Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

multiecuscan program usage help
old dear
Posts: 11
Joined: 01 Nov 2022, 17:29

Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

Post by old dear » 01 Nov 2022, 17:45

Hi folks my 1996 fiat barchetta air bag light has come on,i have re done the seat connectors and i wish to turn the air bag light off ,i have down loaded the Multiecusacan free 5 version i have purchased the 3 pin to obd/usb lead vagkkl blue lead ,i connect to the airbag ecu ,turn the car ignition on ,i go onto select i select boxes 1 to 4 with the vagcom setting and then press find interfaces ,i then press connect .....nothing,screen says interface not comparable ,can anybody help please as i am pulling what left of my 63 year old hair out ,if possible could somebody list an idiots guide to connecting the lap top to the ecu air bag by windows 8.1 ,thank you and greeting,s from rural Andalucia

( also i do not mind paying the 50e for the programe if this will get the job done )

s130
Posts: 944
Joined: 20 Jan 2010, 10:07
Location: Wrexham, North Wales

Re: Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

Post by s130 » 03 Nov 2022, 08:19

Try this:

Plug your interface into laptop but do not plug into car/airbag unit
Select Settings(PF9) the Interfaces Tab
Do not manually change any of the 4 interface selections
Click the Scan Interfaces button on lower righ

Should automatically detect your interface if it is compatible.

Now try connecting to the car.
Fiat Strada/Ritmo Abarth 130TC, Barchetta 2005 , 500X Cross Plus

old dear
Posts: 11
Joined: 01 Nov 2022, 17:29

Re: Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

Post by old dear » 05 Nov 2022, 12:42

ok thanks for the help i will give it a go and report back next week .

old dear
Posts: 11
Joined: 01 Nov 2022, 17:29

Re: Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

Post by old dear » 06 Nov 2022, 19:34

s130 wrote:
03 Nov 2022, 08:19
Try this:

Plug your interface into laptop but do not plug into car/airbag unit
Select Settings(PF9) the Interfaces Tab
Do not manually change any of the 4 interface selections
Click the Scan Interfaces button on lower righ

Should automatically detect your interface if it is compatible.

Now try connecting to the car.
gave this a go ,still no connection, but it did find port 3 which was an Improvement ,i have tried multi 4.9 and multi 2 and i am using position 3 on the blue lead ie second one in from the left ,the black 3 pin to obd is defiantly connecting because i can get the blink codes by putting a wire across to socket/female terminals ,so the problem seem to be getting the blue lead reading/transmitting the info i bought another blue lead just to make it idiot proof but still no connection from the computer to the black lead even though the blue lead red LED is lighting up from my 12 volt supply ( i bought the leads from an EU Specialist lead supplier 0

any further Ideas ?

thanks for your help I am really stuck as i need to get the car MOT/ITV,d

s130
Posts: 944
Joined: 20 Jan 2010, 10:07
Location: Wrexham, North Wales

Re: Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

Post by s130 » 06 Nov 2022, 21:32

Are you using a VAG/KKL interface? Forget the adapter cable for the moment. The Barchetta Airbag ECU (be it old CF2 model connector or later CF3 model 16 pin standard EOBD connector) will only work with a basic VAG/KKL interface. ELM and OBDLINK interfaces will not work!
Fiat Strada/Ritmo Abarth 130TC, Barchetta 2005 , 500X Cross Plus

old dear
Posts: 11
Joined: 01 Nov 2022, 17:29

Re: Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

Post by old dear » 07 Nov 2022, 07:16

s130 wrote:
06 Nov 2022, 21:32
Are you using a VAG/KKL interface? Forget the adapter cable for the moment. The Barchetta Airbag ECU (be it old CF2 model connector or later CF3 model 16 pin standard EOBD connector) will only work with a basic VAG/KKL interface. ELM and OBDLINK interfaces will not work!
yes the blue vagkkl interface cable with the switch set on 3 ie second position from the left the laptop is picking up the lead now at com3 after following your advice ,this then plugs into a black cable that is OBD2 to a 3 pin connector that plugs into the airbag ECU and has 2 crocodile clips that attach to a 12 volt supply oe it converts the blue vagkkl to 3 pin and powers the VAGKKL blue lead

the black connector lead defiantly works/connects to the ecu because i can get the blink codes manually by crossing 2 connectors

i have the blue lead un pluged from the car via the black lead to power up the vagkkl lead and light up the led
i go into multi scan
select interface box and it shows the cable is connected to COM3
i then connect to the car
turn ignition on
press connect
then press Y

i wait probably 40 seconds
then it flags a message
interface cable not connecting to ECU.

s130
Posts: 944
Joined: 20 Jan 2010, 10:07
Location: Wrexham, North Wales

Re: Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

Post by s130 » 07 Nov 2022, 09:52

If you are using a standard KKL Interface with no switches the you just plug the interface into your 3 Pin adapter cable.

As you have switches these are for when plugging in directly to a 16 pin EOBD connector.

You need to set your switch to 7 position. (I say 7 because Pin 7 is the standard non modified KKL data line)

It should now connect.
Fiat Strada/Ritmo Abarth 130TC, Barchetta 2005 , 500X Cross Plus

old dear
Posts: 11
Joined: 01 Nov 2022, 17:29

Re: Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

Post by old dear » 07 Nov 2022, 11:20

s130 wrote:
07 Nov 2022, 09:52
If you are using a standard KKL Interface with no switches the you just plug the interface into your 3 Pin adapter cable.

As you have switches these are for when plugging in directly to a 16 pin EOBD connector.

You need to set your switch to 7 position. (I say 7 because Pin 7 is the standard non modified KKL data line)

It should now connect.
ok thank you i will give it a go later today and report back regards old dear ( Steve in Almeria )

old dear
Posts: 11
Joined: 01 Nov 2022, 17:29

Re: Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

Post by old dear » 07 Nov 2022, 14:34

Hi i have just tried again on 7 but still no connection ,is there any thing else i can try ? thanks

old dear
Posts: 11
Joined: 01 Nov 2022, 17:29

Re: Fiat Barchetta cannot connect to air bag ECU

Post by old dear » 07 Nov 2022, 17:39

old dear wrote:
07 Nov 2022, 14:34
Hi i have just tried again on 7 but still no connection ,is there any thing else i can try ? thanks

ok folks after much head scratching i down loaded these drivers https://ftdichip.com/drivers/ and finally got the lead to work ...but
only the engine ECU will connect ,but it proves the lead works i used windows 7 in the end and Muntlecuscan 2

any ideas as to why the air bag ECU wont connect when the engine ecu connects within seconds ?

(i can get the blink codes out of the 3 pin airbag ecu by connecting the black and blue / white lead for 4 seconds ,but the vagcom kkl will not connect to the airbag ECU )

thanks

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