# Passenger Seatbelt Light Sensitivity



## mwittkopp89 (May 23, 2018)

Has anyone else had any issues with the passenger seatbelt light going off when small objects on the passenger seat? 

Every day on my drive to and from work I put my lunch bag and cell phone (plugged into android auto) on the passenger seat. 50% of the time, the passenger seatbelt warning indicator lights up and starts beeping. I have taken the car into the shop twice now for this issue and it still keeps happening.

To me the passenger seatbelt sensor seems overly sensitive, is there a fix for this? 

Should I:

1. Take it into the shop one more time to see if they can do anything? or 2. Stop putting things on the seat. 3. Do what I have been doing, drive around with the passenger seatbelt on, so it doesn't squawk at me. 

Thanks.


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## JSWTDI09 (Feb 22, 2009)

Your problem is the cell phone that is charging. This is not a new issue, it has been reported on many VWs (and maybe other cars too). For some reason the charging of a cell phone or tablet while sitting on the passenger seat will set of the "occupied" sensor. If you unplug the phone the problem will go away or if you put the charging cell phone somewhere else the problem will go away. For some reason the sensor in the seat is very sensitive to the electromagnetic field created by a charging battery. I am not sure why this happens, but it is what it is.

Have Fun!

Don


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## socialD (Sep 19, 2011)

Did you also post about this in the FB group? Must've missed you said it was plugged in.

Does your phone not fit in the little nook where the plug is? That's where mine gets stashed most of the time.


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## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

I don't have a fix for your specific issue, but it looks like someone else has seen it and offered something to try.
Personally I don't put things on my seats, I put them in a nook/compartment or on the floor. In a hard stop things can't fall off the floor but they will fall off the seat.
My phone is either in the nook in front of the gear selector or in a windshield mounted cradle.


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## rustwood (Jul 21, 2018)

Perhaps having your phone charging has some effect, but I still think there are issues with the sensor. I have had the same thing happen with only a relatively small hardback book on the seat. Plus I can make it go off by very lightly pressing in the right spot with my fingers. Most often it is when I have my phone on the seat though, but I often drive without connecting it. I'll have to pay more attention from now on. 

It is a relatively minor nuisance around town, but it is more annoying when it happens on a long highway drive and you have to find a pull over so you can put the seatbelt. I am sure I could do it while driving, but that would be less than ideal in terms of safety. I've been planning to bring it up when I go in for an oil change. I'd be interested in hearing what others have been told by the dealer.

FWIW, I find I am much more likely to forget my phone when I stow it in the cubby. I am not as forgetful when I drop it in the cup holder though.


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## jojowasher (Apr 17, 2006)

I did have it go off one when I had a box in there, but the box probably weighed 8-10 lbs, I just shifted it so it was more on the bolsters and it stopped.


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## rustwood (Jul 21, 2018)

I should add that I have had it go off while I was driving down the highway with nothing on the seat. I could not make it stop until I buckled the seatbelt. That was only once so far though.


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## xeong5 (Dec 27, 2014)

I would suggest disabling the seat belt warning on VCDS. It’s happened to me on a Jetta, Golf Mk7 and the Tiguan.


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## EJW1381 (Nov 2, 2018)

this has to do with the driver side seatbelt light. It comes on and chimes every so often. It drive me crazy. I am to the point where it needs to go into the shop. Every time I have tried to take a video of it happening it seems to know and dissapears on me. lol


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## EJW1381 (Nov 2, 2018)

this has to do with the driver side seatbelt light. It comes on and chimes every so often. It drive me crazy. I am to the point where it needs to go into the shop. Every time I have tried to take a video of it happening it seems to know and dissapears on me. lol


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## smg64ct203 (Jan 26, 2003)

I was just going to post this. It drives me crazy, I had my cell phone on the seat. It did go off the other day when I had a small stack of paper on the seat.


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## 2.8cupcake (Jan 2, 2008)

*Seatbelt light?*

I just bought a 2018 Tiguan S (20k) 3 days ago. Today when I was driving it to work I had my purse in the passenger seat. The seatbelt light started dinging as if someone was sitting in passenger seat without their seatbelt on. I picked up my purse, shut the car off, turned it back on and the seatbelt light is still on. If I latch the passenger belt it shuts off. Has anyone else had this problem? Is this something that would likely be covered under warranty? 

Thanks!


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## Rtdave87 (May 14, 2019)

2.8cupcake said:


> I just bought a 2018 Tiguan S (20k) 3 days ago. Today when I was driving it to work I had my purse in the passenger seat. The seatbelt light started dinging as if someone was sitting in passenger seat without their seatbelt on. I picked up my purse, shut the car off, turned it back on and the seatbelt light is still on. If I latch the passenger belt it shuts off. Has anyone else had this problem? Is this something that would likely be covered under warranty?
> 
> Thanks!


Mine does it when I put my phone on it.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## 2.8cupcake (Jan 2, 2008)

Rtdave87 said:


> Mine does it when I put my phone on it.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk




That would be why mine was doing it also. 

Thanks for the help!


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## Rtdave87 (May 14, 2019)

I think the sensor is just very sensitive 

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

Rtdave87 said:


> I think the sensor is just very sensitive....


