Today i was driving my dog to get groomed. And i noticed that the Side Airbag light came on. Stayed lit for about 15 seconds and then went off. It did this 2 times. I mean could it be coincidence(spelling), but i sord off noticed that it came on when my dog stood up and looked outside to get some air. Both times it did it. I mean do they have sensors that know when someone is sitting the wrong way or sticking head out window that they get diactivated?? Or could this be some computer problem???

 

Yes, there are sensors. Everything is explained in you owners manual under the safety section.

 

Hmmm i am going to have to read up on this. I am at work right now. And my brother has my car. So u was just wondering about it.. But i guess its not just a coincidence that it happened when my dog stood up .. hmm ok. but i guess that means its working fine. then..

 

The same thing happens if kids stick their heads out the windows.

 

The reason it does this, is because there are sensors in the seat that sense if the person is located appropriately, so that they will not be harmed by the side airbag if it activates.

It will shut off (hence the light will be on) if the person is not seated correctly. This is also why there are limited heated seat functions in the passenger seat, compared to the driver's seat.

 

Huh?

They appear to be the same in each seat (LOW - OFF - HIGH rocker switch). Do you mean more limited elements/heating coverage?

Every car I've owned has included the same coverage in each seat with one exception - a Volvo that only had bottom-warmer on passenger seat but back/bottom on drivers seat.

 

I'm Huh? too.

Care to elaborate on this?

 

I'll take a crack at this.
The TL is a very smart car. As you should know already, the TL is, one of the safest cars because of its airbags and its crumple zones. To answer your question, there are sensors that detect HOW the passengers are sitting so that the airbags know how to deploy, if at all. For example, if the crash is head-on, and a person is sticking their head out the passenger window, deploying the side airbag would thrust the person towards the driver, missing the front airbag. If the passenger is sitting correctly with the seatbelt on, then naturally, in a head-on collision, the passenger would hit the front airbag first and cushioned by the side airbag as a precaution though it may not be completely necessary. The reason the light comes on is because it is indicating that it needs to be checked. For your circumstance, it is because it WILL NOT deploy if you were hit from the front, but will deploy if hit from the side.

If a person sticks their arm out, it is likely the light will not come on because it is not enough to push the person in the case that it deploys. But, like they say on rollercoasters, keep your arms and body inside the car at all times.

 

1. They want the driver to be as comfortable as possible.

2. I dont think he meant "limited heated" seat functions. The passenger's seat can be heated, but it does have limited movements of the seat. I never really sat on my passenger side so I cannot tell you what exactly the differences are. Check it out yourself. Thats the only way to go.

EDIT: If he did mean "limited heated" functions, then I am "huh" as well

 

For all you folks who said HUH:

Because of the sensors for the side air bag system, there is no heater in the passenger's seat-back.

This may sound familiar to owner's manual readers, especially if you looked at page 96.

Some say there is no heater in the passenger's seat-back because:
a. Honda/Acura is cheap
b. The battery and electric system won't take the load if both seats were put on high heat at the same time

Take your choice or come up with something else.

 

Thanks Ron.

My car is only a week old. I'm only up to page 40 in the manual.

Next time I'll refer to it before I say "huh".

Mark

 

You're welcome. At that rate, you would have found it in another week and a half. You weren't the only "huh". And even if you read the whole manual, who can remember everything that's in there? Not me, which is why mine is getting worn out from looking at it so much.