#FlashingAirbagLight

Ok Sajeev, I got one for you.

I own a 2009 Nissan Xterra 4wd X model. It has nearly 100k miles on the clock. In the past week, whenever I start the vehicle, I hear a chattering noise coming from the passenger side dashboard. The noise persists as long as the passenger air bag light is lit; when that light goes off, the chattering stops. So I took the truck to my local Nissan dealer, whom I trust, and I was told that the problem is the passenger side blender door of the HVAC system – apparently there are gears in this assembly which are not moving freely or properly.

The cost to repair is estimated at about $600 because of the necessity to remove the whole dashboard. The dealer’s service people told me to do nothing until the HVAC system fails to function properly, and it is currently functioning properly except for the above described noise. My question: how is a bad blender door mechanism linked to an airbag light? Can airbags chatter on vehicle startup?

Thank you as always for your excellent advice.