# Air Bag detection for passenger seat is faulty



## 70x7 (Apr 24, 2011)

yep. mine does that as well.....


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## bartonmd (Jun 30, 2011)

Lots of things under warranty don't get an error code... They are feeding you a line...

If the sensor is messed up in the seat, it won't know that it's got the wrong weight, so it won't know to set an error code...

Mike


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## Quazar (Apr 28, 2011)

Mine too...


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## STUDLEE (Jul 6, 2011)

I'll check into this today.


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## STUDLEE (Jul 6, 2011)

Mine appears to be working ok... for now at least


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## HAPali (Jul 21, 2011)

*My Passenger Airbag is Faulty Too*

My Passenger Airbag is Faulty Too. As a matter of fact I have taken my car to the dealership for the third time and still they have not been able to fix the problem. The last time they even replaced the seat sensor and it too did not register when my wife sat in the seat. They gave me a loaner, 2011 Cruze, and it had the same problem. It seems that it has to do with a weight range because if a person over 175 lbs. sits in the seat the sensor registers their presense and the airbag light comes on. We have tested the issue on three different Cruze's at the dealership and all three did the same thing. It appears that Chevrolet has a problem and needs to fix it quick.
In all though I do love the car and being a standard transmission I get 28.5 MPG. Happy about that.

HAP in Seattle


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

I have this same problem - have for about a year. For a while we thought it was seating position as it only happens to those around 130lbs or less, but it seems to be entirely random.

Took it to the dealer yesterday for an oil change and to have them look at this. All the way out with a light passenger the stupid thing stayed on. The mechanic, a small guy, also had no problem getting it to trigger. And there were no error codes. On our way out though, it would not turn on and we immediately brought it back into the bay and had them send the mechanic out. 

In short, it is not a common issue and it is very weird and hard to diagnose... if you want the dealer to fix it they must physically see the problem, though they certainly do not need an error code to do a warranty repair. His diagnosis is that it is the sensor in the seat and a new one has been ordered. The mechanic stated that he has had to replace one sensor before, but it did not have the same issues, I would guess it didn't work at all. This is a busy dealership and there are no bulletins or tech notes out that they could find so it's definitely rare.

However, there is a pretty lengthy chain where stuff can go wrong, there is the seat sensor, there is a module under the seat, the wiring harness to the floor, then I think the BCM. We're pretty sure that it is not an issue beyond the seat itself because the seatbelt light does function properly and apparently it's all the same device. Further, the airbag light should illuminate immediately if the key is in the run position, car doesn't actually have to have been started...this is something I didn't know and rules out it being some sort of software glitch as it has nothing to do with being in gear, speed, or the order of seatbelt, put in gear, etc, unless of course the module under the seat has a calibration issue.

All of this said, my initial suspicion was that the seats are simply too firm to accurately transfer enough weight to the sensor for lighter passengers, I would suspect that either there is a batch of sensors that are not up to par or there are defective seats.


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## Quazar (Apr 28, 2011)

Ok so I mentioned I am getting a new job. One of things I will be involved in is testers for GM seats. 
(Including all the CTS)
This isn't a "faulty" issue. Its a "variance" issue, and its not due to "poor" design either.

The short of it is, you have different but sizes, they distribute weight differently. You also have foam, that depending on the temperature and newness will be firmer and distribute weight differently.

How they calibrate the seat is the drop a 90lb (depending on the calibration) butt weight on the seat from about 3 feet to loosen it up, then they set the butt weight on the seat and set the on/off point.

The assumption is that the passenger will be sitting completely upright in the car (like kids do) and will have an "average" size ass place perfectly centered in the seat.

Now, how you sit in the seat, the size of your ass, how close you are to the back/front of the seat, your body weight distribution all play into effect.

There is a +/- within the seat and the foam does play into account, however, take this senario.

2 women, both weight 120 lbs. One is 5"11, one is 5'6.

The women who is 5'11 will pobably not turn on the airbag, her weight is distributed differently, long legs means her upper body may weight less, putting the seat back farther will change her distribution across the foam.

The 5'6 will have a heavier torso, her weight distribution would more likey turn on the airbag.


Just one of the challenges that these seat sensors face. Once again its not a "design flaw", unless the flaw is that HUMANS are not all made the same.


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

You cannot say it is not a flaw - you should be designing around the known fact that all passengers are not the same. In fact, quite a good deal of effort should be placed on this exact issue which is separating children from adults that are relatively close in weight. A 90lbs cutoff is fine, but at 92, I'd expect it to be on fairly often. And I would certainly expect it to be on 100% of the time when the passenger is 50% over that 90lbs cutoff.

The calibration routine you mention is interesting, is that done on the assembly line for each seat, or is it just a preset thing where it is assumed every seat and sensor will be within spec which they may or may not actually be?

