Passenger sensing systems

[Airforcemomma]

Just wondering if anyone knows how exactly the passenger sensing system works for a right front passenger to enable or disable the airbags?

My vehicle is equipped with this system and is supposed to turn the passenger front and side airbags off if the system senses that a rear facing, forward facing child seat or a small child in a booster seat is in the seat.

How does the system know what exactly is there. Is it based on a set weight? If it's weight, at what weight will the system remain on?

[TechnoGranola]

NEVER put a rear-facing seat in a seat with an air bag, even if it has the advanced air bags (which have a passenger sensor). The only time an infant seat can go in the front seat is if there is actually an OFF switch for the air bag, or if there is NO air bag at all (and that's assuming it can't be put in the rear seat for some reason).

Okay, now that that's out of the way.....;) The sensing system usually turns OFF the air bag for anything around 60-80 pounds, depending on the vehicle. From my last vehicle, I know that a weight range is NOT a reliable way of telling when the air bag will be on or off. I had serious issues with my last vehicle in that the air bag light would constantly flicker as we drove when I sat in the passenger seat, it would turn on, then off, on, then off, on, then off. I never knew if I had an air bag to protect me or not. And I weigh over 100 pounds. My DD, who weighed 70 pounds, sat in the front seat for a test, and with her in the seat, the air bag light does NOT flicker. I had my entire seat bottom/sensors replace and recalibrated as they couldn't figure out what was going on. In the end, it comes down to how the force of your body is being applied to the sensor, do different shaped people with weight in different places (even if they weigh the same), will make the sensor a different weight is being applied. Apparently this is a known issue with advanced air bag sensors. I am not sure if this issue has been addressed over the past few years, but in the very least I suspect that manufacturers have made their computers smarter to deal with the situation. In our brand new vehicle, I don't have the issue of the flickering air bag.

When we initially bought our last vehicle, one of the selling features for me was the advanced air bag system and how I could transport DD in the front if necessary. After the issues I had with it for me, I don't trust them as much as I used to. I now wouldn't transport a child in the front unless it was an emergency, and if I had to, I'd put the seat as far back from the air bag as it would go. And if there was any flickering of the light (meaning I wasn't 100% sure it was OFF), I'd pull over and find some other alternative to get to my destination.

[Defrost]

This confused me, too.

Okay, the passenger airbag is always OFF until it senses more than a certain weight, regardless of the status of the "airbag off" light.

So, nothing in the seat means no light, no airbag.

A carseat in the seat means light, no airbag.

An adult in the seat means no light, airbag on.

[Airforcemomma]

I know better than to put a rear facing child seat in the front passenger seat. I was however very suprised to read in my manual that if you place a rear facing child seat in the right front passenger seat that the system would shut the airbags off.

It then says that children are safer in rear seating positions. So, it's saying on one hand it's ok to put a rear facing child seat in the right front passenger seat and if you do the air bags SHOULD turn off , but no system is fail proof.

I would have expected my manual to explicitly say to NEVER put a rear facing child seat in the right front passenger position.

I should go out and get the manual and type exactly what it said.

[Airforcemomma]

Yes, I understand that part. But at what weight is it knowing enough to shut the airbags off if a child seat is there.

Once the child seat is installed properly , the weight of the child and the seat plus the compression of the child seat into the vehicle seat would more then likely turn the airbags on. Would it not?

[TechnoGranola]

This confused me, too.

Okay, the passenger airbag is always OFF until it senses more than a certain weight, regardless of the status of the "airbag off" light.

So, nothing in the seat means no light, no airbag.

A carseat in the seat means light, no airbag.

An adult in the seat means no light, airbag on.Yup. :) Except when the adult is me, sitting in a Ford passenger seat, then the light is on/off, on/off, on/off and mostly ON, meaning NO air bag! ARGH!

But, to confuse things even more, I was in one vehicle where the light came ON to notify you that the air bag was ON. It might have a separate (or different coloured light) for air bag off, I can't remember now. I just remember getting in, and thinking they should really make a standard for these things!

[TechnoGranola]

Yes, I understand that part. But at what weight is it knowing enough to shut the airbags off if a child seat is there.

