00588 Igniter for Driver Airbag (N95): Resistance too High/Low / Short Circuit
The airbag control module tests this firing circuit every time the ignition is switched on, and the reading is outside its allowed range. The connector, the wiring or the igniter itself can cause it - never probe airbag or belt-tensioner circuits with a test lamp or multimeter.
Can you drive it? This is a restraint-system fault. The airbag or belt tensioner may not deploy in a crash, and in some failure modes may deploy when it shouldn't. Have it looked at before carrying passengers.
The definition
00588: Igniter for Driver Airbag (N95): Resistance too High/Low / Short Circuit.
What to check first
Cheapest and fastest checks first:
- Read the freeze-frame data stored with the fault - engine speed, load and temperature at the moment it logged tell you whether this happens cold, hot or under load.
- Check the connector at the part for corrosion, and that it is fully seated.
- Clear the code and see whether it returns, and under what conditions.
Reading the code is the easy part
A code names the circuit that complained. What tells you why is watching the sensor behind it while the engine runs — and that is where a code reader stops and a diagnostic tool starts.
VAGPULSE reads your engine ECU's fault codes and the live measuring blocks behind them, and clears the codes once you have fixed the fault. On the engine it also does what a generic OBD reader cannot on a VAG: coding, adaptations, and Stage 1–3 flashing on Bosch ME7 petrol ECUs, with a backup saved every time it reads your ECU.
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Common questions
What does 00588 mean?
00588 means Igniter for Driver Airbag (N95): Resistance too High/Low / Short Circuit. The airbag control module tests this firing circuit every time the ignition is switched on, and the reading is outside its allowed range. The connector, the wiring or the igniter itself can cause it - never probe airbag or belt-tensioner circuits with a test lamp or multimeter.
Can I drive with 00588?
This is a restraint-system fault. The airbag or belt tensioner may not deploy in a crash, and in some failure modes may deploy when it shouldn't. Have it looked at before carrying passengers.