Spiffyjiff

so i installed GT2 seats (had battery disconnected during install) and still got the dreaded center console "passenger airbag off" light.

went to an indy shop today who, with the high end diganostic tool, cleared the fault but the light remains on. not only that but even tho the tool reads that the light is on, there is no new fault AND tool also says airbags are active. wth???

so it seems this has come up on here before when even dealers cant turn off light (as a matter of fact, my local dealership has a cayman in there right now which has the same issue - GT2 seat swap with a light they cant clear). i searched and found some instances of airbag light issues, but didnt really find out how it was resolved (by dealer/indy/at all). thoughts?

mdrums

My local dealer Bert Smith couldn't figure it out and get my air bag light to turn off....I took my car to the other local dealer, Reeves Porsche and they turned it off in a few minutes. My air bag light is off now if nothing is in the seat, it comes on when something light is in the seat like a child and then it turns off if an adult is in the seat.

SSTHO

Ah - I am going through the same issue right now.

I had sport seats from OEM, then I bought a set of OEM CF bucket seats. Installed them and the `passenger airbag off`light went on. Question:

1. is the passenger airbag actually deactivated?
2. is it costly and difficult to activate the passenger side airbag with the OEM CF buckets?
3. is there a significant safety issue with passenger airbags off? are the side airbags in the seat active?

NorthVan

I wonder if it has something to do with the auto weight sensor that came with the 06 and above. I don't have PEWIS experience, but I wonder if this sensor has a separate setting in there. My 996 GT3 hardbacks in my car don't have any airbag's and I don't have any airbag warning lights.

tcsracing1

i was told something about leaving the key in OR out ( not sure ) of the ignition can help prevent the airbag warning light during seat install/removal.

However, any dealer can configure the the computer to understand the new seats. Usually half hour labour charge.

mdrums

GT2 seat weight sensors have to be zero'd out and reset. The car/seat thinks something light weight (like a child) is sitting in the seat...thus it turns the pasneger air bag light on and air bag off. A smart and willing Porsche dealer tech with PIWIS can fix it.

SSTHO

Thanks Ed, Tom and Mike - my car is over with Bernie at MB Euro Motors now getting looked after. I believe it does have to do with the weight sensor (do all the OEM buckets come with them?).

NorthVan

It was standard from 2006 on, I remember JB dealt with it when he installed them in my 06 C2S at MCL.

lopro

Buy a durametric cable and reset the light- Buying one may pay for itself over time (will need to find the issue and solve it but this could save some money over time.)

http://www.durametric.com/support.aspx

http://www.fvd.de/us/en/Porsche-0/99...or_3_cars.html

Spiffyjiff

planning on trying with a pro this weekend. but i dont think it's as easy as a light. i think it's the AWS ("auto-weight sensing"??). as i mentioned, my indy tried to simply clear the light with a shop diagnostic tool and couldnt.

plus, i found out about the cayman that i also mentioned before - they solved it by resetting/recalibrating the AWS. the systems needs to calibrate 4 different conditions: no one in seat, "normal adult" in seat (approx 160-190lbs), child in seat (approx 40lbs), and a person "getting out of the seat". apparently sometimes the car brain doesnt like when it detects a new AWS. it detects it but doesnt trust it or something and renders it inoperable (i.e., "passenger airbag off") and cancels air bag operation until it is reset/recal'd. they had to call porsche HQ since they couldnt fig it out on their own. this is also the method another dealer in FLA used per another thread on here.

for those who have swapped seats and gotten no light and for those who have simply "had the light turned off", i'd be curious if/wary that the ABS system is actually working.

Nick Wong

Do you have a sub belt bar mounted on the seat? If you do, check to see if the mount is interfering with the sensor.

Spiffyjiff

yep, and maybe i'll investigate that more. but as far as i can the sub bar is not resting/pushing on anything or has any pressure exerted on it.

but i was thinking about this being an issue when i was originally attaching them - you have to remove the 2 nuts that cap the bolts which run thru the front weight sensors i think. maybe i over torqued? or maybe the system doesnt like that they were loosened/re-tightened??

Spiffyjiff

update to all of you who run into this problem! as i posted above, yes, the correct way would be to get the dealer to recalibrate seat BUT if you have a durametric pro (unsure if the enthusiast can do it), just go to airbags --> AWS --> "NO". that's it!!! the ECU no longer thinks there is a weight sensor so it does not condition the airbag deployment accordingly. FWIW, i do have the manual, key-operated, airbag cutoff installed. i know the light/system is still working correctly as i tested it by turning off the airbag manually - the console light went on.

Spiffyjiff

oh and if you hate the seat belt chime, just look for "seatbelt buckle - driver" and "seatbelt buckle - passenger" and select "NO" for each.

lopro

DURAMETRIC PRO - good idea SMART move