Boxster Spyder airbag chime killing me! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Dave Montgomery · 09-20-2014, 09:21 PM

Hi all, here's one for you. I just bought a quite gorgeous 2011 Boxster Spyder in SanFran and drove it home to Seattle. Sounds great right, up the coast, surf and sun... Well the damn airbag/seatbelt chime kept 'chiming' away the whole drive! I had checked the car out a week before and no problems, normal chime then stopped. On the trip it would chime every few minutes, randomly starting and stopping. My wife and I were both convinced that if we placed our butts just right on the seat it would stop. Then the next corner would come and it's back. If you'd driven past us you would've thought we had some kind of neurological disorder causing spastic muscle contractions! I was convinced it was her seat until somewhere around Portland I thought if I put the car on cruise and sunk my buns deep into the base of the seat while lifting both legs so my feet were danglng, then it seemed better. When was the last time you tried to keep your feet in the air while driving? I will probably need a chiropractor now as this "feat" caused immense cramping and back pain. After all this contortionism and about 100 miles the chime returned. In the end the only workable solution was to crank up my Jambox I'd brought so you couldn't hear the chime as much. This also stopped the bickering about who's butt needed adjustment. WTF is causing this?? HELP!!!

Deserion · 09-20-2014, 09:45 PM

Does the light for the passenger airbag (in the console by the shifter) come on when the chime does? It could be a defective weight sensor in the seat, or a defective microswitch in the passenger buckle latch. That's my guess, anyway. A scan with a Durametric or PIWIS/PST2 should determine the root cause, if it's throwing an error code.

Dave Montgomery · 09-20-2014, 10:13 PM

Deserion, good question. Yes the light does come on at initial startup... Usually, I think. It does not light up after that though. But on one of the instruments the airbag symbol does come on until it seems as though I move my rear. Even that is not consistent. I will gather some more info tomorrow and report back. I've also got a friend who has those testing devices.

Thanks

Chuck W. · 09-21-2014, 06:43 AM

Great looking car, congratulations. Sounds like what should have been a great drive home ended up being a PITA.

I would contact the seller and let him know what you went through. I have no doubt he/she was aware of the issue. Get it fixed at a Porsche dealer and ask the seller to cover the cost. It can't hurt to ask. Good luck and keep us posted.

Dave Montgomery · 09-21-2014, 08:55 PM

Yes Chuck, it was a PITA given that I could not get comfortable trying to get the chime to stop. I'll go to the dealer... tho I hate doing that. Usually fix everything myself but this is beyond me!

Porsche9 · 09-22-2014, 08:42 AM

Nice Spyder. Perfect color.

Good luck with getting the chime fixed. Bit of a fun sucker on what appears to have been a epic drive.

Dave Montgomery · 10-08-2014, 08:51 PM

Thanks you guys for your thoughts. Well the dealer says it is in the seatbelt buckle... and I think they are right as when I do pull and hold in one direction it seems?? to stop. Time will tell but thanks. I've owned about 7 911's in the past. I will never return as these Boxsters are truly wonderful cars. :-))

Perfectlap · 10-09-2014, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Montgomery

Thanks you guys for your thoughts. Well the dealer says it is in the seatbelt buckle... and I think they are right as when I do pull and hold in one direction it seems?? to stop. Time will tell but thanks. I've owned about 7 911's in the past. I will never return as these Boxsters are truly wonderful cars. :-))

Do you mind sharing the asking price? No need to tell us what you actually paid. This car is probably in my top three should I have to replace my current Boxster.

I think this is the best Porsche you can buy under $100K. It's the lightest, has the improved engine regime, best handling, no electronic steering, very rare seats which most 911's do not have, maybe the last manual in a "R" Spyder without the SUV interior of the 981.

And it was quicker than the Cayman R at the hand of an ALMS professional racing driver (so no sandbagging):

ALMS professional driver: Boxster Spyder vs. Cayman R

http://www.excellence-mag.com/issues/196/articles/open-and-shut-case-track-test#.VDbEdPldV8E

Porsche9 · 10-09-2014, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Montgomery

Thanks you guys for your thoughts. Well the dealer says it is in the seatbelt buckle... and I think they are right as when I do pull and hold in one direction it seems?? to stop. Time will tell but thanks. I've owned about 7 911's in the past. I will never return as these Boxsters are truly wonderful cars. :-))

I feel much the the same. While I love the old air-cooled cars they just can't be compared. I have to imagine that's doubly true with the Spyder.

Dave Montgomery · 10-09-2014, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Do you mind sharing the asking price? No need to tell us what you actually paid. This car is probably in my top three should I have to replace my current Boxster.

I think this is the best Porsche you can buy under $100K. It's the lightest, has the improved engine regime, best handling, no electronic steering, very rare seats which most 911's do not have, maybe the last manual in a "R" Spyder without the SUV interior of the 981.

And it was quicker than the Cayman R at the hand of an ALMS professional racing driver (so no sandbagging):

ALMS professional driver: Boxster Spyder vs. Cayman R

Excellence :: Open and Shut Case: Track Test : Cayman R vs. Boxster Spyder

The selling price was $52,500. This was the best deal I could find with what I wanted. I'd been looking for about a year. They look good in any color but... mmmmm Guards Red, always a favorite. Many of the ones for sale seemed to have the PDK tranny, which is reported to be great, but just not the same. Mine also had 19,500 miles on it but was never tracked and is in very good condition. Better its not absolutely perfect or it would never come out of the garage. If you have not driven one, you'd better. But I warn you to bring your checkbook because you will want it!! All the amazing articles are true. Let me/all of us know what you do find!

Dave M.

Dave Montgomery · 10-09-2014, 02:45 PM

Like I told Perfect Lap, find one to drive and you will be done shopping!

Tucker2 · 10-10-2014, 06:42 PM

Great car. Congrats. Hope the seatbelt fix works.

Dave Montgomery · 10-23-2014, 04:22 PM

For those of you who showed empathy for my trip from San Fran to Seattle with a never ending seatbelt chime going off.... it is fixed! Porsche dealer determined it to be the buckle and even though I was a bit out of warranty, they fixed for $35. Wow, that was a pleasant surprise.

flaps10 · 10-23-2014, 04:34 PM

Damn. I was going to offer to take it for a few weeks and see if I could fix it.

Stunning car.