00588 Igniter for Driver Airbag (N95): Resistance too High/Low / Short Circuit
The part measures more electrical resistance than it should - typically corrosion, a loose pin or a failing component.
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 every module in a VW, Audi, Skoda or SEAT — not just the engine — shows the live measuring blocks behind this fault, gives you the freeze-frame conditions it was logged under, and clears it once you have fixed it. It also does what a generic OBD reader cannot on a VAG: service resets, coding, adaptations, and Stage 1–3 flashing with your original file saved first.
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Prefer to work on your phone? The VAGPULSE Android app is a free download and its demo mode runs against a sample car with no hardware at all, so you can see exactly what it reads before spending anything. Reading your car with it needs the VAGPULSE cable, which comes with the licence.
Common questions
What does 00588 mean?
00588 means Igniter for Driver Airbag (N95): Resistance too High/Low / Short Circuit. The part measures more electrical resistance than it should - typically corrosion, a loose pin or a failing component.
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.