Hey guys.. just wondering but I have a 02 type S and at times the light in the cluster for the passenger airbag comes on and off at times saying passenger airbag off.

Anyone know what the problem is?

 

if you've got a passenger in your seat when the light goes on and off, then it's because they're moving around...the car takes the weight in the seat and determines if the air bag should be on or not...my son likes to move around, so my airbag light goes on and off quite often...

if it just goes on and off with no one in your passenger seat and you don't have anything else sitting there (laptop, backpack, etc.), then you might want to get it checked out...

that's how it is in the 3G TLs anyway...

 

HAHA, that always happens when my girlfriend sits in the passenger seat. She is very light and usually it goes on and off the entire time she is sitting there moving around. Every time I try to show her, she leans over and it goes off.

I have always wondered how exactly the car determines that it should not fire the airbag. I wondered if perhaps it detects weight in the seat but not on the back and assumes the person is close to the dash. Or perhaps it just thinks that the person is light and therefore small so the airbag might hurt them. Somebody here must know the answer and perhaps it is in my Helm manual, but I have never actually spent the time to research it.

 

Yep same for the 2G TLs too. What bugs me is you would think that light would be on if nobody at all was in the seat. I mean it makes sense to shut off the air bag if nobody is sitting there.

 

That's a good point, why not save the money on replacing the airbag?

 

Though, I wonder if it might be off when nobody is there. Maybe the light just doesn't come on.

 

 

thats how it is with fords also...doesnt make any sence...

 

it should be on...when very little weight is recognized, it turns off, assuming a small person is there...at least i think that's how it works...

 

Its called Occupant Position Detection System and will turn off SIDE airbag if it believes the passenger is out of normal seated position- to avoid serious injury to passenger during inflation
It will also inflate the front bag with less force- per owner manual- assuming there is a smaller person there
Mostly caused by person leaning off the backrest while weight is on seat bottem still or reclining the seat back way far.

 

I agree, the backrest is the key. The occupant leans off the back and so is therefore at a risk of being where they shouldn't be in a "pinch".
New it did this for the side airbag, but didn't know about the 2 level airbag. Cool!

 

LOL. My gf always causes mine to go off. Our conversations have dwindled down to me saying, "Sit back" and her doing it.

From what I have been able to tell it goes off more when her back isn't fully against the back of the seat, which leads me to believe the sensor is more determinant upon weight on both the back AND the bottom portion of the seat towards the rear of the car, i.e., more towards the crevise in the passengers seat. I could be off tho.

 

okay.. thanks alot peoples... that makes perferct sence now.. my GF is about 100lbs and I thought it was that but just wanted to make sure.. lol.. at lesat i know now..

I'll have to check on the light again if no one is in the seat..

but thanks a lot..

 

lol. Funny stuff
I'm having the same problem myself. We need some support group for demanding drivers. and maybe one for co-dependents of demanding drivers.

OPDS abuse support group meets tonight

. . . "My name is _insert name_. I have been nagged and nitpicked into sitting back into my seat for 3 yrs."
Group responds, "hello _insert name_."