[Roma]

I've working my way through the driver's manual for the XF and one minor item has confused me. There is supposed to be a sensor to detect that there is someone sitting in the passenger seat. If there is then the passenger airbag is active and everything is normal. If there isn't then there is supposed to be an illuminated indicator advising me than thr passenger side airbag has been turned off. This does not illuminate when there is nobody in the passenger seat. Is this a system setting?

 

[jp4712]

Re: Passenger seat sensor - does this work?

If it works the same way as my X-type did (and I bet it does), it works like this:

Adult passenger in the seat - airbag active, no light on
Nothing in the seat - airbag inactive, no light on
Something in the seat that the system perceives isn't heavy enough to be an adult passenger - airbag inactive, light on

If you put, say a laptop bag on the seat, that's not enough to trigger the system: but put something heavier on the seat (eg, in my case to test it, eight-year old son) then the light will show.

It's a safety thing: it's really designed to prevent the airbag going off if there is a child or backwards-facing baby seat present, as in those circumstances the sirbag is likely to be more life-threatening than the accident itself.

Hope that helps

Paul

 

[Roma]

Re: Passenger seat sensor - does this work?

^ Thanks for that explanation, Paul. I must have misunderstood the manual! For some reason I was expecting the car to tell me if the passenger-side airbag was disabled even if there was nothing on the passenger seat.

 

[Roma]

Re: Passenger seat sensor - does this work?

I think i've sussed this passenger airbag deactivation thing. I started the car earlier today with no passenger and I was looking into the rear-view mirror as I did so. A sign near the cortesy lights illuminated breifly to tell me that the passenger airbag was deactivated. I then switched off the car and got my wife to sit in the passenger seat. I started the car and the same light did not illuminate so it's working fine.

 

[bird]

Re: Passenger seat sensor - does this work?

The light illuminates in my car regardless if anyone is in pass seat or not?

 

[pekem]

Re: Passenger seat sensor - does this work?

bird It would appear from the foregoing comments of Roma and others that your car is displaying a fault. In view of the fact that it is safety related you should consult a Dealer Technician as soon as possible

 

[simonpj145]

Still not quite sure how this is supposed to work and couldn't see anything in the manual.

For me, whether the seat is empty, has a child in it or has an adult in it, the light illuminates briefly and then goes out. Is this right??

 

[pekem]

Still not quite sure how this is supposed to work and couldn't see anything in the manual.

For me, whether the seat is empty, has a child in it or has an adult in it, the light illuminates briefly and then goes out. Is this right??

Only if it says the the Airbag is Off when you have a passenger I suspect.

 

[Flakmunky]

Airbag Warning Light in Overhead Light Cluster

Hi,

As per the title, I've noticed what seems to be an airbag disarmed light in the overhead light cluster. Is it possible to disarm the passenger airbag? If not, what is this warning light for? I haven't been able to find reference to it in the maual.

TIA,

fM

 

[smorgo]

I understand from my dealer that there's a sensor in the passenger seat that can differentiate between a baby in a seat and a child/adult. It disables the airbag automatically and the light will come on.

 

[OLJ1M]

When you start the car, the light illuminates briefly to advise you that the passenger airbag is disabled, if no-one (or just a light object (e.g. child) is sat there - obviously if it comes on when an adult is sat there, you have a fault

I don't think there is an option to manually disable the passenger airbag, as there is in other cars.