MKIV - Remove/disable seat belt chime

alhutch

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2002
Location
Portland, Oregon
TDI
None
MKIV seat belt chime disable has been beaten to death, but is still somewhat elusive (for me at least).

Car is a 2002 Golf. Cluster part #1J0 920 906 L (stock)

Started with standard coding of 07232 (brake pad, seat belt & washer fluid warnings). Followed instructions here:

http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/vwmkIV.html

Recoding to 01232 (brake pad warning only) removed the seat belt cluster warning light (little man w/ seat belt), but the chime remained.

What does it take to kill the seat belt chime but retain the warning light (or at least kill the chime, light be damned)? Any Ross-Tech folks care to 'chime' in? ;)
 

Uwe

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Feb 24, 2000
Location
Lansdale, PA, USA
Try some different market/country codes in the third digit (while keeping the first two digits at 01) to see if that has any effect.

-Uwe-
 

steelmb

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2009
Location
MB
TDI
2003 Jetta Wagon
Don't think my seatbelt chime works now that I think about it.
 

unitacx

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2006
Location
Alexandria, VA
TDI
2002 golf
Seat Belt Chime Delete HOWTO (2002+)

I've also had no luck in disabling the chime; only the light, which doesn't help at all. The VAG COM instructions seem to be good up to 2002 (maybe also 2002 without side curtain airbags if there is such an animal).

So this applies to vehicles, I believe starting year 2002, in which the seatbelt chime does not delete with VAG-COM.​

NOTES:
  • If you turn on the engine with the connectors unplugged, you will throw an airbag DTC code. Airbag DTCs are persistent, so you must use a code scanner (VAG-COM) to cancel the DTC. As with most (all?) persistent DTC codes, when starting, the light will illuminate, then go out momentarily then go back on.
  • Earlier models will delete the chime by subtracting 2 from the soft setting, described elsewhere in this thread. (t=253374 - 'remove/disable seat belt chime') and on the VAG-COM website: http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/vwmkIV.html
  • This probably applies to 2002+ Mk-4 cars with side curtain airbags, and probably some of the other VAG models that follow the "delete 2" soft coding. Later cars are more annoying in that the chime will repeat at intervals.
  • Mechanically, Bentley shows two modules. One is the airbag control module and the other is the seatbelt warning module. Both seem to have switches on the driver's seatbelt. Both are connected to connector "T4a". As to the other switch connected to "T4a", it does appear that the airbag controller has a "seat belt" and "no seat belt" setting, perhaps to cause the airbag to inflate responsive to a lower impact in the "no seat belt" setting. But that's just a guess. In any case, "T4a" has two brown wires, which would correspond to two ground circuits. What we are trying to do here is disconnect the ground which, when connected, enables the seatbelt chime.
  • Be aware that you are messing with equipment connected to the airbag module. Do not proceed until you have read the usual precautions. (A spark can ignite the airbag.)
  • It is presumed that one would normally wear the seatbelt, but either doesn't want the annoying chime when starting the car, has reason to shunt the car at parking spaces, or has the engine running while parked or waiting.

TOOLS:
13mm socket, small flat screwdriver, phillips #2 and needle nose pliers recommended.

PROCEEDURE:

  1. Attempt to disable the chime by soft coding. If the illuminated seat belt symbol is cancelled, you have the right code, so if the chime persists, continue...
  2. Remove seat track trim. (Flat screwdriver or dental pick to remove little screw covers, and I think phillips #2)
  3. Unbolt front seat mount (13mm).
  4. Carefully move seat back on track and tilt front of seat upward. 'Carefully' to avoid breaking the wiring harness.
  5. You will see 2 yellow connectors. The larger connector has a "flip back" guard and a tab release, but the smaller connector only has side clips. Unplug the smaller yellow connector ("T4a"). Note, T4a has side guards adjacent the release tabs. If you damage these, the connector will still function.

  6. (This step only if you have a scanner (VAG-COM) capable of clearing the airbag code) Turn car's ignition switch on to determine if this kills the seat belt chime. This will also throw an airbag DTC code, which you will clear when you finished with the wires.
  7. The smaller connector has 4 wires: red, brown, yellow, brown. In other words, 2 brown wires. Select the side with red and brown wires.
  8. Flip open the side with the red and brown wires. Do this by inserting the small flat screwdriver under the outside of the connector from the wiring side, and lift up. (Again, this is the side with the red and brown wire.) The connector body hinges at about 1/2 way back, exposing the back of the terminals going to the red and brown wires.

