Passenger airbag disable - 2008 GT2
05-15-2013, 08:28 AM
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Passenger airbag disable - 2008 GT2
Hey guys,
I was trying to locate the disable switch for the passenger side airbag but I couldn't find it. It is not in the location per the owner's manual. My car is a 2008 GT2.
I am trying to take my 3 year old with me on the occasional ride now that she is old enough. She cracks up when I accelerate in my daily driver.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
I was trying to locate the disable switch for the passenger side airbag but I couldn't find it. It is not in the location per the owner's manual. My car is a 2008 GT2.
I am trying to take my 3 year old with me on the occasional ride now that she is old enough. She cracks up when I accelerate in my daily driver.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
05-15-2013, 08:45 AM
#2
Nordschleife Master
Not sure if the GT2 is different than the GT3 but there is an auto-detect feature in the GT3 that is based on weight in the seat. Do you not have a light that illuminates on the center console by the ashtray that says whether the airbag is on or off?
FYI....I asked these same questions and thought I'd have to get something installed and discovered the following (see my old post below in bold/italic). So unless your kid is over 59#, you should good to go.
Alright, so after doing some serious research, reading the manual, talking to a Porsche master tech, talking to guys here offline that have children, and getting input here it looks like the airbag deactivation kit is NOT needed unless the system is not working as should be or if you have a <1 year old and need the LATCH system for the front seat. In fact it is actually not suggested unless you have a <1 year as you could easily turn the system off and forget to turn it back on and have an adult ride with you unprotected. There is a sensor system that automatically shuts off the airbag system if the weight in the passenger seat is less than the required weight by law (59# I think I read) and activates if over the proper weight.
FYI....I asked these same questions and thought I'd have to get something installed and discovered the following (see my old post below in bold/italic). So unless your kid is over 59#, you should good to go.
Alright, so after doing some serious research, reading the manual, talking to a Porsche master tech, talking to guys here offline that have children, and getting input here it looks like the airbag deactivation kit is NOT needed unless the system is not working as should be or if you have a <1 year old and need the LATCH system for the front seat. In fact it is actually not suggested unless you have a <1 year as you could easily turn the system off and forget to turn it back on and have an adult ride with you unprotected. There is a sensor system that automatically shuts off the airbag system if the weight in the passenger seat is less than the required weight by law (59# I think I read) and activates if over the proper weight.
05-15-2013, 09:55 AM
#3
I believe Dell is correct.
The issue is that if you remove the OE seats or you are in a region and have the non airbag seats, I believe you then can order the module that is installed to de-activate the front airbag - that module is installed with a switch that is accessed when the passenger door is opened exposing the side area of the front dash.
Kids love the cars for sure. Having been in a airbag exploding car, under no circumstance do you want an airbag hitting a small child - but you don't want to be in an accident either so it is kind of a crazy statement to make in the first place. An airbag helped protect me from a high triple digit speed impact and i also had a helmet and a HANS - if what hit me hit a small child they would likely die.
If you have the OE AWS seat - the bag will not fire.
If you installed after market or Porsche fixed back seats - order the module - it is a few hundred dollars. If somehow you get stopped by the police and for whatever reason they make an issue of a children being exposed to the airbag / front seat etc, you can simple open the passenger door and show them the switch in the off position and say the bag is 100% disabled.
The issue is that if you remove the OE seats or you are in a region and have the non airbag seats, I believe you then can order the module that is installed to de-activate the front airbag - that module is installed with a switch that is accessed when the passenger door is opened exposing the side area of the front dash.
Kids love the cars for sure. Having been in a airbag exploding car, under no circumstance do you want an airbag hitting a small child - but you don't want to be in an accident either so it is kind of a crazy statement to make in the first place. An airbag helped protect me from a high triple digit speed impact and i also had a helmet and a HANS - if what hit me hit a small child they would likely die.
If you have the OE AWS seat - the bag will not fire.
If you installed after market or Porsche fixed back seats - order the module - it is a few hundred dollars. If somehow you get stopped by the police and for whatever reason they make an issue of a children being exposed to the airbag / front seat etc, you can simple open the passenger door and show them the switch in the off position and say the bag is 100% disabled.
05-15-2013, 09:59 AM
#4
Nordschleife Master
I believe Dell is correct.
The issue is that if you remove the OE seats or you are in a region and have the non airbag seats, I believe you then can order the module that is installed to de-activate the front airbag - that module is installed with a switch that is accessed when the passenger door is opened exposing the side area of the front dash.
Kids love the cars for sure. Having been in a airbag exploding car, under no circumstance do you want an airbag hitting a small child - but you don't want to be in an accident either so it is kind of a crazy statement to make in the first place. An airbag helped protect me from a high triple digit speed impact and i also had a helmet and a HANS - if what hit me hit a small child they would likely die.
If you have the OE AWS seat - the bag will not fire.
If you installed after market or Porsche fixed back seats - order the module - it is a few hundred dollars. If somehow you get stopped by the police and for whatever reason they make an issue of a children being exposed to the airbag / front seat etc, you can simple open the passenger door and show them the switch in the off position and say the bag is 100% disabled.
The issue is that if you remove the OE seats or you are in a region and have the non airbag seats, I believe you then can order the module that is installed to de-activate the front airbag - that module is installed with a switch that is accessed when the passenger door is opened exposing the side area of the front dash.
Kids love the cars for sure. Having been in a airbag exploding car, under no circumstance do you want an airbag hitting a small child - but you don't want to be in an accident either so it is kind of a crazy statement to make in the first place. An airbag helped protect me from a high triple digit speed impact and i also had a helmet and a HANS - if what hit me hit a small child they would likely die.
If you have the OE AWS seat - the bag will not fire.
If you installed after market or Porsche fixed back seats - order the module - it is a few hundred dollars. If somehow you get stopped by the police and for whatever reason they make an issue of a children being exposed to the airbag / front seat etc, you can simple open the passenger door and show them the switch in the off position and say the bag is 100% disabled.
The kit that is installed is the kit that was in the .1 997 non-GT3s as they didn't have the AWS system (i.e., the 2005-2006 Carreras).
05-15-2013, 01:03 PM
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thanks for the response. I do have the stock two piece seats, so I will put her in the carseat and make sure the light indicates the airbag is off. What threw me off was that the manual shows the switch on the passenger side dash panel like 997gt3north describes, but it isn't there. I never worried about the airbag before, so I never looked. With a little one up front, its a whole different deal.
05-15-2013, 03:15 PM
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Bingo. And I should have further added that recently I removed my stock seats with the AWS feature and installed the CF fixed back GT3 seats which have no AWS system which necessitated a trip to the dealer to get the manual airbag disable kit installed and the car reprogrammed. If you go with the GT2 buckets (the ones with airbags and the tilt feature) those seats retain the AWS feature and the car operate as always.
Jon