And how would that be a problem?


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## JSWTDI09 (Feb 22, 2009)

Rtdave87 said:


> I think the sensor is just very sensitive


The sensor is very sensitive, especially to electromagnetic fields (read post #2 above). If your phone was not being charged at the time. I suspect that it is one of those newer phones that are capable of wirelessly charging another device. In other words, it is generating an electromagnetic field even when it is not being charged.

Have Fun!

Don


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## Jeff1983 (Oct 16, 2013)

I haven't posted in a while, but came on to get help with this same issue. 2018 Tiguan SE, bought used with 14K on it and never had the seatbelt light come on with things on the passenger seat until it had around 30k on it. Doesn't matter if my phone is plugged into the USB port or not. Seems to happen more in hot weather. I actually have video of it on while my phone isnt even in the car and nothing is on the seat so I will let my dealer see it and I am sure they will tell me nothing is wrong per usual. 

To compare, my old 2014 Jetta had this issue only with my cell plugged in. I bought a really expensive shielded cable and it stopped doing it 90% of the time.

I have never had the seatbelt light come on in my 2018 Passat.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

Has anyone seen a fix to this lately? We'll have nothing on the seat, and phones not set to charge other devices. Seatbelt warning will ding out of the blue.

Had it in the shop today, and was even told that if the leather seat warms up too much it could trigger it. 

Confirmed no codes coming around it, so nothing for them to fix.


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## Urano17 (Jul 7, 2018)

phlegm said:


> Has anyone seen a fix to this lately? We'll have nothing on the seat, and phones not set to charge other devices. Seatbelt warning will ding out of the blue.
> 
> Had it in the shop today, and was even told that if the leather seat warms up too much it could trigger it.
> 
> Confirmed no codes coming around it, so nothing for them to fix.


From my experience I have a power inverter under the passenger seat. At times I would plug my laptop and it would set of the seat belt warning. The laptop is charging on the floor not on the seat. I’m using the rear seat cigarette lighter plug to power my inverter. Same goes if my iPhone ( not plugged in) is on the seat it will set it off. My radar detector, when I park the car and remove it from the windshield and place it on the seat will set it off. Of course the laptop bag on the seat will set it off. Side note my radar detector (uniden dfr9) at start up will go off from the BSM.


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## Hawkeye9723 (Dec 4, 2019)

I am seeing similar behavior on my 2019 SEL-P. nothing on the seat, and my phone plugged in to the USB port for Android Auto. The phone is in the cubby where the USB ports are. The seatbelt warning will light up and the chime goes off. I'll look, and the "passenger airbag off" light is on (I'm guessing these are 2 sperate sensors in the seat?).


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

I understand the problem related to an electronic device on a seat, but find 2 scenarios a bit silly:

A light bag that is fine on other vehicle seats, but triggers the seatbelt light/tone. (Not sure there are 2 lb humans in any front seat.)
An electronic device nowhere near the seat.
As mentioned above, looks like even sunlight can cause this if the seat heats up too much. I think we're stuck with the problem. (Was suggested to buckle the empty seat.)


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## Hawkeye9723 (Dec 4, 2019)

Guess you could use one of these:









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## jonese (Jun 21, 2020)

Or.... Just plug the seatbelt in? Free.


Edit, my bad, dup . I blame it on the small phone screen.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

jonese said:


> Or.... Just plug the seatbelt in? Free.


Said that 2 posts up.


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## Hawkeye9723 (Dec 4, 2019)

jonese said:


> Or.... Just plug the seatbelt in? Free.
> 
> 
> Edit, my bad, dup . I blame it on the small phone screen.


True, but that can be a pain when you are driving down the road. These would be good to have in the center console so you don't have to try and reach all the way over to grab the seatbelt.


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## Stoodgethree (Apr 17, 2021)

So I’ve noticed in my volts wagon Jetta that my passenger seatbelt will go off if there’s anything on the seat and it is not just my cell phone so I was wondering if it is heat sensed as well. I took everything off of the seat and I placed my hand on the seat and just barely and it detected my hand that was barely on the seat. I think it is just very sensitive.And my phone does not even have to be plugged in and charging for it to detect my phone sitting there, it will detect my purse it will detect my mail sometimes. But he did text my phone or my hand immediately. Glad to know that other people have this problem too because at first I thought something was wrong with my car


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

Reached a new low on this:

no phone in vehicle
no direct sun, cool temperature
nothing at all on the front passenger seat
ding, ding, ding


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## OhioSpyderman (Jul 21, 2021)

This just doesn't seem right.
I regularly put stuff on my passenger seat (groceries, etc.) and have never had these issues.
Bitching to your dealer's service manager does nothing?

Hope you guys get this solved....

Bob.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

Yep, the sensor is messed up. Got in the car and it immediately starts chiming without anything on the seat, and no electronics in the vehicle at all. Booked for service.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

phlegm said:


> Yep, the sensor is messed up. Got in the car and it immediately starts chiming without anything on the seat, and no electronics in the vehicle at all. Booked for service.


Thought I'd follow up here. Dealer found a "low voltage code" (no other details given to my wife) and reset it. So far no more false chimes [fingers crossed].


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