Finally, I have had two other cars with the stupid passenger airbag sensors and neither ever have any issues. Airbags are always on with an adult in the seat. The two are a 08 Saturn Aura and an 08 Accord, clearly something is amiss with the Cruze in this regard.


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## Quazar (Apr 28, 2011)

indigo said:


> You cannot say it is not a flaw - you should be designing around the known fact that all passengers are not the same. In fact, quite a good deal of effort should be placed on this exact issue which is separating children from adults that are relatively close in weight. A 90lbs cutoff is fine, but at 92, I'd expect it to be on fairly often. And I would certainly expect it to be on 100% of the time when the passenger is 50% over that 90lbs cutoff.


Its done on EVERY seat. 

Actually, its an issue in in a lot of vehicles and one of the challenges that is faced with seat sensors and there is no easy solution.

You mention designing aroung known facts. Ok...

The easiest solution would be for the passenger seat to be an actual cradle that a person sat in. That way you would capture the actual total weight of the person and could calibrate it to that. In essense, the entire passenger seating area would be a massive scale. 

You could also have everyone sit on a flat hard surface, and not allow any back rest adjustment, this would also minimize the variance.

Now to differentiate between Adults and Children, we could use lasers to determin height. so a person under 5'4 would not have a PAB and a person above 5'4 would.

It not designing to KNOWN facts, its designing to CUSTOMER WISHES. People WANT comfortable car seats with as many options as possible, they want to recline, have lumbar, have forward and backward adjustement, have heat/no heat, leather/no leather. 

The KNOWN variables cannot be perfectly engineered to, unless you make people sit in a seat that may not be the most comfortable, but is perfectly designed for known variables and costs about $2000 a piece.

I used 90lbs as that the know amount in some seats, however, the actual ASS weight in the seat is much different. I would have to look up the spec's but its like 60% of the 90lbs, so 92 lbs is only 1.2lbs variance and that 1.2lbs can be +/- 5lbs depending on how the person sits and is shaped.

The FLAW is people, not engineering. People are different and WANT regardless of engineering. 

I am sure some people want instant teleportation, doesn't mean its possible.


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

Ah, the calibration is done on EVERY seat -- I will put money on that being the problem. I've got a car that came out within the first weeks of production and will gladly blame it on assembly. 

The question is, does this procedure get redone when the sensor is replaced... one would assume? I will have to talk to the dealer. Also, I would not be surprised if the current sensor is located more toward the front of the cushion, I'm guessing it's kind of sandwiched in and can be moved around, therefore it could be easily placed incorrectly and therefore repositioned.

Also, the easiest solution is an override. All they'd have to do is put a 40 page disclaimer in the manual - we all know requiring the sensor is an absurdity - kids (and honestly people that are small or especially light) simply should not be in the front and it is unfortunate that a solution had to be engineered to address what should be logical on the part of both drivers and passengers.

Alternatively, suspension seats, helmets, and 8 point harnesses would solve a mess of problems, haha.


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## Quazar (Apr 28, 2011)

indigo said:


> Ah, the calibration is done on EVERY seat -- I will put money on that being the problem. I've got a car that came out within the first weeks of production and will gladly blame it on assembly.
> 
> The question is, does this procedure get redone when the sensor is replaced... one would assume? I will have to talk to the dealer. Also, I would not be surprised if the current sensor is located more toward the front of the cushion, I'm guessing it's kind of sandwiched in and can be moved around, therefore it could be easily placed incorrectly and therefore repositioned.
> 
> ...


 
Unfortunately it federally mandated that passenger seats have the sensor, so no, there cannot be an override. 

The sensor cannot just move around, as I said, this is a federal mandate and a safety item; It is most likely fastened in place with a retaining clip. 

A simple fact of mathematics, and by default engineering is that you can only optimize one variable at a time, when you try for 2, you come out with a solution that is best for the 2, but in which neither one is at its optimal point. The more variables you add and try and accomidate, the further from optimal each individual variable is. Blame whatever you want, but some things are the variables/federal governments/consumers fault and not the engineers. All then engineer is trying to do is accomidate everything and everyone with a all in one feature that will never be perfect.


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## Tallboy (Jul 5, 2011)

Quazar said:


> *Unfortunately it federally mandated that passenger seats have the sensor, so no, there cannot be an override.*
> 
> The sensor cannot just move around, as I said, this is a federal mandate and a safety item; It is most likely fastened in place with a retaining clip.
> 
> A simple fact of mathematics, and by default engineering is that you can only optimize one variable at a time, when you try for 2, you come out with a solution that is best for the 2, but in which neither one is at its optimal point. The more variables you add and try and accomidate, the further from optimal each individual variable is. Blame whatever you want, but some things are the variables/federal governments/consumers fault and not the engineers. All then engineer is trying to do is accomidate everything and everyone with a all in one feature that will never be perfect.