Once the child seat is installed properly , the weight of the child and the seat plus the compression of the child seat into the vehicle seat would more then likely turn the airbags on. Would it not?I said it's somewhere between 60-80 pounds depending on the vehicle. But, because of the way it does it's detection, that number is not set in stone. It can have the air bag OFF for an adult weighing around 100 lbs (ME) or have it on for a child weighing 75 lbs (DD). So, yes, depending on the restraint/child, and the weight of the two, and how they sit on the seat, it could turn the air bag on.

[TechnoGranola]

I would have expected my manual to explicitly say to NEVER put a rear facing child seat in the right front passenger position.

I should go out and get the manual and type exactly what it said.My manual does say that. It goes something like "even with advanced air bags, never put a RF restraint in the front seat". I am surprised that yours doesn't. Check the warning label in your vehicle (might be on the back of the passenger visor) to see what it says.

[Defrost]

Yes, I understand that part. But at what weight is it knowing enough to shut the airbags off if a child seat is there.

Once the child seat is installed properly , the weight of the child and the seat plus the compression of the child seat into the vehicle seat would more then likely turn the airbags on. Would it not?

In my vehicle (Mazda 5) my 100lb 13yo doesn't turn the airbag on, so unless I'm installing a Regent with an older/heavier child, no. I don't think compressing the vehicle seat is enough to affect it. I'm not sure whether it states what weight is required to turn the airbag on.

[Airforcemomma]

Yes, that warning label is located on the passenger side visor.

[Airforcemomma]

My manual didn't get into weights , just said that it will sense FF,RF and booster with child. That's why I was curious about the weight thing.

[TechnoGranola]

In my vehicle (Mazda 5) my 100lb 13yo doesn't turn the airbag on, so unless I'm installing a Regent with an older/heavier child, no. I don't think compressing the vehicle seat is enough to affect it. I'm not sure whether it states what weight is required to turn the airbag on.Ford refuses to tell you the weight, so my guess is that Mazda may be the same. The reason being, weight isn't really the telling factor. My experience proves it's your body shape and how you sit and how those things affect where pressure is put on the sensor. So, the sensor might need 60 lbs (for example) to turn off, but it might take a heavier person to put that much pressure on a sensor because they've got weight distributed elsewhere in the vehicle (legs on floor, arm on armrest, etc.)

[southpawboston]

all new cars sold in the US have this system, it's require by law, but it's a stupid and unreliable system.

the way the system is supposed to work is that there are multiple sensors in the seat (usually around 5-6 sensors), situated in different places. they are *supposed* to be able to detect the difference between a child and adult (and a carseat versus human) based on differences in body shape (anthropometrics). in reality, it's horribly unreliable, and i would never trust it. :twocents:

[TechnoGranola]

all new cars sold in the US have this system, it's require by law, but it's a stupid and unreliable system.

the way the system is supposed to work is that there are multiple sensors in the seat (usually around 5-6 sensors), situated in different places. they are *supposed* to be able to detect the difference between a child and adult (and a carseat versus human) based on differences in body shape (anthropometrics). in reality, it's horribly unreliable, and i would never trust it. :twocents:I'd rather we had on/off switches, but of course they don't trust us to use those properly...

[Defrost]

Ford refuses to tell you the weight, so my guess is that Mazda may be the same. The reason being, weight isn't really the telling factor.

Yeah, I've already decided they're haunted. I deliver pizza in the 5, and it's annoying how often the light comes on, or goes off, based on what appears to be a completely random sequence of factors.

Usually I just carry the pizzas in the 2nd row behind me. Easier to get them out that way anyway. :D

[TechnoGranola]

Yeah, I've already decided they're haunted. I deliver pizza in the 5, and it's annoying how often the light comes on, or goes off, based on what appears to be a completely random sequence of factors.

Usually I just carry the pizzas in the 2nd row behind me. Easier to get them out that way anyway. :DMmmmmm........PIZZA.....did you say something after you mentioned pizza? :p

[Defrost]

Mmmmmm........PIZZA.....did you say something after you mentioned pizza? :p

No, of course not - I never do! Because no one ever hears me after I say that!

BTW, I'm more popular and better-loved than Santa Claus. I love my job!