Removed seat now Airbag Light is on - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

toddgreene · 11-21-2009, 06:33 AM

Like the title states...

I removed the driver's seat of 2003 for access to replace ignition switch.
Now the airbag light is on. I did plug the seat wiring harness before re-installing the seat.

What has caused the airbag light?
Is this something I can correct?

Thanks,

Todd

derb · 11-21-2009, 06:59 AM

The airbag light came on because the wiring harness to the seat was unplugged without disconnecting the battery. You'll need to take it to a shop with the PIWIS or PST2 computer or find someone with the Durametric software (durametric.com).

Regards,
mike

986FortyEight · 11-21-2009, 08:41 AM

I would think that unplugging the battery for 1 minute should clear the code.
Make sure you have your radio code handy before doing so.

JFP in PA · 11-21-2009, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 986FortyEight

I would think that unplugging the battery for 1 minute should clear the code.
Make sure you have your radio code handy before doing so.

Wrong. Air bag codes are retained in the computer until reset by either the PIWIS or Durametric software. Disconnecting the battery will do nothing...........

Lobo1186 · 11-21-2009, 12:16 PM

plus one on it being wrong... tried that in mine all i got was a reset radio and the airbag light still on

Frodo · 11-21-2009, 01:24 PM

Yeah, I had this happen to me too. Last winter I worked on my alternator, removing the passenger seat as Step 1. Got the alt out and took it into this old shop called, as I recall, Akron Automotive Electronics. (These guys had been around for a long time---as you walk in the place, there were alternators laying around everywhere, some of which I swear were as old as me---and I got a kid in college. I talked to this one guy who had worked there all his adult life---this guy was like 70!)

Anyway, they charged me $95 to rebuild the alternator.

Later, plagued by the persistent airbag light and taking the car into the dealership to get some other work done anyway, as I dropped the car off I casually asked them if they could reset the light. They did, and charged me $95. The same amount the other shop charged me to rebuild the alt!

schnellman · 11-21-2009, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frodo

Later, plagued by the persistent airbag light and taking the car into the dealership to get some other work done anyway, as I dropped the car off I casually asked them if they could reset the light. They did, and charged me $95. The same amount the other shop charged me to rebuild the alt!

The don't call 'em stealerships for nothin'.

Jaxonalden · 11-21-2009, 07:22 PM

Toddgreene,

Don't go to a shop and pay $100 to extinguish the light. Spend a couple more bucks and get the Durametric software and cable, if you have a laptop. You'll be able to see deep into your cars brain and monitor a wide range of parameters.

toddgreene · 11-22-2009, 04:18 AM

Thanks,

That's what I'm thinking also...

Thanks everyone for the help.

Todd

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaxonalden

Toddgreene,

Don't go to a shop and pay $100 to extinguish the light. Spend a couple more bucks and get the Durametric software and cable, if you have a laptop. You'll be able to see deep into your cars brain and monitor a wide range of parameters.

unclepauly · 11-27-2009, 01:10 PM

i took my boxster in for an annual service last week, and told them about my airbag light being on. they cleared it for free ! maybe i just got lucky...

Lobo1186 · 11-27-2009, 03:44 PM

they should always do it for free. i just got mine cleared. if you have the car On while u pull the seat out you will throw 3 codes, passenger driver seatbelts and the airbag. if you dont disconnect the battery you will throw the airbag only either way brought it in 5 mins later got the car back no code and all for free.

Kevfra · 03-31-2010, 11:54 AM

Follow-up question to this thread (since same thing happened to me)...

If the light is on for this reason - will the bags fail to function when needed? Does this shut down the system?

jonnycool · 04-04-2010, 09:16 AM

I took my driver seat out the other week, unplugged it with the keys OUT of the ignition, took the seat belt socket and lead off the seat and fitted it to the new seat, plugged it all back together, put new seat in and turned on the ignition, the airbag light flashed on for a second then went out.

I did not take the battery off at any point, i only took the keys out of the ignition and it all works fine.

RandallNeighbour · 04-04-2010, 04:50 PM

Kevfra, if I'm not mistaken, the airbags will continue to work. It's just a fault code registered in the computer that needs to be cleared.

I too learned this lesson a while back. Boy that brings back a lot of memories of my first year of boxster ownership.