How to get rid of the seat belt warning message and chime

[PanEuropean]

North American automobiles (all brands) are equipped with a seat belt reminder system. This can take various forms - the least intrusive is a system that annunciates only if the car begins to move without the appropriate seat belts fastened, the most annoying is a system that annunciates as soon as you have started the car, before you even begin to put the belt on. I always wear seat belts - I guess it is a hangover from my occupational background as an aircraft pilot - and the warning message and chime annoys me, especially if I am sitting in a parking lot with the engine running, and the chime keeps going off every few minutes. So, I decided that today was the day to get rid of the seat belt warning.

All current production cars - whether they are Lupos or Phaetons - have an amazing number of programming options available. It is very easy to change the programming, the main difficulty is finding out exactly what data value to tweak to accomplish what you want to.

As Phaeton owners, we have several sources we can go to to learn more about configuration and coding. One is the Touareg forum, because the Phaeton and Touareg have a great deal in common so far as systems and programming go. Another is a public domain source such as http://www.openOBD.org (OBD meaning 'On Board Diagnostics', and 'open' referring to the idea of free access in the public domain). Finally, we can purchase some of the information directly from VW in the form of service documentation (Bentley manuals or CD's), although VW does try to minimize the amount of disclosure of programming options in these documents.

Once we have the required information, we can either re-program the car ourself, using a laptop computer (Windows platform) running VAG-COM software (see http://www.ross-tech.com, or we can take the car to our dealer and ask them to do the reprogramming for us, using VW programming tools such as a VAG 5051 or 5052 programmer.

Some dealers are very co-operative about doing this - usually making coding changes free of charge if the request is made at the same time scheduled service is due (heck, they have to hook up the 5051 or 5052 to pull out diagnostic troubleshooting codes anyway, and it only takes an extra 15 seconds to make a software coding change). Other dealers are very reluctant to change anything from 'factory default' settings - either because of fear of litigation, or perhaps because they have had difficulty making programming changes in the past, and don't want to go down that path again.

Anyway - enough of the background information, here is how to get rid of the seat belt warnings:

Within 'Group 17', which is the programming applicable to the 'Dash Panel Insert' ('kombiinstrument' in German, or 'thing with the speedometer, tachometer, and all the warning lights' in plain English), there are three possible warnings that can be enabled or disabled. They are:

- warning of brake pad wear, to the extent that the brakes require servicing,
- warning of seat belts not fastened, and
- warning of low windshield washer fluid.

You can 'pick and choose' which functions you want to enable, or you can enable them all, or disable them all. The default setting for a North American car is 'all enabled'.

Function 07 within Group 17 is the function for changing the coding of the applicable device. There are other functions, such as retrieving fault codes, making adaptations, erasing fault records, and so forth, but we don't need to discuss those here.

If you go to Group 17, and select Function 07 (coding), you then need to enter a 5 digit value. The 5 digits have different functions. The first two digits are the numbers affecting the warnings mentioned above. The third digit indicates the region of the world the car will be used in. The fourth digit indicates whether the vehicle has a flexible service interval or not, and the fifth digit affects speedometer function (not calibration, but function).

The 'default' setting for my (Canadian) Phaeton within group 17, function 07 was 07321. (In practice, the left-most digit is ignored if it is a zero, the number would appear on the programmer as 7321). The 7 indicates that all three warning actions are active, the 3 indicates that the car is operated in Canada (where we use the metric system for measurement), 2 indicates that service is performed on a fixed interval of time and/or distance (not thermal cycles, time, and distance as in Europe), and the last digit, 1, indicates standard speedometer coding.

How do we figure out what to change the 07 to, if we want to get rid of the seat belt warning but keep the brake wear and washer fluid warning? It's actually quite easy, and anyone with any kind of software background will recognize the methodology right away. It's plain old binary. Each possible warning is assigned a number, as follows:

00 - no warnings of any kind
01 - brake wear warning
02 - seat belt warning active
04 - windshield washer warning active.

To determine which two digits to put in the correct place of the coding group, you simply add up the numbers that represent the functions you want. By default, VW had all three functions enabled, so 01 + 02 + 04 = 07, which, as explained above, was the first two digits of the coding group when the car left Dresden. I didn't want the seat belt warning, so the mathematics for my preferences was different: 01 + 04 = 05.

So, I just replaced the complete string 07321 with 05321, and stored the value. The result - no more seat belt warnings, ever.

PanEuropean

[rmg2]

Can you tell us how to code the instrument back light (speedo/tach/temp/oil/fuel/volt gauges to stay back-lit even in sunlight?

Or am I going to have to pull the overhead console apart in order to tape up the sensor?

Also, are there any codes for opening and closing all windows and sunroof at the same time by using the remote?

