[V6-12v] Airbag light blinking for 30 sec, then solid on. What's up?

[Tom Christiansen]

Folks,

Yesterday my airbag decided to quit on me. When I start the car, the
airbag light flashes for about 30 seconds. Then it turns solid on and
stays on until I stop the engine. Does anyone know what this means
(well, aside from the obvious, that the airbag probably won't blow up
in my face if I'm in a crash)?

I have noticed one thing. When turning the steering wheel at parking
lot speeds from stop to stop there used to be a subtile scraping sound
from the center of the wheel. I always assumed it was the contactors
for the airbag. Now the scraping sound has stopped. Does this sound
like the culprit or am I barking up the wrong tree?

Thanks,

Tom