AIRBAG - Child - Deactivate??

[DrCactus]

Hey folks, need your help on how to deactivate my passenger airbag. I needs and pictures if anyone can help me. In my area, in order to have a child in the front seat of a 2 seater car you must deactivate the passenger airbag.

Please if anyone can help me out with this that would be great.

Car: 2001 Boxster S

Thanks
Dr.Cactus

[BIGJake111]

I know I saw it in the manual. If someone can not chime in from memory soon, i can go check. Check YouTube and such for 996 or 986 airbag deactivation and you are likely to find it.

[BrokenLinkage]

You will meed a device - either the Porsche child seat bar with buckle, or the aftermarket UK produced switch. Both will plug into the connector under the passenger seat and tell the computer to disable the airbag when there is a child seat buckle attached or the switch is flipped, respectively. Then the car's computer must then be programmed to recognize that such a deactivation device is present. (It will then let you know if the device should become disconnected).
I seldom say this, but search is your friend, there is plenty of info out there.

[DrCactus]

Thanks for the info - however, I have tried to search and have not had much luck. Do you know where I can buy those two items? I hear they are pretty expensive - looking for inexpensive way as I only need it for maybe two times a year useage.

[thom4782]

If you haven't already, try the large Porsche auto-dismantlers for the deactivation bar. They may also have the buckle you'll need. BTW: You'll need to have the car programmed so it recognizes the fact you've deactivated the air bag.

[DrCactus]

What does this 'bar' do and what does the special seatbelt do? Is the reason why I can't get the code to turn the airbag off cause it needs to turn back on for Adult passengers?

Geezer, why is nothing simple on these cars!! haha

[crod]

Originally Posted by DrCactus

Thanks for the info - however, I have tried to search and have not had much luck. Do you know where I can buy those two items? I hear they are pretty expensive - looking for inexpensive way as I only need it for maybe two times a year useage.

You need a little device from Ebay (just search for airbag child seat boxster 986). That will plug into the plug under the car seat and will have a switch on it so you can turn the airbag on and off when needed.

The dealer (Mark Motors) can program the car to recognize that switch. If you need it done in Ottawa let me know and I can get you someone at Mark Motors to do it.

CR

[crod]

Originally Posted by DrCactus

What does this 'bar' do and what does the special seatbelt do? Is the reason why I can't get the code to turn the airbag off cause it needs to turn back on for Adult passengers?

Geezer, why is nothing simple on these cars!! haha

The proper name on eBay is Porsche Airbag de-activator. One example here:

Porsche Airbag de-activator (alternative to OEM Bar and Child Seat) Boxster 911

CR

[silver-S]

Check your local Porsche dealer before you buy anything. They have to turn on the airbag deactivation feature.

[alpinesystem]

Bought the airbag de-activator on Ebay. Had the local Porsche Dealer reprogram the computer when the device was attached. It works great. I can now activate and de-activate the passenger airbag with a flip of a switch.

[thom4782]

The Porsche deactivation bar has a cable that plugs into a socket under the passenger seat. At the other end of the wiring, it also has a seat-belt like receptacle that accepts a seat belt buckle from the child seat. When the buckle is pushed into in the receptacle, it's like throwing the switch on the aftermarket alternative.

The challenge on faces is getting someone - a dealer or an independent - to program the car so it recognizes the 'presence' of a child seat even if its just the buckle that present. Whether someone is willing to do the programming comes down to a question of their perception of liability. If they think turning the air bag deactivation feature on using a non-Porsche alternative will expose them to a lawsuit, they won't program the car.

[DrCactus]

My son uses just a booster seat which has no buckles or anything. It seems I would only need a switch like device in order for him to be in the car.

[DrCactus]

Hey guys, I spoke with the Service Manager at Marks Motors as well as the Sales Manager and this is the reply I got from them.

"Not by us, we’re not allowed to disable them and there is no key or anything like that to switch it off. Porsche used to offer a kit in the USA that had to be used in conjunction with their child seat but this system has been discontinued according to the Parts department."

Does this mean my son will not be able to take a ride in the car ever?

[BrokenLinkage]

There are tons of used bars around, most of which are in excellent condition due to the location and function. Ask an indie mechanic who does motorsports work - they probably have several take-offs lying around & would do the programming at the same time, for cheap.
Then you will need a Porsche male buckle tongue, or aftermarket substitute, to signal the car to turn off the airbag, if you are using a non-Porsche child seat (they are built into the Porsche child seats).
But if you read up more, you may come to the conclusion that your child, once facing forward, is safer with the airbag ON.
But yeah, don't expect the dealer to be enthused about incurring liability by installing used parts that he cannot obtain or sell to you, to placate the owner of an older Porsche, whom he will have already classified as being unlikely to purchase a profitable new car, no matter how great the service.

[DrCactus]

Yeah dealer will not even tough the subject or do the work. They even told me that they are not allowed to even sell me the parts up here. So I am not sure what to do as there are days that i must drive my 5 year old around in it... any ideas? Even if I get stopped by the cops, how can they prove the passenger side air bag is turned off or not - perhaps the seat has a weight senor or something. However, safety of my child is my #1 priority lets make sure everyone knows!

[Fintro11]

I bought the eBay device. The dealership enabled the child seat occupancy at no charge but they wanted the oem bar to be used. I just said I had found a used one in Germany.


Buying a used bar will probably be the easy way. If the local dealer does not want to do it call Porsche cars North America I am sure they would love to hear the dealers reasonings.

[Fintro11]

The dealer here was and is still able to source the parts

[lkchris]

Originally Posted by silver-S

Check your local Porsche dealer before you buy anything. They have to turn on the airbag deactivation feature.

Can this be DIY performed with Durametric?

[silver-S]

I assume the Durametric will go deep enough into the ECU to do it, but that's just supposition,

Here are the instructions: Tehnical Bulletin Porsche Child Restraint System - Installation

[Fintro11]

No durametric will not work. you need the porsche factory device or the knock off device to program it