nycvr6

Has anyone elses side airback off light come on while driving?
Why would this happen?
Another thing, does anyone elses a/c compressor whine when its on as you drive?
Thanks in advance..

songoku

Are you talking about airbag light???
Mine doesn't have airback off light on my TL....

pianoman41

He's referring to the "Side Airbag Off" light in the 2002s. I don't know if the 2001s have them. The 2002s have airbags built into the sides of the driver and front passenger seat. Because the passenger doesn't have to sit up straight in the seat (like the driver would), Acura added a sensor to detect sitting placement in the front seat. Specifically, it was designed because if a child or small adult decided to take a snooze in the passenger seat while you were driving, and instead of reclining the seat they decide to slouch down and rest their head on the B-pillar, their head would be right next to the side air bag and they could be killed if you got into an accident and it went off. So the sensor detects "abnormal" sitting positions (for lack of a better description) and will temporarily disable the side airbag until the sensor detects the sitting is "normal" again. I believe the sensor actually measures seat pressure (weight) and pressure location to make this determination. Small passengers not sitting up correctly or leaning against the side of the seat or B-pillar are the most common reasons this light comes on. The dealer also told me that carrying packages on the front seat that have some weight to them could also cause this to happen, especially if you are going around corners and causing the package to shift in the seat towards the outside edge by the B-pillar. You can demonstrate this by having a friend or child sit in the passenger seat while the car is parked and running and have them move around in the path of the airbag and watch the light go on and off.

Now if you're driving by yourself in the car and the passenger seat is completely empty and you still see this light on, then you need to make a trip to the dealer. Note, however, that like all warning lights it does come on when you first start the car as a test.

As for your A/C whine, I'm not so sure about a "whine" so much as a "hiss" which many on this forum have mentioned hearing. That noise is normal and is a result of the compressor cycling.

nycvr6

Thanks for the help..I had a friend with me, so maybe the way she was moving in the seat, because it only came on twice for a couple seconds...And as for the a/c, it must be the same as tha hiss you were talking about..
Justin