My brother's Dodge truck has an on/off switch for the passenger side airbag. Is this unique to trucks? Why wouldn't they offer it in a car?


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

Quazar said:


> Unfortunately it federally mandated that passenger seats have the sensor, so no, there cannot be an override.
> 
> The sensor cannot just move around, as I said, this is a federal mandate and a safety item; It is most likely fastened in place with a retaining clip.


I am playing devil's advocate, as I know you are too - of course there will not be an override, just like there isn't for the dinging and flashing light for an unbuckled seatbelt or underinflated, overinflated, missing tpms snow tire. All very, very stupid mandates. 

Also, don't rule out that the sensor can move, even if there is a clip, plenty of things could be missing, misassembled, etc, there have been recalls for many more simple errors in assembly than something like this. (intermediate shaft assembly bolt, for example)

I also think that you are being dense if you think the sensor should not be on 100% of the time when someone who is 5'8" and weighs 140 is in the seat. This is not rocket science here and if other cars I have owned could get this right (or close enough that the end user doesn't notice) they can **** well get it right with the Cruze. 

Again, I appreciate the complexity of the problem, BUT, if it has been gotten right (on budget, to spec, etc) even in only one car ever made, it can absolutely be done in every other.

Nevertheless, what is most important here is that the dealer is taking the issue remotely seriously and is looking into it. If it turns out everything is to spec and maybe it is not actually supposed to actually activate until let's say 150lbs, great, problem solved -- I and my passengers will feel safer. But, for now, there is only ambiguity which is evident in what the dealer told me and what others in this thread have been told -- unfortunately, that is not good customer service.

I also stand corrected -- the easiest solution to this problem is feeding my passengers a few dozen twinkies :th_coolio:


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## Quazar (Apr 28, 2011)

Tallboy said:


> My brother's Dodge truck has an on/off switch for the passenger side airbag. Is this unique to trucks? Why wouldn't they offer it in a car?


What year is the truck? Is it a 4 door?


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## Tallboy (Jul 5, 2011)

Quazar said:


> What year is the truck? Is it a 4 door?


Its like an early to mid 200X. I think an 05 or 06. Two door regular cab. You put the ignition key in and turn it to "off". Even with me in the seat [6'5 210lbs] the "pass airbag off' light is staring me in the face unless he turns it back "on".


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

Tallboy said:


> Its like an early to mid 200X. I think an 05 or 06. Two door regular cab. You put the ignition key in and turn it to "off". Even with me in the seat [6'5 210lbs] the "pass airbag off' light is staring me in the face unless he turns it back "on".


would make sense as there's no back seat for a car seat


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## Quazar (Apr 28, 2011)

Tallboy said:


> Its like an early to mid 200X. I think an 05 or 06. Two door regular cab. You put the ignition key in and turn it to "off". Even with me in the seat [6'5 210lbs] the "pass airbag off' light is staring me in the face unless he turns it back "on".


Yep, thats the exception, and there is some debate over that. Even in newer trucks the NHTSA has required "smart air bags" because people forget to turn them back on.


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## Quazar (Apr 28, 2011)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...if it's a Government Mandated SAFETY FEATURE and it does NOT work 100% of the time, is it by legal definition a FAULT or FAILURE.


I pulled the NHTSA specification just to be sure what the guidelines are.

The airbag must turn on at 99lbs SEAT WEIGHT, not ACTUAL WEIGHT.

This their equivilent of 150lb Adult.

I think we calibrate at 90lbs seat weight, which is about 140lbs.

So if you weigh under 137 lbs, there is a chance the airbag won't turn on, because its not designed to. It may, depending on how you position your weight. 

At 60lb seat weight, it CANNOT be active. due to the difference in weight distribution between children and adults, this is a higher ration, I'm not sure the exact amount, but this is in th 100- 125 lb range.

I think what confuses people is Seat Weight vs Actual Weight. Based on the calibration, I am certain that if you apply 99lbs of weight to just the seat, the airbag will be on 100% of the time.

Yes the NHTSA deems that if you are an ADULT who weights less than 110 lbs airbags are dangerous, and if your under 150lbs you don't need them to be safe. 

Thank your government!

If a person weighing 150 or more pounds is not activating the seat, there is a serious issue and you should have your dealer replace and calibrate the sensor.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

yep. mine does that as well.....I noticed when my son sits in the front seat it does not seem to work properly. Not heavy enough? I haven't noticed when my wife sits in the front seat if it does or does not seem to work properly.


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

Quazar thanks for that info... what is really befuddling though is the inconsistency across vehicles then. Let's assume they all calibrate for 90lbs seat weight - why was my aura never causing this confusion - I'd assume this has to do with the design of the seat and how people tend to position themselves in it. It certainly had a softer bottom -- perhaps it was transferring more to the sensor? Perhaps the sensor was positioned differently, different sensor, etc. 

