Passenger airbag question

[longislander1]

When my wife (around 95-98lbs) sits in the passenger seat of my '08 2.5i Limited, the passenger airbag light keeps shifting between "on" and "off." Is there a certain weight limit for activating the airbag? Can I ask the dealer to just put the airbag function on all the time? It's rare that I'd be transporting kids in the front seat anyway. Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

[Bdubs]

The seat will break in after a while.

Same thing was happening when I purchased my car. After about a year, I've noticed it doesn't do it at all anymore.

[gianspi]

That is quite odd--a sensor shouldn't need to break in. When I put a gallon of milk on my passenger seat the airbag is ON. Your seat's sensor may be defective. Either way, I would get that checked out. I think that it may have a lifetime warranty like the seatbelts do.

[deeslk]

I would take it in, they probably need to adjust or replace the sensor, it should be on for half your wife weight. I think it is on around the 40lbs mark

[Opie]

On the '05's and early '06's the sensor activates with as little as 5 lbs on it. The middle of '06 and on use a different type of sensor that activates between 80-100lbs.

 

Sounds like it's working fine.

[Bimmer]

You can probably "adjust" the sensor so that the passenger airbag is always on...

 

Ben

[ehsnils]

Just tell your wife to buckle up. In that case the need for the airbag is decreasing.

 

OK - you may still want it to work - since it's there for a reason.

[Voytech]

The simplest solution would be to let her drive

[longislander1]

The simplest solution would be to let her drive

 

Then I might need more than the belt and the airbag.

 

She got her own Outback last August.

 

Thanks to all for the advice. I'm taking the car in on Friday.