How To Turn Off Subaru Passenger Airbag

There are a number of reasons why it may be necessary to turn off the passenger airbag on your Subaru. For example, if you want to take your Subaru through rough terrain where there is a possibility of knocks and bumps, you may want to disengage the passenger airbags to avoid the airbags being deployed and thus a hefty repair bill. The other reason why you may feel it warranted to disengage the airbags would be if you are carrying a child in the front seat. Typically, the deployment of airbags can harm children in the front seat due to the forceful energy that the airbag is often released with. Finally, if you are carrying some heavy objects on the passenger seat, the sensor may confuse your luggage for a person and may trigger the seatbelt alarm. For that reason, disconnecting the airbag system may also deactivate the seatbelt alarm.

Having looked at various reasons why it may be necessary to deactivate your Subaru passenger airbag, here is how you go about getting this done.

Disengaging Passenger Airbag

While some vehicles feature special lock mechanisms that make disengaging the passenger seat airbag easy, you cannot count on your vehicle has this feature. Fortunately, there is another way to get around this problem. You start by disconnecting the battery so as not to mess with the electrical systems. Having done that, go to the glove compartment and remove the entire unit. This will expose a connector switch that links the airbag to the rest of the system. Gently pull out the connector to disable the airbag. You should also consider taping the ends of the connectors for added safety. Once this is done, return the glove box and reconnect the battery once more.

Safety Matters

There are a few scenarios that may require you to disconnect your passenger airbag. Ensure that you never drive the vehicle with a passenger while the airbag is disconnected. It is also important to remember that different Subaru models have different specs. If you can’t find the mechanism to disable the airbag, it is wise to let a qualified Subaru dealer help you with the problem. The other thing to keep in mind is that the airbag system is sometimes linked to seatbelts. For this reason, deactivating the passenger airbag may also lock the seatbelts or cause a warning light to appear on the dashboard. Given the fact that you are not carrying any passengers at such a point, this should not be a problem. Finally, most Subaru vehicles do not allow for the driver’s airbag to be deactivated.

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