  9. Insert the needle nose over the exposed part of the terminal for the brown wire, and pull.

  10. Tape over the loose terminal.
  11. Plug in the connector, and replace the seat.

  12. Clear the DTC code (if you had previously tested the chime or if you somehow screwed up).
  13. Remember to turn the radio to a very loud setting when starting the car, as a substitute for the annoying chime. Or better yet, keep the windshield washer fluid at a low level.

It is alternately possible to dike off the brown wire, but you still need to get the correct brown wire. It may be that the yellow (ge) wire could be diked off instead. This seems more failsafe (only one yellow wire), but the initial reports suggested diking off the (0.35mm) brown wire, so 'you are your own warranty' on this one. I personally prefer pulling out the terminal from the connector, which seems fully reversible.

NOTE: If your wiring looks different, meaning you do not have a yellow-brown-red-brown connector as shown, please be careful, review Bentley and check the results before doing something permanent. Presumably the step of checking the chime with the connector unplugged and identifying the correct brown wire will work, but check the wire diagrams, etc.
 
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jetta 97

Vendor
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Location
Dallas (McKinney) ,TX ,USA
TDI
2 X Jatta MK5 2006
MKIV seat belt chime disable has been beaten to death, but is still somewhat elusive (for me at least).

Car is a 2002 Golf. Cluster part #1J0 920 906 L (stock)

Started with standard coding of 07232 (brake pad, seat belt & washer fluid warnings). Followed instructions here:

http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/vwmkIV.html

Recoding to 01232 (brake pad warning only) removed the seat belt cluster warning light (little man w/ seat belt), but the chime remained.

What does it take to kill the seat belt chime but retain the warning light (or at least kill the chime, light be damned)? Any Ross-Tech folks care to 'chime' in? ;)
You may have bad micro switch in one of the doors and , probably this is your problem.Ones that warning light goes away from cluster the chime goes away too.
Code car to UK( third digit=4)and it should go away.
 
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unitacx

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 7, 2006
Location
Alexandria, VA
TDI
2002 golf
You may have bad micro switch in one of the doors and, probably this is your problem. Once that warning light goes away from cluster the chime goes away too.
That's true in the case of a '99.5, '00 and probably '01 and '02 without side curtain airbags (if they exist).

'02 with side curtain airbags and probably later, the chime remains active. The door functions are independent of the chime, and if the chime is active, it will remain active with the door open. On some later models, the chime repeats periodically.
 

graeme86

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2005
Location
Brisbane, Australia
TDI
Not yet - fuel is too cheap! - 3.2 VR6 R32
This is how the Australian cars work - we get that annoying chime as well even if you try to uncode it with VAGCOM (which only turns off the warning light in the cluster).

On our cars we only get the seat belt chime for six seconds when you first start the car if the belt on the drivers seat is unbuckled. That is all - it does not keep going after that or come back periodically if the belt is still unbuckled.

May be different to US car wiring - we do not have any pressure pads etc in driver or passenger seats.

The seat belt buckle is simply hardwired to the cluster. There are two wires running from the buckle - one goes to earth and the other runs up to Pin 31 on the Blue T32 cluster plug.

On our cars, there is a separate two pin black plug fastened under the seat if you trace the wiring from the buckle. If you unplug it the chime stops - or you can remove Pin 31 wire from the cluster and insulate it.

This does not affect any of the airbag wiring etc.

This is how it is set up on R.oW. vehicles without any extra seat pressure sensors etc - US may be different as described above.

It may be worth investigating if you have Pin 31 on Blue cluster plug connected which may also be a simple fix.

It works on the principle that if the buckle is unlatched when the ignition is activated, then 12V flows to earth and the chime sounds. The cluster is programmed to chime for six seconds in that case.
 

jetta 97

Vendor
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Location
Dallas (McKinney) ,TX ,USA
TDI
2 X Jatta MK5 2006
US models has same wiring as well and all cars in USA till 2004 has seat belt light for few seconds the it will go a way even if you not buckle up.
Cars after 2004 with constantly repeat it till you buckle up. This is because the software in cluster is different then 1999-2003 cars.I don't think none of the cars till 2005 has occupancy sensor( pressure pads as you call it) on pass. side seat is USA.