My Audi A6 4.2 had this feature and it was nice that I could roll the windows down as I approached the car or could closed the windows and sunroof once I got out of the car by using the remote.

Thank you in advance for your input.


Modified by rmg2 at 6:39 AM 10-23-2004

[PanEuropean]

RMG:

As I discover the information to answer your questions, I'll post the answers in new threads with item specific titles. This will facilitate searching in the future, and also make it easier to compile a FAQ, again, sometime in the future.

There are codes for opening and closing all windows / sunroof with the remote, but these have not been publicly disclosed.

In the meantime, don't tape up the light sensor, it will screw up a multitude of other functions, including heating - air conditioning effectiveness and recovery time, dimming mirrors, auto headlights in tunnels, etc.

PanEuropean

[trekguy]

I am still waiting patiently pn the ambient footwell lighting concern.

Your friend,

Trekguy

[PanEuropean]

I'm still working on that one. There is very little information available right now about coding options on this car. FWIW, my W12 does not have any ambient footwell lighting when the doors are closed - the footwell lights work exactly the same as the footwell lights in my Golf did - on and off with the door opening and closing.

PanEuropean

[rmg2]

Quote, originally posted by PanEuropean »

RMG: As I discover the information to answer your questions, I'll post the answers in new threads with item specific titles. This will facilitate searching in the future, and also make it easier to compile a FAQ, again, sometime in the future. There are codes for opening and closing all windows / sunroof with the remote, but these have not been publicly disclosed. In the meantime, don't tape up the light sensor, it will screw up a multitude of other functions, including heating - air conditioning effectiveness and recovery time, dimming mirrors, auto headlights in tunnels, etc. PanEuropean

Curious to understand how covering up a photo sensor that controls the back-lit instrumentation effects the HVAC, dimming mirrors, etc.

[PanEuropean]

The HVAC system (Climatronic) on all VW products uses a sunlight sensor to determine the heat gain in the cabin that comes from solar heating, and to adjust the recovery of the cooling / heating system accordingly.

The auto-dimming mirrors on the Phaeton only function at night, the car determines if it is night or not by evaluating the signal from the same sunlight sensor.

The auto headlights on function also uses information from this same sensor.

PanEuropean

[rmg2]

Quote, originally posted by PanEuropean »

The HVAC system (Climatronic) on all VW products uses a sunlight sensor to determine the heat gain in the cabin that comes from solar heating, and to adjust the recovery of the cooling / heating system accordingly. The auto-dimming mirrors on the Phaeton only function at night, the car determines if it is night or not by evaluating the signal from the same sunlight sensor. The auto headlights on function also uses information from this same sensor. PanEuropean

The question is does the sensor facing the windshield behind the mirror also control the HVAC and the instrument cluster?

This morning when I started the car in the garage the dash vents were closed while in the garage but when I pulled out into the sun light the vents opened. However, once on the freeway the vents closed again even though the sun was out. Makes me think that there is a difference sensor for the vents.

I keep the cabin temp at 70 in all four positions. The outside temp was 66 according to the dash display. Therefore, I think there must be a sensor in the front grill area that balances the sun light with the actual temp in order to control the vents opening and closing.

[hmorse]

Is this possible? Can the dealer do it?

[PanEuropean]

Yes, the dealer can do it very easily. If you ask them to do this task when the car is in for regularly scheduled service, and they already have the diagnostic scan tool connected to the car, it's a 10 second job and they probably won't charge you anything.

If you take the car in for the sole purpose of having this done, it takes about half an hour to hook up the scan tool, poll the car, make the change, do the function tests, etc.

Just print out this thread and give it to your dealer. At the same time, you might want to review the topics Turn off the "Key in Ignition" warning chime and Define preferences for door locking and unlocking behavior. You might as well get the car set up the way you like it. Each of these tasks are quite simple for the technician to do. Again, just print the threads out and take them into the dealership with you. Not only will this provide all the information about what you want done, it might help attract some Phaeton technicians to our forum - which is a demographic we don't have right now, and one that would be really valuable to us as owners.

Michael

[PanEuropean]

Recent changes in American federal legislation have made it illegal for dealerships to turn off the seat belt warning chime - or, for that matter, to disable or work around any other warning, component, or function that is required by American law to be embodied into a motor vehicle that is sold in the United States.

Out of fairness (and sympathy) to the service departments who have to do business in compliance with this law, I am bringing it to your attention, so that none of our forum members become upset when a VW dealer states that it is illegal for them to turn off these chimes and buzzers. If they tell you that, they are telling you the truth, plain and simple. I have posted below a copy of a letter that VW has sent to the dealers, advising them of this recent change in the law. If you want to read the actual legislation, you can click on this link: Title 49, United States Code Chapter 301 Motor Vehicle Safety, Sub-chapter II, Section 30122.

