Front Passenger Seat Occupant Sensor?

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twoqttsdad
Posts: 212
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:41 am
Location: Hawaii

My passenger seatbelt light stays on when I start driving even though there's nothing even on the passenger seat. Then the audible beeping warning comes on. Happens consistently when the car sits in the sun and goes away after a minute. I noticed before it didn't take much weight on the passenger front seat (maybe a couple pounds) to do this but now it does it when there's nothing on it.

Has anyone experienced the same?

Thanks!
2012 SLS
Azure Grey
FWD CVT
BxKizashiS
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Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2011 5:25 pm
Location: New York
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/2X-Universal-Fi ... 9a&vxp=mtr


This is what you need. I brought myself a pair. I hate that beeping noise, it gets me tight! lol
2012 Suzuki Kizashi S AWD
H&R Springs, RRM Intake, Magnaflow Custom Exhaust, NRG Bucket Seats, Takata Drift II Harness, Cypher Auto Harness Bar, 25 shot NOS(for now)
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murcod
Posts: 2279
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:03 pm
Location: Australia

Just a thought, that seat "occupancy" sensor is possibly tied into the airbag system.

The following could occur:
1. Weight on seat false indication would indicate a person is present to the SRS system
2. The above seat belt plug in device is also indicating to the SRS airbag system that the person also has a belt on.
3. Say you have an accident- the seat belt pretensioner for the above seat could activate. The airbags surrounding the unoccupied seat might also deploy- if the system is working correctly they probably wouldn't (that's why those sensors are built in AFAIK)
4. A possibly repairable accident turns into a written off vehicle due to the not required airbags/ pretensioners deploying.

I've seen some Kizashi's that have been in accidents and it doesn't seem to take much to trigger the airbags. From what I've read multiple airbags going off is often expensive enough to have the vehicle written off- due to the interior damage and often the windscreen glass cracks.
David
twoqttsdad
Posts: 212
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:41 am
Location: Hawaii

My wife works at the dealer and she had the service guy check it out.

It seems that the heat from the sun causes the leather to shrink enough to cause the sensor to trigger. Interesting enough I just got a service advisory on Grand Vitaras and SX4s up till 2011 models. They have the same problem.
2012 SLS
Azure Grey
FWD CVT
murcod
Posts: 2279
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:03 pm
Location: Australia

twoqttsdad wrote:
It seems that the heat from the sun causes the leather to shrink enough to cause the sensor to trigger.
Wow, that will be an interesting one to fix. Something for Australian owners to take note of too.

Does your seat that's affected get used much? I would have expected the leather to stretch a bit with the regular weight of a person on it- but perhaps that seat hasn't had much use?
David
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KuroNekko
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Location: California, USA

2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
murcod
Posts: 2279
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:03 pm
Location: Australia

Good pick up. This link (with in the article) has more details: http://www.autoblog.com/2013/06/19/205k ... sor-issue/

Are the Grand Vitara sold in USA/ Canada imported from Japan or made/ assembled locally? I know the previous shape was made in Canada, whereas in Australia we get them straight from Japan. They're a common vehicle here and I haven't seen any similar problems published (but I'm not saying it doesn't exist here....)
David
murcod
Posts: 2279
Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 12:03 pm
Location: Australia

Just found this article: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-bu ... 2tth4.html

(I'm still wondering if it might be a journo googling and posting USA only related problems?)
David
twoqttsdad
Posts: 212
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:41 am
Location: Hawaii

Does your seat that's affected get used much? I would have expected the leather to stretch a bit with the regular weight of a person on it- but perhaps that seat hasn't had much use?
Actually I can push down with my finger on the seat and cause the sensor to trip so I think it's just adjusted wrong or something.
The beeping came on again this morning when the car was still cool so I don't think it is the leather shrinking as the service advisor thought. I'll try and bounce around on the passenger seat a few times after the interior heats up this afternoon before I take the car out for a drive and see what happens.
2012 SLS
Azure Grey
FWD CVT
twoqttsdad
Posts: 212
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 12:41 am
Location: Hawaii

Took it out for a ride after trying to stretch out the leather of the passenger seat by sitting on it. Still beeping.
Took it in to the dealer and they've ordered a new bottom half of the seat.
2012 SLS
Azure Grey
FWD CVT
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