Most concerning then is why does the dealer not know what the issue (or non issue) really is? I suspect they simply don't see it that often, a) fewer and fewer people are under 150 and b) it may be more common in a cruze because of the aforementioned seat design. It could have been an easy fix if they said, oh hey, less than 150, don't worry about it, not we'll order the part.

I tend to subscribe to what the NHTSA has to say and I do agree that under 150 an airbag will probably do more harm than good, but I would also like to see this clearly expressed in the manual, where I don't think it offers an ever remotely thorough explanation.

Quazar, perhaps you know? What does this sensor really disable? Just the front airbag, curtain, knee, ear? How much is disabled?

Also, despite my dealer making the effort to make good on looking into this, I would love a GM corporate or nhsta statement about the systems in this car -- I'll investigate and post my results.


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## FL-LadyCopper (Aug 3, 2011)

We bought a 2011 Chevy Cruze about a month ago. Within a few days we noticed the same intermittent passenger airbag problem as described above. I weigh between 105 and 109 lbs and I'm 5'2. The sensor on the dash would go on, then off, then on, etc. If it was on, I could unbuckle, lift off the seat until it went "off" sit back down, buckle up, and it would stay off for hours or go back on, there was no telling what it would do. We took it back to the dealership no less than 5 times. We also were in contact with a representative from GM who was working with us. The dealership finally had a technician ride with us to see the problem for himself. When he got in the car, I was in the seat and the sensor showed "off". We drove for a while, then I unbuckled, lifted off the seat, waited a few seconds, sat back down, buckled up and the sensor showed "on". He was able to see for himself there was a problem. We drove two other 2011 Cruzes, one in his presence, and we could not duplicate the problem. They replaced the sensor, however, the problem remained. GM is now replacing this car (800 miles on it) with a brand new Cruze, exact same model, color, etc., at no cost to us. I'll testing it for a couple of days to ensure this one does not have the same problem. I said all that to say this; Be persistent. If you do not get satisfaction from your dealership (we were fortunate in that ours was more than willing to work with us to try to fix the problem), then contact GM and complain. This is a serious Safety issue. If the air bag is faulty, you don't know When it will or will not activate. In a crash if it is "off" it may not go off at impact, but what if when you are still in the vehicle, strapped in, and suddenly the sensor goes "on", registers the Crash and deploys? It can have deadly results. Air bags deploy at 200 mph, you do not want to be close to it when it activates. I do NOT trust a faulty air bag and neither should you. You paid for a car with 10 air bags, all 10 should work properly as described. At first they tried the "you don't weigh enough" line, but I told them I wasn't buying what they were selling. If that was the case, the sensor would NEVER go "on" and the other two Cruzes we tried would have the sensors showing "off" as well. My weight doesn't fluctuate while we are driving so I shot that theory down like a rocket. We stuck to our guns, and I insisted they fix the problem and told them I wasn't going away. Apparently GM decided it can't be fixed and now they are replacing the car like we never bought the first one (under the lemon law). I'll be driving it for a few days to make sure before the deal is done. If this vehicle works as advertised then GM has restored my faith in their product and just when I was considering repainting my Ice Blue Cruze, Lemon yellow. If your dealership gives you grief, Call GM. Don't give up!


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

I wonder if the sensor is hardwired. It's the only reason I could seem them replacing the whole car as opposed to sensor replacement. Either way we need more input from fellow users as well as get this information out so people can be sure they are safe.


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## Mahty (Nov 23, 2010)

JDM-USDM Love said:


> I wonder if the sensor is hardwired. It's the only reason I could seem them replacing the whole car as opposed to sensor replacement. Either way we need more input from fellow users as well as get this information out so people can be sure they are safe.


Well this is all good information. I just had my Cruze 2LT in for a defective seat sensor. Which was replaced. My wife is about 106 Lbs. and 99% of the time the light was off except of course when we went to the dealer. But I had my wife sit in it when I got home and the light came on as I thought it should but at a 106 lbs. should it come on at all ? There seems to be some question about that from someone who seems to know. Thanks All it's been and I guess still is a big concern to us. I still LOVE my Cruze. P.S. If what Quazar said in his last post is true then this information should all be put in the drivers manual and save us all a lot of trouble and make us feel safe and save Chevy a lot of money.


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## Mahty (Nov 23, 2010)

Well the new sensor seems to work OK my wife 106# and with a cushion under her butt the new seat sensor is working fine, I'll let you all know if it acts up again. Love MY Cruze.


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## SlowBoost (Jul 26, 2011)

I noticed this same problem yesterday. My wife is actually quite petite and much under a 99 pound weight in the seat. 

