986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post - Help! Airbag light constantly lit

RandallNeighbour · 07-17-2006, 12:08 PM

OK, everyone reading this thread needs to do the following:

1) Call your dealer and ask them when you can schedule an appointment for them to replace the faulty seatbelt receptacles AT NO CHARGE because you know there was a TSB on it and the previous owner (or you) must have forgotten to get it done.

... this probably won't work if your car is out of warranty, but it sure is worth a try! I've read that some dealers do it as good will gesture for good customers.

2) Buy the seatbelt receptacles from Sunset and save piles of money... buy one for each side and no, they're not the same (wiring is a bit different) so don't put a passenger's side one on the driver's side or you'll still have that blasted lamp on the dash (don't ask me how I found this out).

3. Disconnect your battery's negative terminal after you've located your radio code.

4. Remove the four bolt holding down each seat, and unplug the nifty locking wiring harness and remove the seats from the car. Then remove the receptacle plug from the wiring harness and then unbolt the old receptacle from the side of the seat.

5. Bolt on replacements for both seats, fish the wire back under the seat cushion and insert it into the wiring harness and put that little blue pin back in there.

6. Plug in harness to car, bolt seats back in place, and re-attach battery and put in radio code.

7. Drive to dealership or friend with PST tool or spend $250 on the Durametric software and get the blasted airbag light off.

8a. Write letter to PCA in Atlanta and gripe ad nauseum as how Porsche has known about this problem for years and STILL puts crappy seat belt receptacles in their cars to this very day!

or...

8b. Have a beer and report back to us as to how easy this really was and how mechanically inclined you now feel since you have removed your seats, replaced something and put them back in 45 minutes or less.

Personally, I tell every other boxster owner I know who has an out of warranty car to buy one for each side and beat the car to the punch on this one. It WILL happen, even if the receptacles aren't used much (ie, passenger side). There's a tiny filament type of wire inside that is just poorly designed and fails.

07-17-2006, 12:08 PM	#6
RandallNeighbour Registered User Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 7,243	OK, everyone reading this thread needs to do the following: 1) Call your dealer and ask them when you can schedule an appointment for them to replace the faulty seatbelt receptacles AT NO CHARGE because you know there was a TSB on it and the previous owner (or you) must have forgotten to get it done. ... this probably won't work if your car is out of warranty, but it sure is worth a try! I've read that some dealers do it as good will gesture for good customers. 2) Buy the seatbelt receptacles from Sunset and save piles of money... buy one for each side and no, they're not the same (wiring is a bit different) so don't put a passenger's side one on the driver's side or you'll still have that blasted lamp on the dash (don't ask me how I found this out). 3. Disconnect your battery's negative terminal after you've located your radio code. 4. Remove the four bolt holding down each seat, and unplug the nifty locking wiring harness and remove the seats from the car. Then remove the receptacle plug from the wiring harness and then unbolt the old receptacle from the side of the seat. 5. Bolt on replacements for both seats, fish the wire back under the seat cushion and insert it into the wiring harness and put that little blue pin back in there. 6. Plug in harness to car, bolt seats back in place, and re-attach battery and put in radio code. 7. Drive to dealership or friend with PST tool or spend $250 on the Durametric software and get the blasted airbag light off. 8a. Write letter to PCA in Atlanta and gripe ad nauseum as how Porsche has known about this problem for years and STILL puts crappy seat belt receptacles in their cars to this very day! or... 8b. Have a beer and report back to us as to how easy this really was and how mechanically inclined you now feel since you have removed your seats, replaced something and put them back in 45 minutes or less. Personally, I tell every other boxster owner I know who has an out of warranty car to buy one for each side and beat the car to the punch on this one. It WILL happen, even if the receptacles aren't used much (ie, passenger side). There's a tiny filament type of wire inside that is just poorly designed and fails.