering column. Common in 240 series cars, not as common in the 900.
--
a Brickboard.com Expat

It may be one of the crash sensors gone bad. Going in for a diagnostic is prolly your best bet.

IIRC, they don't deploy until two sensors are activated. It's likely that the airbag module itself (in the steering wheel) is not the item at fault.

Have you fully disconnected the battery, allowed it to sit, then reconnect, to see if it resets itself? Computers get stuck sometimes too, y'know.

I think replacing the computer is your worse case scenario. FWIW, though, even without the airbags, the car is still plenty strong. Unlike some other manufacturers, Volvo didn't cheapen the structure when the airbags went in.

-- Kane ... there were quite a few vehicles in the early-mid 90's that got really poor crash test ratings, despite a redesign with added airbags. They cheapened the car to offset the extra cost for the airbags that were necessary to appease the government.
--
Blossom II - '91 745Ti/M46 ... Bubbles - '74 144GL/BW35 ... Buttercup - '86 245GL/AW70 ... The Wayback Machine - '64 P220/M40

When the SRS light came on in my 90 760 turbo, I tried resetting it, with no luck. I then bought the green manual from Volvo for the SRS and the test resistor for a total of about fifty dollars. The problem turned out to be the computer/sensor (under the seat). I paid seventy dollars for a used one at the salvage yard. The factory manual includes the safety procedures. The job was easy, but dealing with the airbag is a bit unnerving. Don't even think about it without the green book. The dealer knows what they are doing , but full price for an airbag or sensors is going to be very high.