I can understand the rationalization that the sensor would be off 100% of the time since her weight should be below the weight spec. However, as the poster above mentioned, I cannot understand the rationalization as to why it is on sometimes, and off sometimes, and will start in the on status, then switch to off after a 10 minute drive. This is not correct behavior. A sensor stated to be calibrated at "X" lbs, should not come on and off when the weight in the seat is anything less than 90% of X. 

We witnessed it today and she did not change position with her body. Started the car with it showing "ON", drove about 5 miles down the road, and it switched to "OFF". If it is safe to have the sensor switch the airbags off because she is too light, then it should never be on. But it is in the "ON" state on occasion. 

I will be calling Chevy tomorrow. If an airbag deployment is deemed unsafe for an individual of my wife's size, then I do not want that thing ever showing on. Especially since she is pregnant.


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## Mahty (Nov 23, 2010)

It's been several days now since I had my sensor replaced wife 105 lbs and it's still working fine even with a thick foam cushion It seems to have been solved for us. Although at 99 lbs you might not even want them to come on as stated above they apply with a lot of pressure but we should know for sure just when and for what weight they work, the service mgr. is supposed to find out for me and i'll post what info i receive. Good Luck


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks for that info Mahty -- my sensor came into the shop, but I haven't had time to get it installed yet. Glad it seems to be behaving.

FWIW, from what I can ascertain just looking at the assembly, there's the sensor in the seat, harness to box under seat, harness to floor, then at a minimum a run to another unit. I'm guessing BCM. I think it's stupid that they lemon'd a car without replacing all of those parts. On my last two GM cars, both saturns, both have had BCMs go bad doing stupid intermittent things like not unlocking doors.

What I have not been able to gather is what this sensor actually controls -- is it only the front passenger frontal airbag? Does it affect curtain or knee deployment? Anyone know?


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## SlowBoost (Jul 26, 2011)

Dealership I called today said the limit for the weight actually on the seat was 70 lbs. Which for me seems to be about right considering % of body on the seat, plus a certain percentage of tolerance. This would fully explain why we are seeing it go on and off. But I did send an email to Chevy to find out exactly what the weight is, plus what the variables in that number are. 

Is there a difference between an 85 lb pliable adolescent and an 85 lb adult as far as how damaging the NHTSA is calling the airbags?


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## SlowBoost (Jul 26, 2011)

just as a small followup, I had sent an email to Chevy yesterday morning. Received a follow up email last night saying they were unable to find the info I requested and that they were going to look a little further to find the correct information. 

Last night we drove about 20 miles to go out to dinner, and the light was "ON" the entire trip. Finished dinner, and came home with the seat in the same location, on the same road, wife seated the same way, etc. This time the light was "OFF" the entire time. Had my wife get out of the car after we got home while it was still running, and the light turned "ON", had her immediately get out and back in, and the light stayed "OFF". Sent a follow up email to Chevy with this exact info.

Got a phone call at my work today and they advised me to go to the dealership for the dealer to determine if the sensor was bad or not. Based on the info you guys have reported, the dealer will have my wife sit in the car and observe, just as I have already observed and reported. I told the Chevy rep that I was most interested in the actual numbers that they base their sensor settings at since I have seen a few different sources stating different numbers. She told me to just go into the dealer since it was a safety issue even with my wife being down at the supposed threshold number that the dealership gave me. 

Seems extremely strange that Chevy is a little reluctant to actually state what the numbers are. So I guess I get to make an appointment to go get my leg pulled in person.


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## Learjet2230 (Oct 15, 2011)

Guys/Gals,
New to the site but have been reading forum for months. There is a fix for this airbag issue. I feel all your pain as my story is almost identical to ones listed. Wife 120lbs, off 99% of time, etc....from day of delivery. Except it has taken four trips to 2 different dealers and a LOT of yelling and screaming. The update came out the 4th of October (I think), and is a kit or something with a new sensor and "PPS" module. It is coded as *PI0583. *So now walk back into the dealer and throw that at them. Being a technically minded guy and a technichian myself nothing pisses me off more than a dealer givein me the run around.:angry: Maybe someone with the secret chevy key can get a more acurate description of this kit a sticky it in the TSB thread.
Cheers:signs015:
Nik


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## InvaderZim (Oct 17, 2011)

"This isn't a "faulty" issue. Its a "variance" issue, and its not due to "poor" design either."

We've test driven a dozen different cars in the last year and rented another 5 and this is the only car to have this issue. We spent a week in a Terrain without the light ever coming on. 10+ hours in a Buick Lucerne with no issue. A quick search of all the other car makes and models we are looking at turned up minimal if any reports of similar issues and most of the ones that had issues were with people closer to 100 lbs not 125+. Honda actually states that anyone over 65 lbs should trigger the airbag on.

