How to Disable Passenger Airbag Status Indicator?

[alienbogey]

Anyone know how to disable the (really stupid) Passenger Airbag Status Indicator light that stays on 100% of the time to announce, in yellow lights, that the system is operating normally?

I've looked through all the menus and the owner's manual but can't find a way to switch the system to the way it should be, which is to illuminate a yellow (caution) light only if something is wrong.

If there is no good fix, a piece of black tape will be going over it, which will be kludgy but effective.

Thanks in advance.

 

[SeanNelson]

I've looked through all the menus and the owner's manual but can't find a way to switch the system to the way it should be, which is to illuminate a yellow (caution) light only if something is wrong.

I believe the behaviour of the passenger seatbelt enable/disabled light is mandated by federal regulations. A lot of people just use some black electrical tape to cover up the light.

 

[alienbogey]

Federal government? That explains the stupidity.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[emv]

Classier than electrical tape http://www.lightdims.com/, handy in a number of other situations too.

 

[dandrewk]

Federal government? That explains the stupidity.

Thanks for the reply.

So it's "stupid" to warn drivers that having a small child in the front seat can have tragic consequences?

 

[alienbogey]

Federal government? That explains the stupidity.

Thanks for the reply.

So it's "stupid" to warn drivers that having a small child in the front seat can have tragic consequences?

The way it's done, yes, absolutely stupid.

It's a convention that green lights show systems that are functioning as they should, yellow lights are cautions that a system is not functioning as they should, but the system or malfunction is not critical, and red lights are WARNINGS that there is a critical problem (think red fire light in an aircraft).

Now, the Bolt is obviously smart enough to tell, by the weight in the passenger seat, whether to have the passenger airbag system on or off. It automatically selects on or off, then STUPIDLY tells you in yellow whether it's on or off.

The way it SHOULD work, is that if it senses weight below the child limit and the system is erroneously on, THEN it should show a yellow caution light or red warning light, because something is wrong. Ditto in reverse for weight in the passenger seat above the limit - if, in that case the system is erroneously off, then the yellow caution or red warning.

If the system is working as designed (passenger airbags OFF when under the weight limit, passenger airbags ON when over the weight limit sensed), then there is no need for a light at all or, at most, a GREEN light, to show that the system is working normally.

Right now, as implemented, a yellow light is constantly on, which only trains people to ignore it because it's always there. If there were no light (or green) for normal operation, then there would be a good chance of a yellow or red light from a malfunctioning system to catch the driver's attention.

Yes, federal government stupidity, as expected.

 

[SeanNelson]

Now, the Bolt is obviously smart enough to tell, by the weight in the passenger seat, whether to have the passenger airbag system on or off. It automatically selects on or off, then STUPIDLY tells you in yellow whether it's on or off.

I'm fine with the light being displayed, but yeah - I very much agree with you on the colour.

The way it SHOULD work, is that if it senses weight below the child limit and the system is erroneously on, THEN it should show a yellow caution light or red warning light, because something is wrong. Ditto in reverse for weight in the passenger seat above the limit - if, in that case the system is erroneously off, then the yellow caution or red warning.

It can't work this way because the system is only "off" or "on". It can never be "erroneously off" or "erroneously on" because the car has no idea what's actually in the seat. If there's more than a certain weight on the seat, it's supposed to come on, otherwise it's off.

That's exactly why the light is there and why it always tells you whether its on or off - so you know what the car is doing and can decide whether or not that's the right thing.

But yeah, it shouldn't be a yellow light IMHO. At least in the Bolt it's in a unique location and can't be confused with the other dashboard indicators, unlike my Prius C.

 

[flamaest]

Classier than electrical tape http://www.lightdims.com/, handy in a number of other situations too.

I went to this website and I totally understand what you're getting at. That being said, 20 bucks for this stuff is a complete rip-off. Grab a roll of black electric tape in a pair of scissors, $1 at the most.

 

[alienbogey]

Light is now taped over, I'm good.