Fasten seat belt warning

[Rolfe]

You sure about that? I often carry my handbag and other stuff on the passenger seat and I don't get this. There has got to be a minimum weight below which the seat belt warning won't activate.

 

[dsimpkins]

I had this for the first time last night. The missus was driving at relatively load speed and i was sat in the back as my daughter was passenger. Turns out it was a handbag on the back seat which weight wise was next to nothing . Moved it out of the way and the warning stopped.

That's useful to know. We had a violin on the back seat. Again, very low weight.

 

[AdyC]

You sure about that? I often carry my handbag and other stuff on the passenger seat and I don't get this. There has got to be a minimum weight below which the seat belt warning won't activate.

Yep positive i was there and moved it at the time. It stopped after going on for a couple of minutes . Back seat maybe different to front who knows.

 

[evcog]

I've just remembered a purchase I made about 2 months before I received my car. That was after a post on another forum.

0.4￡ 81% OFF|Car Safety Seat Belt Lock Buckle Head Clip Hidden Metal Seatbelt Plug Alarm Canceler Stopper Auto Interior Accessories - Seat Belt Accessories - AliExpress

They are useful if you have packages on the back seats with no passengers. They complete the circuit when plugged into a belt buckle. Although I've never had to use them they might be useful with the scenario descibed here.

 

[Swift]

I had this for the first time last night. The missus was driving at relatively load speed and i was sat in the back as my daughter was passenger. Turns out it was a handbag on the back seat which weight wise was next to nothing . Moved it out of the way and the warning stopped.

This sounds like normal/expected behaviour when the car thinks the seat is occupied. The issue we're having is when stopped with the parking brake applied, the car will refuse to release the parking brake despite the belt(s) being fastened and unoccupied seats are clear of objects.

 

[Rolfe]

I'm still having trouble with this idea. People put stuff on back seats all the time. It's normal. Cars don't start fussing about seat belts with a handbag on a seat, back or front. Mine doesn't. I put my handbag there, I put the bag I take to music practice there, which has a flute, a music stand, music, sundry other bits and bobs and weighs a lot more than a handbag there. Three times now I have put my cat in his cat carrier there, to take him to the cattery while I went out gallivanting in the car.

Never, never has this caused the car to suggest I needed to strap any of these things in. Car manufacturers know that people put stuff on seats. They have a minimum weight the seat will accept before that message goes off. The behaviour of my car suggests that the MG4 is no different.

 

[MartinSEsr]

I had this for the first time last night. The missus was driving at relatively load speed and i was sat in the back as my daughter was passenger. Turns out it was a handbag on the back seat which weight wise was next to nothing . Moved it out of the way and the warning stopped.

Hi

if you are usually the only person in the car, but put a briefcase (or a heavy lunch box!) on the passenger seat, or throw things onto the back seat, it can cause a problem with the seat-weight sensor thinking there is someone sitting there with their belt off.

The solution is on aliexpress where they sell plug in seatbelt clips, which do the same as plugging the belt in properly, ie a clip goes into the seatbelt receiver and closes the 'seatbelt is fastened' microswitch. For the rears it's even sensible to leave the seatbelts always fastened (if the rear isn't used much and the rear seats aren't folded down much) as it is safer, preventing any heavy objects in the boot penetrating the cabin in a crash.

 

[Rolfe]

This is nonsense. I've just enumerated the things I've put on the back seat that haven't triggered anything, and they're a lot heavier than a briefcase or a lunchbox. I've never had this warning. (I have had it when an actual back seat passenger was still fumbling for the buckle when I drove off though, so it does work when it's supposed to.)

 

[AdyC]

Hi

if you are usually the only person in the car, but put a briefcase (or a heavy lunch box!) on the passenger seat, or throw things onto the back seat, it can cause a problem with the seat-weight sensor thinking there is someone sitting there with their belt off.

The solution is on aliexpress where they sell plug in seatbelt clips, which do the same as plugging the belt in properly, ie a clip goes into the seatbelt receiver and closes the 'seatbelt is fastened' microswitch. For the rears it's even sensible to leave the seatbelts always fastened (if the rear isn't used much and the rear seats aren't folded down much) as it is safer, preventing any heavy objects in the boot penetrating the cabin in a crash.

Makes sense as i never really use the back seats .

 

[Rolfe]

No, really, it doesn't make sense, and it doesn't happen in a car that's functioning normally. Car manufacturers know that lots of people put bags and so on on their back seats, sometimes relatively heavy ones. Seat belt warnings don't come on until the weight might plausibly suggest there's an actual human being there. Mine don't, and if yours do, there's something wrong.

 

[Swift]

No, really, it doesn't make sense, and it doesn't happen in a car that's functioning normally. Car manufacturers know that lots of people put bags and so on on their back seats, sometimes relatively heavy ones. Seat belt warnings don't come on until the weight might plausibly suggest there's an actual human being there. Mine don't, and if yours do, there's something wrong.

I've had no issue with light objects on the seats either. I don't know how sophisticated the system is, whether it just simply triggers at a certain weight or if its more intelligent (object size, movement, even temperature etc?), in which case maybe a light object could fool it if it meets some other criteria its looking out for.

 

[Rolfe]

I'd think it would have to be a pretty big coincidence. I throw everything in the back seat and only really use the boot for going-away luggage, and I've never had a false warning.

 

[GarRo247]

Yes, auto hold should be used. I never touch the park brake lever, it automatically applies itself once the car is exited and locked I believe, then disengages upon entry and start up. This sounds like using it when pulling up at lights etc is confusing the car, hence the messages seen.

Once you open the door it puts mine in park