"The FLAW is people"

Reading that response makes me think of it being an 'acceptable' issue with the Cruze designers. I understand that it is difficult to design around the requirement but as shown with so many other makes and models it isn't impossible. And if others can make it work then it would stand to reason that there is something wrong with the design of the system/seats in the cruze.

The cruze was at the top of our lists till we rented one this last weekend. Sometimes it would turn on for my wife and sometimes it would turn off, just like many of the above posts. 

That just isn't acceptable in any car, let alone one we'd be paying $23,000+ for. And the defensive almost dismissive attitude shown towards the problem makes me want to look outside of the GM product range entirely.

Once again, if it works so much more often in other cars then something is wrong with the way it is implemented in this car. Whether it is the seat foam, shape of the seat, angle of the seat, sensor in the seat is not important, that it isn't working is the problem.


UPDATE: test drove a Mazda3 this weekend and the sensor in it worked fine. I did some research online and found that their system checks the weight at the seat rails so the cushion material angle of your butt or other 'faulty' parts of the customer don't affect the reading.


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## Peterthy (Feb 22, 2012)

*Front Passenger Airbag sensor issue*

Hi all, yes I noticed this issue the first week after getting my 2011 ECO last July. My GF who's weight is around 105-107lbs at the time did not have her sides' airbags on 70% the time. And after observing it with other normal weighing passengers i.e. >130lbs, I noticed there were no issues with the sensor. We then narrowed it down to the passgr. airbag not being on only when she didn't have her purse on her lap!! Thus, i called the dealership and they told me to bring it in. However, after calling I thought about consulting the manual, under the "If the Off Indicator is Lit for an Adult-Size Occupant" section of the manual (pg. 3-36) It gave me some steps of how to "calibrate the air bag sensor". I followed the steps and it did not work the first time around. After attempting it again, it worked! So I called the dealership and cancelled the warranty call. Its been about 8 months now and its been working fine even without her purse on her lap. The manual did state that there are a few sensors within each front seat that measure weight and its distribution. I'm guessing the source of all these "iffy" findings people have been encountering is due to the odd mismatch between the physical features of people according to GM and actual individuals that exist. I'm hoping the calibration steps below help. Otherwise take it back and MAKE them sort it out.

COURTESY of GM CHEVY CRUZE 2011 ECO Owners Manual:
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front passenger seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be because that person is not sitting properly in the seat. If this happens, use the following steps to allow the system to detect that person and enable the right front passenger frontal airbag and passenger knee airbag:
1. Turn the vehicle off.

2. Remove any additional material from the seat, such as blankets,cushions, seat covers, seat heaters, or seat massagers.

3. Place the seat back in the fully upright position.

4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with legs comfortably extended.

5. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for one minute after the on indicator is lit. 

Source: GM CRUZE 2011 ECO Owners Manual
(If I recall correctly I told her to stay put for 2-3mins just to be sure)


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

Thanks for that info, how the **** did I miss that in the manual. Anyway, since I still haven't gotten back to my dealer to fix this (mostly a single occupant car) 

Can you answer some specific questions? Before step one was your girlfriend in the seat already with the system reading off? Then when you restart the vehicle for step 5, how did you get the on light to come on? Did you have her sit with her purse? I just tried this out and had her just sit there and it read off, never switching to on.

Thanks for the insight!


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

indigo said:


> Thanks for that info, how the **** did I miss that in the manual. Anyway, since I still haven't gotten back to my dealer to fix this (mostly a single occupant car)
> 
> Can you answer some specific questions? Before step one was your girlfriend in the seat already with the system reading off? Then when you restart the vehicle for step 5, how did you get the on light to come on? Did you have her sit with her purse? I just tried this out and had her just sit there and it read off, never switching to on.
> 
> Thanks for the insight!




indigo,
The process that peterthy has provided you is correct and can be found in the owner's manual on page 3-36. If this process does not work, I would suggest that you have your dealership look into this for you. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me. 
Thank you, 
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

Chevy Customer Service said:


> indigo,
> The process that peterthy has provided you is correct and can be found in the owner's manual on page 3-36. If this process does not work, I would suggest that you have your dealership look into this for you. If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me.
> Thank you,
> Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service



I've already hed the dealer look at it and it's pending service, there's still detail missing from the info in the manual, such as how to get the "On" light to turn on...


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## Peterthy (Feb 22, 2012)

indigo said:


> Thanks for that info, how the **** did I miss that in the manual. Anyway, since I still haven't gotten back to my dealer to fix this (mostly a single occupant car)
> 
> Can you answer some specific questions? Before step one was your girlfriend in the seat already with the system reading off? Then when you restart the vehicle for step 5, how did you get the on light to come on? Did you have her sit with her purse? I just tried this out and had her just sit there and it read off, never switching to on.
> 
> Thanks for the insight!


