Disconnect/Modify Seatbelt Beeper?

[Tom Kelly]

I habitually buckle up. But not for 150 ft. trips from my mailbox to my
garage. And not when I'm just moving the car around in a parking lot.

My 2005 OBW has a very LOUD beeper that beeps for 15 seconds, is silent for
15 seconds, and then beeps AGAIN for 15 seconds. This cycle continues to
annoy until the driver either buckles up or runs screaming into the middle
of the freeway. My friends' '05 Forester does not do this. But a Subaru
sales guy verified that all '05 OBs do it.

I thought I was buying a car, not a nanny. My dealer, fearing liability
claims I suppose, refuses to touch it. Is there a practical way to subdue
this monstrosity?

Tom

 

[Ron Joiner]

I habitually buckle up. But not for 150 ft. trips from my mailbox to my
garage. And not when I'm just moving the car around in a parking lot.

My 2005 OBW has a very LOUD beeper that beeps for 15 seconds, is silent for
15 seconds, and then beeps AGAIN for 15 seconds. This cycle continues to
annoy until the driver either buckles up or runs screaming into the middle
of the freeway. My friends' '05 Forester does not do this. But a Subaru
sales guy verified that all '05 OBs do it.

I thought I was buying a car, not a nanny. My dealer, fearing liability
claims I suppose, refuses to touch it. Is there a practical way to subdue
this monstrosity?

Tom

Does no harm to buckle up every time you get in your car and you might
try walking the 150ft (sorry!).

Ron

 

[mark jb]

I thought I was buying a car, not a nanny. My dealer, fearing liability

claims I suppose, refuses to touch it. Is there a practical way to subdue
this monstrosity?

Not really. You could try to rip the dash apart and find the buzzer, but
remembering that all such systems are now wired into the airbag control, you
may well set off the airbag in your face. Unlikely but possible. Apart from
that, you don't know if the buzzer also reminds you of services or anything
else besides seatbelts.

-mark

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

perhpas a trip to the junkyard to get a belt 'tongue' from a junker to
plug in? I dunno.

Carl

 

[H]

150ft trips! what the hell do you have legs and feet for ya yank. Jeez, no
wonder gas prices are through the roof, f'n americans!

 

[Jim Stewart]

150ft trips! what the hell do you have legs and feet for ya yank. Jeez, no
wonder gas prices are through the roof, f'n americans!

Damn I love a topposted useless post.

How the hell do you know that he's not shuttling
6 bags of cement and 10 fenceposts every time
he's going 150 feet.

 

[l.lichtman]

Well, if that were what I was doing, I would plug in the seatbelt and
then sit on it. The trouble with turning it off is you will not have
the warning sometime when you need it. You would probably also lose
the key-in-ignition warning as well. That's one I personally really do
need.

 

[invalid]

Well, if that were what I was doing, I would plug in the seatbelt and
then sit on it. The trouble with turning it off is you will not have
the warning sometime when you need it. You would probably also lose
the key-in-ignition warning as well. That's one I personally really do
need.

That's the one I hate. You want to have a nice relaxing lunch in your
car with all the doors open and the radio on, but all you can hear is
tht #@#$%!@ door open chime...

 

[Arketip]

Damn I love a topposted useless post.

How the hell do you know that he's not shuttling
6 bags of cement and 10 fenceposts every time
he's going 150 feet.

Or maybe coming home from work he stops at the mailbox, pick'up his mail
and then drive to his garage?

 

[Phil]

yeh - wear the seat belt....

 

[xtranet]

Find the connector that is connected to your seatbelt clip/release. It

should be underneath your seat/carpet. Unplug or unplug and short
terminals.

 

[Tom Kelly]

Ahhhh, just the kind of helpful response I was looking for!

Tom

 

[Tom Kelly]

Does no harm to buckle up every time you get in your car and you might try
walking the 150ft (sorry!).

Just the kind of supportive response I was expecting from, ah, a certain
type of person.

Tom

 

[Tom Kelly]

So. I'm supposed to leave my car on the street and walk up to my garage?
Makes sense in certain benighted lands, I suppose.

Tom

 

[Tom Kelly]

That's the one I hate. You want to have a nice relaxing lunch in your
car with all the doors open and the radio on, but all you can hear is
tht #@#$%!@ door open chime...

Finally, somebody who GETS it.

Up until now, the responses were living up to my most cynical expectations.
I especially liked the one about the dangers of disabling the beeper,
because some day I might NEED it.

I wonder when that day might arrive? Satan's minions will no doubt start
mounting snow tires on that very same day.

Tom

 

[Tom Kelly]

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

Tom

 

[Paul Harding]

Seems like a reasonable question from a subscriber looking for help from
some kind of intelligent life forms - all this guy receives are insults and
stupid comments. I am sorry I bought a Subaru - I must have the same
mentality as you other Subaru owners. At least I now know where I belong!
sad, but true.

 

[S]

Hi Tom!

My 2005 OBW has a very LOUD beeper that beeps for 15 seconds,

Sadly, this group is rapidly becoming a place for
smart-assed/politically correct/basically useless commentary, rather
than actual assistance with Subaru things

Regarding your beeper; I too hate those damned things. I don't know
for sure on the newer cars, but on my '96 Legacy, the offensive
component is called a "seat belt timer module", and it is located on
the panel below the steering column; an ~2X3X1 inch black plastic
module. Simply unplug it.

I'm sure that you could open the module and physically disable (a
large pair of wire cutters would do the job) the piezoelectric
squeaker, but you will probably wish to re-connect the warning if you
go to sell the car, so I would only pursue this if disconnecting the
module caused other problems; CEL or ABS warnings or whatever. The
only thing I've noted on my car is that the little seat belt icon on
the dash doesn't illuminate either; small loss IMO.

If you don't find a similar thing on your car, the only thing I can
suggest is to start pulling the access panels off until you find it.
Listen very carefully; the sound is kinda omni-directional, but when
you cover the correct part with your hand, you will know.

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB
Laboratory Manager
Microelectronics Research
University of Colorado
(719) 262-3101

 

[normzauchin]

I habitually buckle up. But not for 150 ft. trips from my mailbox to my
garage. And not when I'm just moving the car around in a parking lot.

My 2005 OBW has a very LOUD beeper that beeps for 15 seconds, is silent for

Ask your Dealer to show you the Tech. Service Bulletin on this issue.

Component Description:
8. SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES Bulletin Number: 12
Bulletin Date: AUG 2004

Vehicle: 2005 Subaru Outback
Summary:
SEATBELT REMINDER SYSTEM DISABLEMENT. SUBARU TECHTIPS. *TT

 

[Paul Knudsen]

Ahhhh, just the kind of helpful response I was looking for!

Tom

I thought it was pretty good.