Here is a diagram of USA 2002-2003 golf/ jetta TDI, as you can see pin 31 on T32 connector is there and it goes in CAN BUS in cluster. So everything goes through CAN BUS, so if you change coding of cluster it should go a way.


 

DownLow

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Sep 2, 2009
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
TDI
2001 Beetle TDI, 2000 Beetle R32 Swapped
On my 2000 Beetle there is a wire that goes to the buckle. The previous owner of my car cut the wires and bundled them together, fooling the car to think the seat belt is always buckled.

Seriously though, a seatbelt is a very important piece of safety equipment. My friend died in a car accident because he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. They say he would have walked away with cuts and bruises had be had his seatbelt on.

Something worth thinking about...
 

jetta 97

Vendor
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Location
Dallas (McKinney) ,TX ,USA
TDI
2 X Jatta MK5 2006
On my 2000 Beetle there is a wire that goes to the buckle. The previous owner of my car cut the wires and bundled them together, fooling the car to think the seat belt is always buckled.

Seriously though, a seatbelt is a very important piece of safety equipment. My friend died in a car accident because he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. They say he would have walked away with cuts and bruises had be had his seatbelt on.

Something worth thinking about...
Agree 100% with you.
 

runonbeer

Maintenance EnthusiastVendor
Joined
Apr 15, 2002
Location
Austin, TX/Chapel Hill, NC
TDI
'00 Golf 02M, '10 Golf 02E, '02 UTE 02M
Always wear your seatbelt.

04232 worked for me on a 2004 Jetta Wagon. No seatbelt warning light or chime.

My 2000 Golf has never had any such equipment installed.
 

donsalo

New member
Joined
Nov 21, 2016
Location
The UP
TDI
2002 Jetta, 1986 4Runner
*** SOLVED *** I hope... buzzer beeper is gone forever

My car is a 2002 Jetta TDI mk4. I needed to stop the beeper, and yes, I always wear my seatbelt and will continue to wear my seatbelt and you should too. I removed and unplugged the instrument cluster with the battery connected which set the airbag light, I will try to reset that with VAG COM. I would avoid doing this if I were you...

This procedure has a lot of potential for drama and failure, so move forward at your own risk. Disconnect the battery. Remove the cluster, youtube the procedure. While the cluster is out, remove the plastic covers off the front and back of the cluster. The covers are held on with little plastic clips around the perimeter, then plug the cluster back in to locate the beeper. Connect the battery, find the beeper, and disconnect the battery again. It looks a lot like a little speaker. Disconnect the cluster again, then lovingly and gently rock the buzzer/beeper back and forth until you are able to snap off the electrical connections, be gentle but firm... you do not want to break the PC board. This takes a few minutes which seems like a few hours... Once the buzzer is off the board, reinstall the covers and the cluster and reconnect the battery. No more beeper/buzzer. Ever. For any reason. If you're particularly creative, you could wire the buzzer to a switch and keep the functionality switchable. I simply pulled it.

I agree this procedure is brute force, maybe crude, maybe even dangerous, potentially quite expensive, etc, but it appears to have worked in my car. The car runs and stops and turns, no more beeping ever for any reason, jury is out on the airbag warning lamp.

If you know of any negative ramifications, please post them below. I'm going with one of Murphy's laws of combat, "If it's stupid, but it works, it isn't stupid."
 
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Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 14, 2005
Location
West Hill, Ont.
TDI
2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
The easiest way to stop the chimes is to put your seatbelt on before you start the car !!! Works every time !

I've been using home made seatbelts since about 1960 or so, back then using surplus aircraft seatbelts, I drove in rally's. Putting them on is second nature and besides almost everywhere it is the law to wear them !

I will never understand why people want to disable warning chimes, DRL's, Hill hold and many other things !!!
 

TheSpatulaOfLove

Non-stick & heat resistant!
Joined
Feb 17, 2004
Location
Northville, MI
TDI
04 Bug TDI GLS, Black & 02 Bug TDI GLS, Uglyass Green
Thanks to those who refrained from sanctimonious BS and actually provided useful input. My seatbelt chime is successfully disabled so I can use the car the way *I* choose to use it.
 
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