At step 1, she was out of the car. I adjusted the seat as instructed in the manual. Nope, she didnt have her purse when I did the calibration. After starting the car and having her sit, the airbag indocator came on by itself. I then got her to sit there for a couple minutes as instructed for the airbag settings to adjust. Make sure your following it step by step in the exact order as in the manual.


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## Xenocamry (Jun 11, 2011)

Mine had the same issue. Took 3 visits to the dealer to resolve, they ended up replacing the weight sensing module in the seat. Has worked fine since.


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## SBK15 (Mar 29, 2011)

Mine does the same thing.. My girlfriend only ways 115 and she doesn't set off the sensor.. but if any friends or anybody heavier sits in it it shows somebody's in the seat


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## Xenocamry (Jun 11, 2011)

The dealer told me there was a kit available to fix it, they instilled it and no problems since

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using AutoGuide.com App


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...if you happen to still have your dealership worksheet showing what they did, does it indicate either a PI# or partnumber for that "kit"?


I believe it is PI0583


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## cruzechuck (Jun 23, 2011)

I have the same problem with 2011 LTZ with my wife in the seat at approx. 135 pounds. If it doesn't work, it's either a faulty component or bad disign...........not the fault of the passenger.

Can the dealer adjust the setting to a lower weight? Small children aren't supposed to be sitting there anyway.


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## UpstateNYBill (Jan 14, 2012)

I had my tool bag (40 to 50 lbs.) on the passenger seat, and the passenger airbag light was going on and off depending on how the bag was positioned. I moved my bag to the floor after that since I don't want the passenger airbag going off unneccessarily in case of an accident.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

cruzechuck said:


> I have the same problem with 2011 LTZ with my wife in the seat at approx. 135 pounds. If it doesn't work, it's either a faulty component or bad disign...........not the fault of the passenger.
> 
> Can the dealer adjust the setting to a lower weight? Small children aren't supposed to be sitting there anyway.



cruzechuck,
If a person of adult-size is sitting in the right front passenger seat, but the off indicator is lit, it could be because that person is not sitting properly in the seat. If this happens, use the following steps to allow the system to detect that person and enable the right front passenger frontal airbag and passenger knee airbag:

1. Turn the vehicle off.

2. Remove any additional material from the seat, such as blankets, cushions, seat covers, seat heaters, or seat massagers.

3. Place the seatback in the fully upright position.

4. Have the person sit upright in the seat, centered on the seat cushion, with legs comfortably extended.

5. Restart the vehicle and have the person remain in this position for one minute after the on indicator is lit.

This information can be located in your Owner’s Manual on page 3-36. If this process does not work I would suggest that you take your vehicle into your local dealership and have them look into this for you. Please keep me posted on this. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## Beaker (Mar 21, 2012)

Mine is almost this exact opposite problem. It actually detected my laptop sitting on the seat as I was datalogging.


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## riverrunnermo (Jan 1, 2012)

Our 2011 Cruze LTZ now has the problem... I drove, wife in passenger seat. Orange "OFF" light stared at us the entire trip. I will go for our first oil change soon, and that will be discussed with the shop manager. (By first oil change, this is a new-to-us but gently used 2011 with 16,000 miles. We bought the car with 12,000 miles)...


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

riverrunnermo said:


> Our 2011 Cruze LTZ now has the problem... I drove, wife in passenger seat. Orange "OFF" light stared at us the entire trip. I will go for our first oil change soon, and that will be discussed with the shop manager. (By first oil change, this is a new-to-us but gently used 2011 with 16,000 miles. We bought the car with 12,000 miles)...



riverrunnermo,
I would like you to keep me posted on your progress with your dealer. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please feel free to contact me.
Thank you,
Stacy Chevrolet Customer Service


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## mrfrank717 (Sep 4, 2013)

I am having the same problem with my 2011 Cruze LTZ. About to go out of warranty, too, so I will be taking the car to my dealer for a check.


HippoCruze said:


> The *passenger air bag detection* in my 2011 Chevy Cruze 1LT is not working properly.
> Within a few days of owning the car, we realized the visual indicator for the passenger air bag showed *OFF* with someone sitting in the seat. This however seems to be intermittent. Sometimes the light is ON, and sometimes OFF. We tried a different passenger (weight)...with the same results. We tried sitting 2 passengers...same results.
> The dealer/mechanic took a look, but didn't see any errors or error codes reported, which could potentially lead them to the problem.
> We test drove a new CRUZE for a few days to see if we would see the same results in a different but same car model. This car worked fine, always. So, ok...there must be a problem with my car.
> ...


