SRS airbag light on, communication issue?

[PLP]

2003 Boxster base.
All seems to be standard.
No SRS issues initially.

Took the car to be painted (no repairs - except small dents/rings, just pain job - nothing major body wise).
Picked the car up - airbag light on.

I thought airbag was disconnected with battery on. No biggie. Durametric will clear it.
It did not.

Took it to the dealer.
They say - communication problem. No VIN in SRS module.

They hassle with it, no resolution. I pay for time. $$$

A side story - I lost horn. Turns out the clock spring is damaged (it must have been wrongly assembled when I was replacing the turn signal stalk and cracked - it was bent in one place and over time it cracked). I replaced it with a working one. Horn is back. All seem to be fine.

So far - resolution is to order a new SRS module. Factory new. That is nearly 2 thousand dollars.


Anyone here could help?

Further questions.
If the module is faulty, can I get a used one (same part number)?
Is it true it must be VIN coded?
Can dealer, or someone else, code a used module?

Any other ideas?