Jet Jockey/A4 Pilot

Airbag/seat belt red warning lights. This will most likely help you in getting the "right" resistors to "fool" the system in thinking the normal OEM seat(s) is/are connected to the car's data bus system and/or the Airbag system.

I can't recall the resistor's values but since you clearly see them in my pictures you should be able to decipher the bar codes to get the values. In any case I hope this pictorial helps you out.

<b>NOTE/WARNING: This was done to my car, a B6 A4 and it should also work on a B6/B7 S4 and on the B7 RS4. I am in no way responsible if things don't work out on other's cars. You should test your system on your cars to make sure the values from the resistors work properly with your car's systems.</b>

BTW, if ever you remove the rear seat because it weighs 50 lbs (as I did for track use), there is another Airbag/seat belt modification required for that too. Of course I do have the info and pictures for that too.

OK, so here we go...


Here we have the harness that as been unplugged from the car's floor mounting position. The two plugs that will need your attention to "fool or bypass" the system of Airbag warnings are the small Yellow one and the bigger rectangular shaped black one.

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag02-1.jpg">


I will start with the yellow Airbag connector. Sorry for the out of focus picture but you should be able to read and get the proper value for this resistor by using its colour coded bars. IIRC this is a <b>1% precision</b> resistor and they are very hard to get (so I was told). <b>You need not get a 1% precision resistor.</b> A 2% or 3% or perhaps even higher value for the precision value can be used as long as the other values are the same. This "bypass" is only good for the actual airbag in the steering wheel only. I bought the "blank" yellow airbag connector from my dealer back in 2004. I don't know if they are still available.

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag03.jpg">


I reinserted the modified yellow airbag connector fitted with the resistor into the OEM main harness slot in the floor and taped the top portion just for added protection. I started the car and used the VAG-COM to check and test the Airbag system. Sure enough the steering wheel's airbag had been defeated and no red light warning came on because of it. However the airbag red warning light still came on for the driver's seat belt/weight sensor. I doubled checked that by plugging the black rectangular seat harness in. Sure enough the red airbag warning went out. Bypassing the other portion is next.

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag04.jpg">


The next step is to "bypass" the seat's safety belt/weight sensor that also triggers the Airbag's red warning light. This is the plug that needs to be modified, the black rectangular plug.

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag05.jpg">


The black rectangular plug and its harness are connected to this; the actual seat belt buckle that is secured to the seat on the inboard side of the car between the seat and the tranny tunnel.

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag06.jpg">


Now to achieve the "bypass" of the black rectangular plug, I again went to the dealers to buy a "blank" plug. It comes in two pieces and decided to buy both. You hook them up together like this.

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag09.jpg">


Once hooked up it looks like this, like the OEM one attached to the main harness. All that is needed in to get a piece of wire and the proper resistor to make it work. That's in the next frame.

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag10.jpg">


Here we go. I also bought that yellow wire from Audi. The proper resistor was determined by testing the system and then it was welded in place.

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag11.jpg">


All that's left to do is plug the "bypass resistor" back in the OEM slot and retest the car's airbag system. I can tell you it as worked flawlessly ever since. As you can see, I also added and extra layer of electrical tape for added protection to both modified plugs.

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag14.jpg">

bhvrdr

The B7 cars also have a weight sensor in the passenger seat that has to be fooled IIRC.

Jet Jockey/A4 Pilot

Yes and they would have to duplicate the driver's modifications to the passenger's side too.

JMG

I used this as my starting point for my conversion

Bleu CHEEZE (Loren)

how did you come to be so knowledgable about this type of stuff?

star607

Do you know what the plugs name is so that I can order one at the parts counter? Where is the yellow wire plugged in slots 7-8 going? Also does the 4.7 ohm 1/4 watt resistor sound familiar?

star607

How would one fool the passenger weight sensor

Bleu CHEEZE (Loren)

put a dumbell on the seat

Jet Jockey/A4 Pilot

From looking at other pictures I have, the bulge in the black electrical tape and these pictures I'm pretty sure this is where you need to install the resistance.

Keep in mind I have a 2004 A4 with barely any optional equipment (that's the way I ordered it). So your B7 RS4 may be different because of its standard/optional equipment.


Here's a close up of the resistor and its location within the rectangular plug. It seems to be in the two most forward spots and outboard (assuming the picture is in the right direction).

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag11-1.jpg">


Here's a close up of the in-floor connectors. You can see that the black connector box (male) as only four male prones in it. Both sets are position outboard which leaves me to believe the resistor as to be in the forward/outboard position.

<img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/AirBag04-1.jpg">


<b>As for the parts, here's what I did. I went to the dealer and went to their parts department and went through ETKA with the parts guy. I showed him what I needed and he gave me the appropriate parts. Sorry but I don't have parts numbers or a proper technical name for them.

The 4.7 Ohms and ¼ Watt figure sounded good until I talked to my electronic/electrician guy. Now for sure the ¼ Watt figure is accurate but he tells me that it is either a 0.2 or 0.4 Ohms value but not 4.7 Ohms. You go figure!

As for the yellow wire coming out of slot 7 and 8, I simply believe they were cut down to size to fit so that the connector could mate up to the other half. I don't have the car in my garage because it is still in the shop for the cage and seat fitting. I will not be able to have access to it until at least this weekend.

If I can get access to it, I will take a look at the connectors and take new pictures.</b>