Haunted Seatbelt Warning

[Ellaia]

Hi everyone...

I have a bizarre and infuriating problem with my late 11 S40.

The seatbelt warning randomly comes on when all seatbelts (in occupied seats or seats with items on, like my bag) are on. Sometimes the warning comes on when ALL seatbelts in the car is on regardless of occupancy. Further more, sometimes the warning continues with the loud ding even when the car has stopped.

I have taken it to volvo, they cannot get anything on the computer.

A member of their staff heard the dinging sound when the car had stopped and I had got out the car to talk to them at the garage entrance. I had three kids in the back, two seatbelted, one isofixed and no front passenger. Whilst chatting the ding randomly stopped, they could not explain it at all.

99% of the time a restart of the car resolves the issue, however since it can happen when starting up or whilst driving - that is not always easily possible if it is during driving.

To make all of this worse, my daughter is autistic, the sound is very loud and distresses her so much she tries to get out of the car. If this happens whilst I'm on a motorway, I am in a very dangerous situation and have been forced to restart my car whilst still moving before she starts trying to climb around the car.

Volvo will not turn the ding off as it is a safety feature, they have changed seatbelt stocks but it has made no difference. I cannot force the issue to replicate, it is completely random and follows no pattern.

I have checked the children seatbelts to ensure they are on (computer says they are on too) I have even plugged in the seatbelt on my sons side (he is isofix) and the empty passenger side seat, to no avail.


PLEASE help! What could this be? How do I fix it? I love my Volvo, but it is currently dangerous to drive when my daughter is in it.

Thanks

[junitrules]

Not sure it's much help but I have a 2008 v50 and the warning dings briefly if I have something on the seat but no seatbelt on, i.e. if I leave a heavy bag on the seat. It's a very brief ding on the dash though

[Welton]

You must mean the sound that plays through the stereo? that IS loud I feel sorry for you.

To be fair the seat sensors etc are normally very accurate and reliable so yours is quite an unusual problem.

I can't offer any help other than speak to a Volvo specialist to see if it can be turned off?

I hope other members can help further once they read this.

[Ellaia]

Originally Posted by Welton

You must mean the sound that plays through the stereo? that IS loud I feel sorry for you.

To be fair the seat sensors etc are normally very accurate and reliable so yours is quite an unusual problem.

I can't offer any help other than speak to a Volvo specialist to see if it can be turned off?

I hope other members can help further once they read this.

Yes they are normally very accurate, but to be honest I can't see this being the issue since it is happening so randomly. But then, I can't guess what else it could be so I am stumped, I do not know how these things work.

In response to the other post, if I have anything on my seats of any sort of weight, I put the seatbelt on (often my handbag weighs enough to set off the sensor!) and I know it sometimes dings if I hit a bump and the weight distribution changes setting the sensor off, but it isn't like this. No movement on the sensors will stop the noise, nor will stopping or slowing the car - both which should stop the noise.

The dealership will not turn the ding off because it is a safety feature, so until they can make it appear on the computer, I am at a loss as to what I can do.

I was hoping someone else would have had the same problem, but it does not seem common sadly.

[SouthWestWanderer]

You could try getting the dinger turned off by an independent or a forum member with the right software.

Volvo are probably just concerned about you suing them in future...