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## waldon (Apr 26, 2014)

*faulty air bag sensor*

bought new 2014 cruze. Have onl;y 200 miles sensor has never worked for my 110" wife. carried back to dealer all said if you sat in it and get out it workes. They done nothing but said she didn't weigh enough. In other words they done nothing. Is it now aginst the law to weigh only 110".I want something to by pass the sensor. Only thing that would do is leave it active all time like older models. Does such a thing exist screw the dealer as long as it is safe.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

waldon said:


> bought new 2014 cruze. Have onl;y 200 miles sensor has never worked for my 110" wife. carried back to dealer all said if you sat in it and get out it workes. They done nothing but said she didn't weigh enough. In other words they done nothing. Is it now aginst the law to weigh only 110".I want something to by pass the sensor. Only thing that would do is leave it active all time like older models. Does such a thing exist screw the dealer as long as it is safe.


PM the Chevy Customer Care here with your VIN and dealership. If I remember correctly any weight over 30 lbs is supposed to enable the passenger seat airbag system. The minimum trigger weight may be different., but 110 lbs is well over the minimum weight to enable the system.

For anyone who uses a secondary seat cushion, a lot of these cushions are wide enough that they won't trigger the sensor, so be careful.


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

The part number of the kit to fix the issue is PI0583 -- I had this fixed back in '12 on my '11 -- after much back and forth at the beginning of this thread -- has been no problem since. If memory serves the repair is a pain and requires disassembling most of the passenger seat.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Hey there waldon,

I am sorry to hear of your concerns. We would be happy to research this further. If you'd like our assistance, please send us a private message with your VIN.

Andraya R.
GM Customer Care


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## waldon (Apr 26, 2014)

waldon: Same problem wife and I just purchased 2014 cruze. From day one she is peate and will not actavate seat sensor. Taken back to dealer first day, they say nothing wrong with car refused to even try to fix. Don't know what to do does anyone know of bypass for sensor to operate all time.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

indigo said:


> The part number of the kit to fix the issue is PI0583 -- I had this fixed back in '12 on my '11 -- after much back and forth at the beginning of this thread -- has been no problem since. If memory serves the repair is a pain and requires disassembling most of the passenger seat.


Thank you for the PI. Your description of the repair is why some dealerships are trying to weasel their way out of this repair. An airbag sensor not working may NOT throw a check engine light or other code as the computers may not even realize there's a problem. Just sitting in the seat will tell you if the system is working or not.

For anyone who has this problem and a dealership that won't repair your car, do two things:

1 - Open a safety incident with the NHTSA or Transport Canada and ensure you include the dealership name. In any airbag equipped car the passenger airbag must trigger in a frontal crash. If the sensor isn't working they won't. This system is a US Federally Mandated safety system and it isn't working. I suspect it's also mandatory in Canada.

2 - Private Message the Chevy Customer Care folks here with your VIN, contact information, and dealership information. I would recommend including the NHTSA or Transport Canada incident number as well just so GM has a record of these.

The NHTSA has gone after dealerships in the past for failure to repair vehicles for safety issues. Personally I don't think this is that widespread an issue but for those few who have it it needs to be fixed.


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## indigo (Feb 25, 2011)

obermd said:


> Thank you for the PI. Your description of the repair is why some dealerships are trying to weasel their way out of this repair. An airbag sensor not working may NOT throw a check engine light or other code as the computers may not even realize there's a problem. Just sitting in the seat will tell you if the system is working or not.


Yes, this is exactly the case. We basically had to be at the dealer when it occurred, to show them the issue. Thankfully it happened right as we were leaving after an oil change one day. After they saw it, and that the passenger was a normal adult, they took it seriously. That was a couple years back now though, so I'd like to think most dealers have seen this issue by now.


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## uncfamily (Jan 19, 2015)

I would love some assistance with this issue. Exact same thing - 2011 Cruze and the light is off about 80-90% of the time I sit in the passenger seat of my husband's Cruze. It is not under warranty and we recently bought it used from a dealership that is out of town. Please advise what we should do!


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

uncfamily said:


> It is not under warranty and we recently bought it used from a dealership that is out of town.


Take it to a Chevy dealer of your choice. As I understand it, GM is the one who has to make good on it. And they do that though their dealer network.


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## carbon02 (Feb 25, 2011)

I've done this repair in the How To add heated seats to your cruze. The pictures I share show the sensor. I believe you will need to buy a sensor and maybe the foam pad on the bottom of the seat. 

Yes the dealer should fix it, but if they don't please look at my thread. Not impossible to do, it just takes time and a dealership should know how to do this. Basic screwdrivers, a T50 bit to remove the seat, and time..


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## Back2Chevy (May 22, 2012)

Nissan is recalling vehicles to repair faulty passenger presence sensors. Can GM be far behind? Nissan Recalls 3.8 Million Vehicles to Fix Airbag Problems | CarComplaints.com


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