Here is another very common fault, which seems to hit many D2's with the sports recaros after around 10 to 12 years of life, although it will certainly be based on the number of time the passenger seat is used.
How to diagnose:
The fault is diagnosed using vagcom on the Airbag controller, and expect to see a fault regarding the 'seat occupancy sensor' for the front passenger seat. It will likely be 'intermittent'
You can reset the fault, but it *will* reoccur, it might be a week, it might be a month, but it will.
What is the sensor for ?
The occupancy sensor is used to determine whether anyone is sat in a particular seat. The theory is, that if a seat is unoccupied, then in a crash it can deploy less airbags and reduce the repair cost. There is always a sensor on the passenger seat, and apart from the very early D2's, and the very last ones, there are two sensors for the rear seats too. The drivers seat has no sensor as its fair to assume in a crash that seat was occupied
Where is it?
The occupancy sensor is actually nothing more than a thin, flimsy pressure pad that is bonded on the seat foam underneath the seat covering. It is not a mecanical switch or push to make type contact, instead it is a pressure pad which gives a variable resistance depending on the load on the seat.
Does it affect non sports seats?
No, it doesnt seem to. The sports seats are unique in that the presssure pad is in two parts - It has one part on the main seat base, and another much smaller one on the pullout knee squab. It is this latter one that always seems to fail.
Can I just bypass it ?
Yes, See below
How can I fix it Properly?
The pressure pad is bonded onto the heated foam of the sports seat, and thus the whole item needs replacing. The part is approximately £200 from Audi. Expect to pay 2 / 3 hours labour to have it fitted.
Depending on how long you intend to keep the car, it may be cheaper and more cost effective to consider just buying a 2nd hand passenger seat without the fault. Check with us to see what stock we have.
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