01228: Passenger Airbag Cut-Off Switch

Circuit fault

What 01228 means

E224 is a key-operated switch, usually mounted in the end of the dash or inside the glovebox, that lets the owner disable the passenger airbag. The controller reads its position to know whether the passenger bag should be armed. An open or shorted reading means the controller cannot tell which position the switch is in, so it stores 01228.

Being a mechanical switch in a spot people reach into, it takes wear that electronic components do not. Keys get turned in it, objects get pushed against it, and the connector behind it is in the path of anything spilled into the glovebox. The wiring to it also shares the dash harness with the passenger airbag circuits.

Common causes

• A worn or failed switch that no longer makes a solid contact in either position
• A connector behind the switch unplugged or damaged during glovebox or dash work
• A switch left between positions rather than fully turned to on or off
• Corroded terminals after a liquid spill in the glovebox area
• Harness damage behind the dash from a previous repair or accessory install

Crash data or hardware fault?

01228 is a live circuit reading rather than stored crash data. When the switch reads a valid position again, the controller stops reporting the fault. Crash data behaves differently, written permanently at the moment of a deployment and removable only by resetting the controller off the vehicle.

Does our reset clear it?

Wiping 01228 out does not repair the switch or its wiring, and the controller stores it again on its next check. Repair the switch or the connector first. Our mail-in reset addresses a controller locked on crash data after a deployment, which is a separate condition that no scan tool can handle.

Which makes throw it

E224 is the cut-off switch designation on Audi and on Volkswagen. The switch location varies by model, but the meaning and the diagnosis are the same on either badge.

What to do next

Turn the switch fully to each position with the key and see whether the code or the indicator responds, because a switch stopped between positions is the simplest thing on this list to rule out. Unplug the connector behind it and check continuity through the switch in both positions. A switch that never makes a clean contact is the part to replace, and the harness behind it is the next place to look if the switch tests good. Related codes: 01227, 01236, B1879.