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Screen Cleaning Mode Turns Off Passenger Air Bag?

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Was cleaning the screen the other day in screen cleaning mode and noticed my passenger airbag off warning was on the screen. There was nothing in the passenger seat. Exited screen cleaning mode and it went away. Tried it a couple more times (with no wiping screen) and the same thing happened every time.

Anyone have any idea why the two would be tied together?

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On 5.9, BTW.
 
Was cleaning the screen the other day in screen cleaning mode and noticed my passenger airbag off warning was on the screen. There was nothing in the passenger seat. Exited screen cleaning mode and it went away. Tried it a couple more times (with no wiping screen) and the same thing happened every time.

Anyone have any idea why the two would be tied together?

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On 5.9, BTW.

I've wondered that as well... the only thing I can think of is that the assumption is that somebody in the passenger seat (either while driving or when at a car wash) could be leaning forward near the dash to clean the screen and if the airbag were to go off, it would be dangerous.

Seems far-fetched, but I can't think of another reason...
 
Should be a totally black 17in screen except for the tiny 'select and hold' exit selector. Where was your air bag warning displayed? Is this repeatable?

I'm looking forward to driving with this black screen. Also pass airbag is OFF due to dog in front seat, but tying these two things together makes no sense.
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I think this is that as the 17" turnus off the status of airbags is displayed on the dashboard instead, like a redundancy feature if/when the 17" screen fails. Same happens during reboot. Are you sure it's displaying that the airbag is off or is this symbol just showing transiently?
 
Should be a totally black 17in screen except for the tiny 'select and hold' exit selector. Where was your air bag warning displayed? Is this repeatable?

I'm looking forward to driving with this black screen. Also pass airbag is OFF due to dog in front seat, but tying these two things together makes no sense.
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I should have been more clear. The "passenger airbag off" warning is displayed on the instrument panel screen while main screen was in screen cleaning mode. It's it's not just a symbol, it's the full "Passenger Airbag Disabled" warning text at the top of the instrument panel.
 
Sorry if this sounds patronising, but is it possible that your passenger airbag has been off for a while and you haven't noticed? Usually the only indicator is a very small message in the top-right of the 17" display - very easy to miss especially if you aren't looking for it. In that case all that's happening is that you're effectively turning off the 17" display, which "promotes" the message to the dash where it appears much more noticeably...

Or to ask a more direct question: when you aren't in screen cleaning mode does it say "Pass Airbag Off" in tiny writing at the top-right of the 17" display, just under the clock?
 
Sorry if this sounds patronising, but is it possible that your passenger airbag has been off for a while and you haven't noticed? Usually the only indicator is a very small message in the top-right of the 17" display - very easy to miss especially if you aren't looking for it. In that case all that's happening is that you're effectively turning off the 17" display, which "promotes" the message to the dash where it appears much more noticeably...

Yup this seems credible?
 
Sorry if this sounds patronising, but is it possible that your passenger airbag has been off for a while and you haven't noticed? Usually the only indicator is a very small message in the top-right of the 17" display - very easy to miss especially if you aren't looking for it. In that case all that's happening is that you're effectively turning off the 17" display, which "promotes" the message to the dash where it appears much more noticeably...

Or to ask a more direct question: when you aren't in screen cleaning mode does it say "Pass Airbag Off" in tiny writing at the top-right of the 17" display, just under the clock?

Yeah.. you're exactly right. I've never noticed, because I thought the pass airbag only turned off if someone/thing in the passenger seat didn't weigh enough. Looking at the manual, it appears that it's off anytime the seat is unoccupied.

Please disregard, and thanks for the hints.
 
@cgiGuy I'm not near a car to check but I'm not sure that's correct. I think it only shows the message in the top-right of the 17" display if the airbag has been deliberately disabled (settings -> safety & security, and I think you can also press the warning text itself as a shortcut). Worth checking to be sure!
 
@cgiGuy I'm not near a car to check but I'm not sure that's correct. I think it only shows the message in the top-right of the 17" display if the airbag has been deliberately disabled (settings -> safety & security, and I think you can also press the warning text itself as a shortcut). Worth checking to be sure!

I don't know what the behavior is anywhere outside the US as regulatory requirements may be different. However, in US spec cars if no one is in the passenger seat a small warning WILL ALWAYS be displayed at the top right of the center display. I've never used cleaning mode so I can't comment on if the OP's behavior is typical, though it makes sense it would be.
 
US models.

Screen Shot 2014-05-12 at 8.52.57 AM.png
 
What's that "Blind Spot" feature under "Active Safety" on the graphic above? (And the OCD in me asks why it isn't aligned with the other sliders in the second column.)

Is this a screenshot of an owner's manual ready for new features?


- Adam
 
Wow I hadn't noticed that!

The screenshot is from the EU Model S manual PDF (which hasn't been updated since October last year). The only mention of blind spot elsewhere in the manual is that Fuse 16 in Box 1 is for "Parking/Blind Spot Sensors". Looks like a mistake to me!