I do not know whether individual American citizens (the owners or lessors of the cars) are allowed to turn buzzers and warnings on their cars off. As most of you know, I am not an American and do not live in America, as a result, I have very little knowledge about American laws.

Michael

Letter from VW to the Dealerships
(attached)


Modified by PanEuropean at 1:09 PM 1-4-2009

[bruce001]

Go to your friendly Ford dealer's parts department and tell them your overweight sister in law is coming for an extended visit and will be driving your 2006 Ford Escape and you would like to order a seat belt extender so she can drive around safely.

Offer to pay for same and they will most likely tell you there is "no charge".

Take said extender home and place it in your Phaeton and WALLAH...no more Chimes and no more searching for the receiver end of your seat belt tucked between your seat and center console.

And you have just "bought" your first Phaeton part that is not overpriced.

[PanEuropean]

Go to your friendly Ford dealer's parts department and tell them your overweight sister in law is coming for an extended visit and will be driving your 2006 Ford Escape and you would like to order a seat belt extender so she can drive around safely...

Hi Bruce:

That is a funny (and creative) solution, but it does have one drawback: If the seat belt extender is placed in the front passenger seat, then the airbag will fire in the event of a collision even if the seat is unoccupied. This is because the car uses the seat belt - the fact that it is connected - as the basis for assuming the seat is occupied and arming the passenger airbag.

If the passenger airbag does fire, it will be horribly expensive to remedy - not only will a new airbag assembly be needed, but also a new dashboard.

Michael

[entwisi]

IMHO if I've hit or been hit by something hard enough to fire any airbag I'd rather have the car written off and a new one purchased so anything that adds to the cost of repairing mine to tip it over the financial scales of life is a good thing.

are we sure its the seat belt and not the pressure sensor though? Most cars I've had up to now were triggered if the pressure sensor felt the right "weight". which in some cases a empty child seat ( unstrapped in of course seeing as no child is present) is enough to cause them to trigger.

[brosen]

Today my Seat Belt Warning and Chime stopped working, the dealer tells me the car was setup as European model, how can that happen ?, it changed itself (gremlins) ?, maybe an electrical issue ?, maybe the battery needs replacement ?, any previous experience about this ? , thanks

[PanEuropean]

You may have inadvertently changed the coding during your recent use of the diagnostic scan tool. The car cannot make a change like this by itself.

Michael

[liborj]

Hello Michael,

can I ask please? the procedure how to disable the seat belt warning chime is it just for Phaeton? Can I use the procedure for Passat B5 2005?
and another question please: do I have to buy the interface from Ross - Tech or is there any cheaper alternative I could disable this annoying chime?

thank you very much.

Libor

[PanEuropean]

Hello Libor:

The procedure for turning off the seat belt warning chime is "substantially the same" for all VW products. The warning chime is a North American requirement only.

You can purchase a 'generic' interface cable, or even build your own interface cable, provided that you have an older (pre-1999, I think) VW product and you are willing to use the 4.09 version of VCDS (the new name for VAG-COM). If you have a VW product made since 1999, or if you want to use a current version of VCDS that has all the software features in it, then you need to purchase the interface cable from Ross-Tech. The 'key' to the software (in other words, the license) is contained in the cable.

There is an explanation of how all this works at the Ross-Tech website. There is also a VCDS (VAG-COM) forum here on Vortex where you can go to ask specific questions about this software.

Michael

[liborj]

Thank you Michael

[n968412L]

Just made this change today. Worked like a treat.
Couple of queries.
Turning off the warning, has properly turned it off... ie it's turned off the red light in the instrument cluster and the chime. I had imagined it would only turn the chime off. On my P the chime only comes on if you drive at over about 10mph without the belt on... although the little red light flashes continuously. And as far as I can tell it only ever applies to the driver's seat - is thsi correct? Other VAG cars I've driven can sense if there's a passenger, but I don't think the Phaeton does... am I right.

Secondly... the second byte of the relevant data is supposed to be for the service interval type? The VAG-COM s'ware labels suggested that the values shoudl be 1 (for duty driven interval) or 2 for fixed interval... but my value is set to zero - ie the whole string was 0007401 and is now
0005401. I suppose I should be checking this out in the VAG-COM pages.... but thought someone might just jump in with the answer!

Regards

M

[Ekremsky]

Just received the Ross-Tech cable today and made the adjustments posted here from Michael,all works fine,no more warnings and chime,thanks!

Ekremsky

[tbskinner]

A way to do this without the computer is to unplug the seat belt warning switch plug. My seat belt was dinging no stop no matter if I had it plugged in or not. I was going to replace the seat belt but it cost $150 so I decided to see if i could jumper it to make it stop. I un plugged it and decided to try it out to make sure it wasn't a interrupter switch and guess what it was! No more dinging!

[PanEuropean]

Photos re-hosted.

Michael

[invisiblewave]

Voila.