What is it???

[ste1985]

Hello chaps,

I was cleaning the car yesterday geting down inbetween the seats and found floating around what seems to be some kind of micro switch, im think it should go below the seat belt buckle.

I think the plastic clip that holds it in has broken. Now the inportant bit is should the switch be pressed on or left off.

Need to drive tomorrow and dont want the air bag or seat belts tensioning on me.

Ta

 

[aucky]

It SOUNDS a bit like the switch that senses how far along the rail the seat is => how hard the airbag should fire.

 

[eljeffo64]

Could be seat belt warning light switch; possibly already disconnected by a previous owner?? Does the light come on/ go off when you clip in the belt as per standard? If not, there's the answer perhaps.

 

[nickboazracing]

Seat belt switch.

FYI the airbag only has one way it goes off. And that's big. Have a look on YouTube for videos of people setting them off while sitting on them..

 

[Cue]

i think your referring to the connector that's loose under the seat? black wire - female multiple connector on the end, yes?

 

[nickboazracing]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9fWDtZ3esA
Fast forward to 30 seconds... :shock:

 

[ste1985]

i think your referring to the connector that's loose under the seat? black wire - female multiple connector on the end, yes?

No no thats to do with the air bag. if you feel under the seatbelt buckle where its attached to the seat frame you can feel it and maybe see it if you look from the passager seat. It does nothing that i can see when pressed or relased on the dash anyway.

 

[aucky]

Pics?

 

[son of solo]

seesh...if only i had a £1 for every "what is it" post without pictures...

 

[ste1985]

sorry about the delay. been sunning my self. here is the switch.

 

[Renaultsport]

At a guess, I would say someone has disconnected the seat belt warning light/beep... Does it start beeping at you when you drive with the belt off?

 

[ste1985]

Yeah still beeps away

 

[Cue]

does it beep when the seat belt is plugged in? if so it's the seat belt warning - plugging the belt in disconnects the beeper not the other way around.

If not then i'm stumped - i've not seen it before, so could be something to do with a connection to the radio or something similarly obscure.

 

[Renaultsport]

Is there a tensioner in that end of the belt? The leather cover is covering it up. Maybe that's been disconnected? But then thinking about it surely this would bring on a warning light?

 

[aucky]

It SOUNDS a bit like the switch that senses how far along the rail the seat is => how hard the airbag should fire.

I'm standing firm on this.
I could very well be wrong, (because I don't actually KNOW) but this was what I was told by a Renault mechanic I bought a set of seats from a couple of years ago..

 

[Renaultsport]

It SOUNDS a bit like the switch that senses how far along the rail the seat is => how hard the airbag should fire.

I'm standing firm on this.
I could very well be wrong, (because I don't actually KNOW) but this was what I was told by a Renault mechanic I bought a set of seats from a couple of years ago..

It it was this, I would guess/hope it would turn on a airbag warning light or something... Not saying it isn't as I'm still puzzled what it is.

 

[aucky]

My understanding is that if its not on correctly it will just fire full power, just incase.
Fine if your far back, bit painful if your a windscreen wearer

 

[nickboazracing]

It's nothing to do with the airbag. The airbag either fires or it doesn't, there are no differing levels of how hard it goes off. Fact.

 

[ste1985]

It sits With the silver clip sitting in the seat rail and the case is above the rail. I think by the looks of it the switch is n/o, But what closes it i dont know.

 

[MC1]

Aucky is right on this. Just recalled this old thread while valeting the car.

My driver’s seat microswitch appears to have snapped off. It should be fixed to the driver’s seat rail with a rivet but the switch’s bracket can easily snap off, leaving the rivet and part of the bracket on the metal frame.

Basically if the seat is far enough forward the front steering wheel airbag won’t ignite in an accident, in an attempt to save the driver’s face from injury. If you look at the track the switch lever slides in you’ll see a plastic “ramp” that presses the switch when the seat is adjusted about 3/4 of the way forward (and further).
Will post a remedy for broken switch once worked out how to do it.