airbag indicator

[mobilejo]

Originally Posted by LI_BIMMER

So if the air bag light is on and its a fault of the passenger seat mat/sensor, are all air bags disabled in an accident or just the passenger side only?

I will search for the threads on replacing the mat. Sometimes the light goes out when I hit the cushion of the passenger seat. Thanks.

This is my understanding:

The seat sensor tells the car if someone is sitting in the passenger side so that it will only deploy passenger side airbags if someone is the passenger seat.

If the mat is faulty, and the airbag light is on because of that, then the car will deploy passenger airbags if there is an impact, even if there is no one in the passenger seat. This is because with a faulty mat, it cannot be sure if there is a passenger or not and so it is safer to deply all airbags 'just in case' than to deploy none.

If you put a resistor, the car thinks the mat works again and it thinks that there is a passenger in the passenger seat at all times. So again, it will deploy all passenger airbags thinking there is a passenger in there. The only problem with this, is that airbags cost alot, and some rip open trim when they go off. So it just means if you have an accident with no passenger in the car, you will be 'wasting' those airbags that go off when they didn't need to.

Not the biggest problem in the world though, its just a money thing and at least not a safety issue. And only worth worrying about if you crash and there isn't actually a passenger in the car. The alternative is to replace the seat occupancy mat but that costs $$$ too.

[fullmetaljacket]

Originally Posted by mobilejo

This is my understanding:

The seat sensor tells the car if someone is sitting in the passenger side so that it will only deploy passenger side airbags if someone is the passenger seat.

If the mat is faulty, and the airbag light is on because of that, then the car will deploy passenger airbags if there is an impact, even if there is no one in the passenger seat. This is because with a faulty mat, it cannot be sure if there is a passenger or not and so it is safer to deply all airbags 'just in case' than to deploy none.

If you put a resistor, the car thinks the mat works again and it thinks that there is a passenger in the passenger seat at all times. So again, it will deploy all passenger airbags thinking there is a passenger in there. The only problem with this, is that airbags cost alot, and some rip open trim when they go off. So it just means if you have an accident with no passenger in the car, you will be 'wasting' those airbags that go off when they didn't need to.

Not the biggest problem in the world though, its just a money thing and at least not a safety issue. And only worth worrying about if you crash and there isn't actually a passenger in the car. The alternative is to replace the seat occupancy mat but that costs $$$ too.

So, is this the right understanding for the airbag warning light on the dash? If this is the real reason why it's on, then it's ok right...???

Why am I concerned? well I had my airbag sensor light on when I changed my old seats to electric power sports seats. I altered and probably screwed up the wiring on the connector to power up the driver's side seat. I tried the resistor diode fix on this thread but unfortunately it did not work. Maybe because my whole mat sensor computer thing on my new seats do not work to begin with and that maybe the reason why the airbag warning light on the dash is lit up.

Hope you guys can help me figure this out...QUESTIONS:

1. Can the stealership or anyone with a scanner computer thingy do a reset for my dash airbag warning light? I don't want it on, it bothers me to see a red light on the dash

2. Is it ok not to have the passenger or seat sensor mats working? The airbags WILL STILL DEPLOY on impact right? (It's ok with me that all of them deploy even if there is no one seated at the passenger side - JUST AS LONG AS THE AIRBAGS DEPLOY AND WORK ON IMPACT)

3. If the answer to question number 2 is YES and the answer to number one is NO. How do I just disable the dam airbag light? Where and What wire do I cut?

Help TIA Guys!

[aimtimes100]

well if the is perfectly fine then, ill just consider it another addition to "lights on my car that actually mean nothing and my X can't see that"

[dlclarke]

Old post but Brilliant! Will be doing this in the weekend to get rid of the airbag light.

[Skyline]

Before attempting this hack, at the very least you should identify that the seat sensor is at fault. There are dozens of components in the airbag system that can cause that light on the dash to go on. Get the car scanned with a GT1 or Autologic....then decide what you're going to fix. These scanners can point to the exact area of fault.

For all you know, you could have one of those Chicom counterfeit airbags we just heard about on the news that's causing a fault.

[dlclarke]

Originally Posted by Skyline

Before attempting this hack, at the very least you should identify that the seat sensor is at fault. There are dozens of components in the airbag system that can cause that light on the dash to go on. Get the car scanned with a GT1 or Autologic....then decide what you're going to fix. These scanners can point to the exact area of fault.

For all you know, you could have one of those Chicom counterfeit airbags we just heard about on the news that's causing a fault.

Thanks for that, I had used my GT1 to figure out it was the sensor mat already

Resistors and diode fitted, covered in shrink-wrap (I used an IN4007 as its just a 1000V version of the IN4001) and so far, so good.

[recklessspyder]

Just adding that there is a good chance that what you are doing is illegal....if you ever sell your X.

.....and will the airbag actually go off if you have a passenger now? Since you overrode it, doesn't always think the seat is empty?

If so, you just put your family at risk

My x came with 2 resistors instead of airbags and I'm sensitive to this topic

[Buzz110]

Hey X5Dinan did you add the aero kit and if so were there other parts that you had to purchase with the kit like support brackets for the side rails,etc?

[admranger]

Originally Posted by recklessspyder

Just adding that there is a good chance that what you are doing is illegal....if you ever sell your X.

.....and will the airbag actually go off if you have a passenger now? Since you overrode it, doesn't always think the seat is empty?

If so, you just put your family at risk

My x came with 2 resistors instead of airbags and I'm sensitive to this topic

The posts above clearly state that this makes the airbag system think there is someone in the seat at all times, hence all the airbags fire even if there isn't anyone in the passenger seat. Just don't put a small person up front (you shouldn't anyway) and you are golden...

It's no different than having the seat belt clipped all the time, which is what I have to do now since my fasten seat belt chime goes off all the time otherwise...

[Skyline]

Originally Posted by admranger

The posts above clearly state that this makes the airbag system think there is someone in the seat at all times, hence all the airbags fire even if there isn't anyone in the passenger seat. Just don't put a small person up front (you shouldn't anyway) and you are golden...

It's no different than having the seat belt clipped all the time, which is what I have to do now since my fasten seat belt chime goes off all the time otherwise...

X2 on not putting a child or other small person in the front seat with this sort of hack. This is the primary reason for the seat sensor; to make sure that only a person above a certain weight can cause deployment of the airbags. And most important, never move your front seats forward to accomodate a rear seat passenger.