Airbag Sensor - Turn it off?

[jimbo55]

My wife is a small person and weighs less than 90 pounds. Her weight will not arm the front passenger airbag system. The system sensor does not arm the airbag if an infant seat is placed on the front passenger seat.
Is there a way to adjust the sensor or turn the sensor off to arm the airbag so she is protected by the airbag? The dealership has told me that there is not an adjustment to the system. I suspect that they are concerned with liability issues if they turn the sensor off themselves. However, I would think there should be some way to install a switch so the weight sensor could be turned off and on when needed.
Any one have knowledge about these sensors?

[Dmorgan6375]

Yes, to some part any way, I worked at a GM Dealership in the parts Dept. for 5 years and I am ASE Cert in Auto/Truck Parts. In MOHO, you might be able to locate the sensor to see if it is just a contact type of switch, manually make it contact, if it is done with mercury, i'm at a loss as to what might be done. Now this is what I did to by-pass the switches on seats in the pass, was just disconnect them. Good Luck.

[jimbo55]

Thanks for the reply Doug. I am looking to keep my bride safe when we go in the car. She does not want to always ride in the back seat like Miss Daisy. Think I try going to dealer parts dept. and ask to see a pic of the weight sensor and its location. I do worry about messing with the elect. wires as I don't want to accidently activate any airbags as I may have to temp remove the seat mounting bolts in order to get to the sensor.
Does anyone have some further advise?

[Dmorgan6375]

Good choice, the one area where a dealership won't charge you for answers, ha ha ha! Have them print it out as well! Now if you can't wait till your local dealer is open, stop by one of the parts stores like autozone, advance auto, napa, any of them have a parts locator on their puters and should be able to do the same thing as the dealer and its free. One other thin you might try is just the oppisite instead of unhooking it make it locked all the time. Good luck.

[Larry & Rita]

The sensor activates the inflator for the air bag.
Disconnect it or otherwise disarm it will cause the inflator to not work, no air bag deployment.
I doubt you want to trade no noise for a dead or maimed wife.

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by Larry & Rita

The sensor activates the inflator for the air bag.
Disconnect it or otherwise disarm it will cause the inflator to not work, no air bag deployment.
I doubt you want to trade no noise for a dead or maimed wife.

Larry , OP , has a very small wife who doesn't weigh enough to arm the pass side air bag when she sits in the seat, he is looking for a way to arm the system. Trying to trick the system to think she is over, the activate weight limit , so the bag will go off.

[Skip426]

Jim, Chrysler pass seat sensors for the smart air bag systems were a pressure switch like a horn button, required a certain pressure ( weight )to make contact. With the seat out , Ignition off for 2 mins. minimum. to discharge the air bag system , or disconnect the battery , prior to removal of seat. When you find the sensor wiring , check it with an ohm meter, If the reading goes from open to closed ( zero Ohms )with weight applied, then installing a switched jumper should be ok. HOWEVER if you get a varying ohm reading depending on the weight applied to the seat , the truck has a graduated deployment air bag. ( Internal air bag pressure adjusted for passenger weight ) And a straight jumper to full pressure deployment could make the air bag a danger for a small person, like getting hit with a medicine ball instead of a beach ball.
Now something else to consider given your wife's stature , the main purpose of the bag is to stop upper body contact with the dash. If you wife sits in the seat with her shoulder belt on, and leans forward to the limit of the belt ; and remember the belt will lock up sooner in the event of a crash; If her head and shoulders don't come within a foot of the dash with the belt at full extension, she will not reach the deployed air bag.
I know it seems a little cavalier , but the air bag wouldn't help prevent any injuries, in her or any person of her stature's case. You have to contact the bag within 1/30 of a second of deployment for it to do any good.
I'll add this too, if her body is extended forward to the point where the bag only contacts her forehead and not full face & chest , then neck injuries or worse are a possibility.

[VanDiemen23]

The purpose of a smart airbag system is to keep people of small stature from being KILLED by the airbag. If her weight doesn't arm it you don't want it to arm!

[Eddie Foy]

Have her put on 30 lbs!

[BFlinn181]

Good luck getting the answer at the dealership. When I've asked about air bag issues, they are amazingly ignorant. My dash light was on and I traced it to a broken wire under the seat. I asked if the dash airbags would still deploy with that wire broken.(it was a wire to the side airbag in the seat back) -- No one knew. Another time the dash light came on, I was told I'd need a new steering wheel coil to connect to the airbag because mine was bad. Turned out it was a low battery charge. Saved myself $600 that time.

In the mean time, you might give her a sand bag or two to sit on.

[dieselclacker]

Ya know, there is a reason for the air bag being inoperable in a collision when the seat is occupied by a small person.