Hey everyone! Please help me get a final, 'for sure' answer on this. I did a few searches, but nothing comes right out and answers what I'm after.

It has to do with the passenger airbag indicator off light. (Mine is a canadian model, doubt that makes a difference)

When I'm driving alone, I start the car, the indicator light will come on for few seconds, then go out and stay out while I'm driving.

It will do the exact same thing when my wife (or any other adult person is sitting there). The indicator will come on for a few seconds, then go out and stay out while driving.

Is this right? I just want to triple check to make sure everything is working ok, and the airbag will deploy when there is an adult in the passenger seat. I'm not planning on this happening *knocks on wood* but want to be prepared. Especially when I've got lots of big road trip plans this summer, I want to make sure my passenger(s) will be safe! Not to mention, put the wife's mind at ease.

I have read the owners manual, and from what I read, everything seems to be ok?

Sorry for the dumb question if this turns out to be fairly obvious.

 

Your passenger will be safe. It is normal for the light to come on and then go out. If it stays on with a passenger in the seat, then there's a problem to have checked out. Sometimes if you have bags or something of weight in the passenger seat it can fake it out when turning or stopping and you'll see the light come on or flash. But people in the seat equals light out- all good.

 

i agree with shockwave. A reason that the airbag off light may come on with a passenger in the car would be due to the passenger being a small child or if the passenger is sitting unevenly in the car. This is due to the passenger seat having weight sensors on it. If the passenger is sitting below a certain weight or if the passengers weight is spread unevenly in the seat, the airbag will turn off to avoid injury due to airbag deployment. A neat way to test is while you have car on, give a push on one of the corners of the passenger seat. Within about 10 seconds the airbag off light will come on because there is uneven weight distribution on the seat.

 

Great, thank you both for putting my mind at ease (as well as my wife's!). I figured everything was normal, but thought best to check

 

Either way, it comes on briefly at start-up as a diagnostic. It will indicate an airbag-off situation if your passenger is under (75?) pounds, for the safety of your lil' passenger.