Airbag light. Disconnect Battery? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

RandallNeighbour · 03-26-2006, 05:01 AM

OK, I've been over to Hans' place to have my airbag light turned off, and he said it was the passenger side seatbelt receptacle on the new seat I put in (well, it's a 2002, but nevertheless, it's a lot newer than the 97 I took out!).

Now it's back on because I didn't take the 15 minutes to replace it before the wife plopped in and put her seatbelt on. Now it's lit up again. At least I know what's setting it off... which makes the light far less scary when it's lit.

ANYWAY, here's my question.

Can anyone tell me from personal experience (not heresay) if disconnecting the battery for X minutes or hours will clear the airbag light?

Hans says only his PST tool can turn it off. I think I read that one can unhook the battery overnight, but I'd rather not do this due to the rough idling it causes when it loses the exhaust and intake settings.

Brucelee · 03-26-2006, 05:40 AM

From my experience, this will clear the light. However, if the offending source is not eliminated, it will come back on.

This happened to me in a 99 911 I had once.

Seat belt buckle issue.

Don't get me started ...........

Tool Pants · 03-26-2006, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Can anyone tell me from personal experience (not heresay) if disconnecting the battery for X minutes or hours will clear the airbag light?

Disconnecting the battery will not turn off the air bag light, but will turn off a check engine light. Check engine light is emissions related and the air bag light is not.

I have a PST2. Bring your Box by and I will turn it off.

RandallNeighbour · 03-27-2006, 05:39 AM

I'll jump right in the Boxster and make the 28 hour drive!

I guess I'll pay Hans $20 AGAIN to turn it off for me after I swap the seat belt receptacle.

I'm gonna try to disconnect the battery overnight though and see if it clears it. I guess it can't hurt anything.

RandallNeighbour · 03-28-2006, 09:50 AM

Thank goodness I have two spare seats in my garage with decent seatbelt receptacles on them. I swapped out the passenger side receptacle last night with the newer driver's side I had (they're interchangeable) and it took about a half hour. Unthreading the old one through the myriad of clips was most of the work.

Then I drove over to Hans, who plugged me into the PST and cleared the light. $20.

I think I will buy that $250 software for a laptop to make my own PST tool. I seem to need it once a month for CE lights or airbag lights. I also think it would be nice to have for all my new 986 and 996 buddies I am making off this list who live in the Houston area.

RandallNeighbour · 04-14-2006, 11:59 AM

Aw crap!

I swapped out the seat belt receptacle, paid Hans to turn off the stupid airbag light AGAIN and now it's on one more time!

I'm just about done with this airbag warning light issue. I'm going to yank off my instrument cluster this weekend and remove the lamp.

That'll teach the car not to mess with me.

ralegen · 04-14-2006, 10:48 PM

My airbag light just came on, but it was due to messing with the airbag in the door. I was trying to gain access for the window regulator replacement, and I disconnected the wire. I'm certain I plugged it back in correctly, but that when the light started to come on. I'm not done with the regulator replacement, but when I finish up, I'll check it again.

Randell, my problem is more than likely different from yours;however, does anyone know if I will need a PST to turn off the light now? By messing with the wires, does it somehow warn the computer that it was tampered with, and the light will stay on until checked by a tech with a PST? Please help.

MNBoxster · 04-15-2006, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ralegen

My airbag light just came on, but it was due to messing with the airbag in the door. I was trying to gain access for the window regulator replacement, and I disconnected the wire. I'm certain I plugged it back in correctly, but that when the light started to come on. I'm not done with the regulator replacement, but when I finish up, I'll check it again.

Randell, my problem is more than likely different from yours;however, does anyone know if I will need a PST to turn off the light now? By messing with the wires, does it somehow warn the computer that it was tampered with, and the light will stay on until checked by a tech with a PST? Please help.

Hi,

It can be dangerous to do any work involving electrical components without first disconnecting the battery. This is especially true for the AirBags as the system can deploy for up to a couple minutes after the battery is disconnected, and there are "Pyrotechnic" Charges in the Seatbelt Retractors from '01 onwards which can also go off. Not necessarily dangerous so much as very $$$ to correct afterward.

If you had disconnected the battery 1st, you'd not get the Airbag light. Too late for you I know, but edifying for others.

If you disconnect the battery now, you'll most likely cancel the warning light. It's worth the try anyway before spending $$ to have the PST2 do it for you. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

RandallNeighbour · 04-15-2006, 06:06 PM

ralegen, I'm gonna go disconnect my battery right now and try it, even though my mechanic says it requires a PST tool. I'm betting he's never tried the old "disconnect the battery" thing because he owns a PST tool!

Folks, I'm about "this close" to buying that software for a PC laptop that simulates a PST tool that's just been released. I'm fed up with these stupid idiot lights.

RandallNeighbour · 04-17-2006, 07:27 PM

Ralegen, I disconnected the battery overnight and that airbag light is still on. So I can definitely confirm that it's a PST tool fix or what I'm gonna do... remove the lamp!

It will never turn on again after I'm done with it.