Topic: Airbag bypass, anyone?

[Jackknife]

After four years of trouble with the passenger seat airbag sensor not recognizing my 105 lb. wife, I'm ready to take action...but, I need help.

What I envision is a bypass of the sensor with an on/off switch hard wired into the circuit.  What I need is a wiring diagram of the seat , or a picture of the sensor

and related wiring.

I know, I know..."why don't you feed her once in a while", etc....Won't help  ...got to put in a switch.   Any help would be appreciated.

[Carbon Sky]

By any chance, have you asked your dealership to look into this?  I'm just worried about liability issues should there ever be an accident and your insurance tries to weasel their way out of covering you for whatever might be related to your modification.

[Jackknife]

By any chance, have you asked your dealership to look into this?  I'm just worried about liability issues should there ever be an accident and your insurance tries to weasel their way out of covering you for whatever might be related to your modification.

For obvious reasons my dealer will not "tamper" w/the airbag system.

My understanding is that the pass. airbag is always OFF until and unless the seat sensors detect a "properly seated" person

who matches at least the "fifth percentile" weight category (WHO data from the 1950s 0r '60s).

So, if the airbag is normally OFF, what I am looking for is a way to activate the sensors by "giving" them the resistance they

normally rely on weight to produce.

I won't be disabling anything...just enabling with certainty.

[Sly Bob]

I have this problem with my wife who is 120 lbs. I know that some people that use aftermarket seats roll up the sensing pad that is in the seat bottom under the cover and tie it with zip ties so it is always on and put it under the seat somewhere.

At least then it'll always be on.

That however could raise other issues if you have small children in the seat or you sell the car in the future. I think I would be raising this issue with your dealer and maybe the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) if it can't be resolved.

[Jackknife]

OK...been doing some research.  A guy on a BMW forum devised a "simple" device which "fools" the sensors by simulating passenger occupancy above the

weight threshold.  Nothing like that exists for Kappas.  And I'm no electrical engineer.

But, apparently that's what is needed.  It also needs to be easily unplug-able so the airbag is off for underweight passengers.

[Critterman]

My understanding the sensor is located in the back of the bottom of the seat.  Talk to JPM and see if there is a way to move the sensor forward.  It should go on at 110.  Maybe you just need to press her back into the seat a little harder.  Use the supercharger

[Arabas]

Hi Jackknife, i have the same issue with my 100lb fiancee. i went to the dealer several times, we found out this is not a problem and it occurs from time to time if the passenger is under 110lb.
the solution me and my fiancee found for ourselves is the following procedure.
she seats normally and if the ab does not recognise her, she puts her back against the top part (back) of the seat without the seat belt, then she seats at the really back part of the lower part seat pushing a little bit harder downwards (like increasing her weight). in adittion, she always seats with her bag on her laps and then she quickly buckles up. the ab is on and then leaves her bag down by her feet. this works for 99% of the cases. if it doesn t work, i turn off the engine and we try again. but as i said, reseating with an added pressure to the seat almost always solves the problem.
(sorry i don t know the terms in english. if something isn t clear, pls let me know so that i try to describe again)