Air Bag Deactivation Install Help

[gary in nc]

I have just acquired the coveted air bag deactivation bar with buckle and seat (which I do not plan to use). I have a few questions about installation:

1. Does the bar bolt on with the bolts that hold the seat adjuster tracks in place? It seems to sit awkwardly on top of the rails.

2. If yes to 1, I understand longer bolts are required, anybody know the P/N or where to get them if other than dealer?

3. If no to 1, where does it go?

4. I found the wire under the seat and understand that I need to get the computer programmed to recognize the bar -- I believe this is described in TSB 6923, where can I get a copy?

5. Since the seat I got with the bar is for an infant, and my kids are older, I plan on using the male buckle to deactivate the bag, and using a non-porsche booster seat.

Thanks.

'99 Boxster (986) Arctic Silver/Box Red 5 speed

[Kim]

1. Does the bar bolt on with the bolts that hold the seat adjuster tracks in place? It seems to sit awkwardly on top of the rails.

2. If yes to 1, I understand longer bolts are required, anybody know the P/N or where to get them if other than dealer?

3. If no to 1, where does it go?

4. I found the wire under the seat and understand that I need to get the computer programmed to recognize the bar -- I believe this is described in TSB 6923, where can I get a copy?

5. Since the seat I got with the bar is for an infant, and my kids are older, I plan on using the male buckle to deactivate the bag, and using a non-porsche booster seat.

1. The bar ends go under the seat rails.

2. longer bolts are supplied with the kit as it comes from the dealer.

4. TSB is located right here on RennTech, for contributing members. You are correct that anyone with a PST can program the car to recognize the installation.

5. I use the buckle to deactivate the airbag for medium sized children using the Porsche seat, and for larger children not in special seats, but not yet large enough for airbags.

[gary in nc]

I just got finished installing the buckle without the bar. Is the bar necessary if only using the buckle as a switch? I don't need it for any physical purpose, as it will not be holding the seat in place, but does it serve an electrical purpose, e.g. a ground? I don't see how as the buckle is connected to it with a piece of webbing. Any one know?

Now that the buckle is plugged into the harness the air bag warning light is on, regardless of whether or not the buckle is clipped in. I have not yet had the computer reprogrammed.

[viper501]

Gary, I am getting ready to do this for my 996. Where did you get the bar assembly? I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts on it.

[Kim]

I just got finished installing the buckle without the bar. Is the bar necessary if only using the buckle as a switch? I don't need it for any physical purpose, as it will not be holding the seat in place, but does it serve an electrical purpose, e.g. a ground? I don't see how as the buckle is connected to it with a piece of webbing. Any one know?

Now that the buckle is plugged into the harness the air bag warning light is on, regardless of whether or not the buckle is clipped in. I have not yet had the computer reprogrammed.

As far as I can determine, the only purpose of the bar is to anchor the buckle as a means of preventing the wiring connection from being jerked loose or damaged. The bar has no purpose as far as the actual circuit / function of the unit is concerned.

I, too, had the air bag light on when I finished the installation. 5 minutes with a PST2, and that will be fixed. After programming, the air bag light will flash for 60 seconds following start up with the male buckle installed. That is your warning that the passenger air bag is disabled.

[gary in nc]

Gary, I am getting ready to do this for my 996. Where did you get the bar assembly? I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts on it.

I found it on ebay. It came complete with the seat, bar and buckle, but not the mounting bolts for the bar. Search ebay item #270097957533 (in completed listings) which shows some decent pictures. The seat that came with what I bought was intended to be a rear facing infant seat. As far as I can tell for this seat the bar is intended to bolt to floor using the bolts at the Front of the seat tracks. Then the male buckle which is at the back of the seat would clip into the female buckle which is attached to the bar and the adult seatbelt would then be used to keep the seat from moving forward. I would imagine for some of the larger Porsche/Britax seats the bar would go behind the front seat, but not sure.

However this is not how I am using this, since my child is older and is now using a Graco booster seat which faces forward and is held in place by the adult seatbelt only. For my installation, I removed the female buckle (with wiring intact) from the bar (it just slipped off the end) and plugged this into the harness which is under the passenger seat. The buckle just hides under the seat. I then removed the male buckle from the seat by cutting the stiching at the end of the webbing, to give me a "switch". The idea is when the deactivation buckle is inserted, the air bag should be deactivated. However until I get it programmed I won't know for sure.

Is there anyone on the site can confirm that what I have done will indeed work, that would be most helpful, thanks.

[Kim]

.... As far as I can tell for this seat the bar is intended to bolt to floor using the bolts at the Front of the seat tracks.

As I indicated in my first reply above, this is correct.

I would imagine for some of the larger Porsche/Britax seats the bar would go behind the front seat, but not sure.

No, for all the child seats, the bar goes on the front of the passenger side seat rails.

.... Is there anyone on the site can confirm that what I have done will indeed work, that would be most helpful, thanks.

As I wrote in my first reply above, I have done the same thing .... with the exception of removing the female buckle / wire from the bar itself. It has worked for 4 years. Once you have your car programmed for the child seat, there is no reason it should not work.

[gary in nc]

Thanks for your help Kim, I will post an update when I get it programmed, might be a few weeks.