No, sorry, you are wrong there. The warning light and chime is just that, a warning, same as that for the screen wash being low and the brake pads being worn.. It has nothing to do with the airbag system. It is a setting within the instrument cluster. The seats do not have any pressure/weight sensors at all to detect whether they are occupied, if the airbag system is deployed, all the airbags will go off, with the exception of the passenger front one IF that is switched off manually with the key switch in the glove box.

EDIT the car won't know whether or not the passenger seat belt is fastened as there is no cut off switch in the buckle. The only way of disabling the passenger airbag is by the glove box switch. If you have an accident whilst only the driver is in the car, both front airbags will blow rather than the car decide that only the driver's one is needed.

Mike

I get what you are saying Mike but my point is that the airbag ECU uses the stalk and buckle to recognise an occupant, if they are unplugged the airbag will not deploy.

On a MK1, the driver's seat switch is a simple switch connected to the dash.

On a MK2, the driver's seat switch is an input to the airbag controller. For the UK, this switch does not determine if the airbag or belt pre-tensioner will deploy.

On both the MK1 and MK2, the buckle switch determines if the belt pre-tensioner fires. For the UK, this switch does not determine if the airbag will deploy.

I get what you are saying Mike but my point is that the airbag ECU uses the stalk and buckle to recognise an occupant, if they are unplugged the airbag will not deploy.

So if you don't wear your seat belt then the air bag will not deploy? seems a bit silly to me!

I get what you are saying Mike but my point is that the airbag ECU uses the stalk and buckle to recognise an occupant, if they are unplugged the airbag will not deploy.

Thats not true.

As there is NO sensor or connection to any ECU from the passenger seatbelt system - How does the car 'know' the seat isnt occupied?

As posted above, if you have a frontal impact accident that triggers the drivers airbag, then the passenger bag will deploy. Regardless of wether that seat is occupied or not.

...if you have a frontal impact accident that triggers the drivers airbag, then the passenger bag will deploy. Regardless of wether that seat is occupied or not...

I can confirm this first hand. I've seen a 2011 Octy with both driver and passenger airbags deployed. There was only a driver in the car at the time of the accident.

Even if there is an airbag fault, the controller will still attempt to deploy all the airbags in an accident.

Sorry to resurrect this, jsut reading it as i've stripped the interior out of my octy and now know what you're talking about, but just for reference, am I right in thinking the following:

1) yellow connector is the airbag?

2) large black connector is the wiring for heating & electic seats?

3) small black connector is the one to disable to seatbelt chime?

(1&2 are on both seats, whereas 3 is definitely ONLY on the drivers side on my car)

Correct

So am I right with my surmise of what each connector does then Mike?

soooooo.....

Exactly as you said, yellow airbag, large black seat adjustment/heating, small black seat belt warning

Mike

Sorry Mike; the joys of reading the extended bit of a thread and replying without refreshing the page! The post before my bump answered it. My bad.