Help! Airbag light constantly lit - where to buy receptacle

[akpud]

Gotta use a Laptop or they sell a very long cable.....................
AK

[denverpete]

Great - Went to lunch today and now my airbag light is on. I'm getting a bit tired of this crap.....

[RandallNeighbour]

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.

[denverpete]

Thanks Randall. Boy, I can't wait to spend some money and time on this. I have nothing else to do. WAHOO!

Seriously, any idea of the cost of those suckers?

[RandallNeighbour]

Don't quote me on this, but I think they're something like $27 or even less.

Don't whine about parts costs on this one... I've got to buy suspension parts this week for my car's front end... it's squeaking like mad. Last time it did this it was a control arm. Ugh.

[denverpete]

Originally Posted by RandallNeighbour

Don't quote me on this, but I think they're something like $27 or even less.

Thanks for the info.

Don't whine about parts costs on this one... I've got to buy suspension parts this week for my car's front end... it's squeaking like mad. Last time it did this it was a control arm. Ugh.

Please don't take it as whining. I'm trying to sell this stupid thing so I can buy a vehicle that won't keep me up at night worrying about having to spend another $13,000 for an engine. Once is enough. It's just hard to sell something when there's a warning light on.....

[RandallNeighbour]

Dude! I had no idea you were selling your boxster.

Have you already replaced the engine, or just fearful you'll have to do it?