What you HATE the most on your FR-S/BRZ/GT86/FT86?

[jimmyjjohn]

Well, I miss my light-up vanity mirror and easy-to-reach cup holders. And the fake carbon fiber thing's a little eh, but I don't mind it. I wish the EMF sensors in the passenger seat wasn't so sensitive to my phone & tablet--the passenger seat belt alarm startles me.

[beatgenie]

There is really only 1 or 2 things I don't like about my FR-S but the main one is the lit-up colors on the interior. The cluster features a nice looking red and white theme, then right next to it is the audio/climate/time functions which have this orange colored theme. They don't match or blend well together at all. I just wished they would have picked one theme and rolled with it. It just looks tacky to me.

Secondly, I have a love/hate relationship with the stock tail lights. At some angles I absolutely love them (especially the back view) but at other angles it reminds me too much of the altezza's which I don't like at all. In any case I wouldn't switch them for aftermarket as I'm broke...and would like to keep this car stock either way.

[2much]

1. passenger rear blind spot is huge
2. passenger seat belt alarm can be triggered by a piece of paper
3. waste of space speedometer should offer oil temp, etc.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by 2much

1. passenger rear blind spot is huge
2. passenger seat belt alarm can be triggered by a piece of paper
3. waste of space speedometer should offer oil temp, etc.

The seat belt alarm can not be set off with a "piece of paper". It is an electronic sensor not a mechanical weight triggered switch.
Now a cell phone or other electronic device on a piece of paper that is a different story.

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The seat belt alarm can not be set off with a "piece of paper". It is an electronic sensor not a mechanical weight triggered switch.
Now a cell phone or other electronic device on a piece of paper that is a different story.

To expand on your point, and I believe I did it in this thread many moons ago, I conducted an experiment (complete with scientific method!):

Question: What causes the seat belt alarm to go off with a cell phone?

Research: The numerous posts in this thread about the phone/seat alarm issue, along with knowledge of E-M interference properties.

Hypothesis: A cell phone sitting on the passenger seat will set off the seat belt alarm.

Test Procedure:
1) Control--no cell phone on the seat. Result--no alarm
2) Test 1--Cell phone on seat, not plugged in. Result--no alarm (hmmmm)
3) Test 2--Cell phone on seat, plugged in. Result--Seat belt alarm activates!
4) Test 3--Phone charger plug sitting on seat, plugged in to car but not phone. Result--no alarm.
Note: All tests were done for 20 seconds minimum

Analysis & Conclusion:
With the Control, Test 1 and Test 3, there was no seat belt alarm, but with Test 2, the alarm activated. The primary and noticeable difference between all of these is the combination of the charger and the phone, i.e. the phone is charging at the time of seat belt alarm activation. Therefore, I conclude that the seat belt alarm is activated by interference with the seat "presence" sensor caused by the current flow while the phone charges.

Now, I am just one person, and until this procedure is corroborated by other owners, it is not scientifically valid, so feel free to peer review me and lets get to the bottom of this.

TL;DR--If you are charging your phone and set it on the passenger seat, the seat belt alarm will activate. Try it!

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by HunterGreene

To expand on your point, and I believe I did it in this thread many moons ago, I conducted an experiment (complete with scientific method!):

Question: What causes the seat belt alarm to go off with a cell phone?

Research: The numerous posts in this thread about the phone/seat alarm issue, along with knowledge of E-M interference properties.

Hypothesis: A cell phone sitting on the passenger seat will set off the seat belt alarm.

Test Procedure:
1) Control--no cell phone on the seat. Result--no alarm
2) Test 1--Cell phone on seat, not plugged in. Result--no alarm (hmmmm)
3) Test 2--Cell phone on seat, plugged in. Result--Seat belt alarm activates!
4) Test 3--Phone charger plug sitting on seat, plugged in to car but not phone. Result--no alarm.
Note: All tests were done for 20 seconds minimum

Analysis & Conclusion:
With the Control, Test 1 and Test 3, there was no seat belt alarm, but with Test 2, the alarm activated. The primary and noticeable difference between all of these is the combination of the charger and the phone, i.e. the phone is charging at the time of seat belt alarm activation. Therefore, I conclude that the seat belt alarm is activated by interference with the seat "presence" sensor caused by the current flow while the phone charges.

Now, I am just one person, and until this procedure is corroborated by other owners, it is not scientifically valid, so feel free to peer review me and lets get to the bottom of this.

TL;DR--If you are charging your phone and set it on the passenger seat, the seat belt alarm will activate. Try it!

I fully corroborate your theory and test results as I did exactly the same.
I also added the variable of my lap top sitting on the seat in the on and off position and with the cell plugged in and out of it.
Laptop on seat turned off - No alarm
Laptop on seat turned on - No alarm
Laptop on seat turned off cell plugged in - No alarm
Laptop on seat turned on cell plugged in - Alarm
Unplugging and plugging phone back in - Alarm goes on and off

I make no claims of knowledge on exactly how the sensor works but am positive it is the energy flow that actually triggers it.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by HunterGreene

To expand on your point, and I believe I did it in this thread many moons ago, I conducted an experiment (complete with scientific method...

Now, I am just one person, and until this procedure is corroborated by other owners, it is not scientifically valid, so feel free to peer review me and lets get to the bottom of this....

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I fully corroborate your theory and test results as I did exactly the same......

I make three. I did this same experiment right after folks starting noticing this in 2012. We can call this myth

[HunterGreene]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

I make three. I did this same experiment right after folks starting noticing this in 2012. We can call this myth

I feel compelled to post this now:

[2much]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The seat belt alarm can not be set off with a "piece of paper". It is an electronic sensor not a mechanical weight triggered switch.
Now a cell phone or other electronic device on a piece of paper that is a different story.

I can't say ive done any experiments. I can say 100% positively that if my passenger seat belt is not buckled in, my 1.) wallet or 2.) hoodie or 3.) cell phone can all indivudually make the seat belt alarm go off.

In the end, I don't really give a shite about how it works, I do know it shouldnt be going off when i have less than 1lb on the seat.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by 2much

I can't say ive done any experiments. I can say 100% positively that if my passenger seat belt is not buckled in, my 1.) wallet or 2.) hoodie or 3.) cell phone can all indivudually make the seat belt alarm go off.

In the end, I don't really give a shite about how it works, I do know it shouldnt be going off when i have less than 1lb on the seat.

Dude there is something wrong with your car! The alarms are not weight triggered.
OH and it perfectly fine to say shit on here.

[Dadhawk]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2much
I can't say ive done any experiments. I can say 100% positively that if my passenger seat belt is not buckled in, my 1.) wallet or 2.) hoodie or 3.) cell phone can all indivudually make the seat belt alarm go off.

In the end, I don't really give a shite about how it works, I do know it shouldnt be going off when i have less than 1lb on the seat.

I get it, understand and agree, but just so everyone has the full story...



That's what I thought too (anything set it off) until I realized the common denominator each time was something (usually my cell phone) was plugged in and charging even though I was attributing it to the other article I had placed in the seat.


I can make it happen and stop at will. Plug my phone in, place the charging end on the seat of the car. If I pick up my phone or lean the phone up on the bottom seat bolster so the charger is in the air it stops.


I have never been able to make it go off with anything else except an item that was wet.


Both of these are explained in the owner's manual.


Quote:
Originally Posted by BRZ Manual, Page 96
If the front passenger’s seat cushion is wet, this may adversely affect theability of the system to determine deployment. If the seat cushion is wet, thefront passenger should stop sitting on the front passenger’s seat. Wipe off water from the seat immediately, let the seat dry naturally and then check the SRS airbag system warning light as follows....
...Also, if luggage or electronic devices are placed on the front passenger’s seat, this may adversely affect the ability of the system to determine deployment.


The reason it uses electronics instead of a weight sensor is because this gets around having a car seat in the front and having to manually turn off the airbag. The plastic in the car seat isolates the conductor (the child with a wet diaper) from the sensor.

[2much]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2much
I can't say ive done any experiments. I can say 100% positively that if my passenger seat belt is not buckled in, my 1.) wallet or 2.) hoodie or 3.) cell phone can all indivudually make the seat belt alarm go off.

In the end, I don't really give a shite about how it works, I do know it shouldnt be going off when i have less than 1lb on the seat.

I get it, understand and agree, but just so everyone has the full story...



That's what I thought too (anything set it off) until I realized the common denominator each time was something (usually my cell phone) was plugged in and charging even though I was attributing it to the other article I had placed in the seat.


I can make it happen and stop at will. Plug my phone in, place the charging end on the seat of the car. If I pick up my phone or lean the phone up on the bottom seat bolster so the charger is in the air it stops.


I have never been able to make it go off with anything else except an item that was wet.


Both of these are explained in the owner's manual.


Quote:
Originally Posted by BRZ Manual, Page 96
If the front passenger’s seat cushion is wet, this may adversely affect theability of the system to determine deployment. If the seat cushion is wet, thefront passenger should stop sitting on the front passenger’s seat. Wipe off water from the seat immediately, let the seat dry naturally and then check the SRS airbag system warning light as follows....
...Also, if luggage or electronic devices are placed on the front passenger’s seat, this may adversely affect the ability of the system to determine deployment.


The reason it uses electronics instead of a weight sensor is because this gets around having a car seat in the front and having to manually turn off the airbag. The plastic in the car seat isolates the conductor (the child with a wet diaper) from the sensor.

I will give your [proven] theory some credence and will try this in about an hour when i'm heading home from work

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by 2much

I will give your [proven] theory some credence and will try this in about an hour when i'm heading home from work

If it does work with something else, as @Tcoat mentioned, you might want to get it checked. Seems I recall someone had a faulty sensor that anything would set off.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

If it does work with something else, as @Tcoat mentioned, you might want to get it checked. Seems I recall someone had a faulty sensor that anything would set off.

There were a couple of them in an old thread yes. Or more accurately there were a couple that said anything would set it off but they never came back to say it was fixed or what actually was wrong, if anything.
I spend 14 hours a week in my car with jackets, hats, books, food bags, laptop and many other assorted items on the seat and have never had it go off except when I have my plugged in phone there.
Do admit it scared the crap outta me the first it happened.