Q – The air bag light on my 99 Boxster is on and the code that was extracted from the computer is #43 which indicates a failed seat belt buckle. I can still fasten my seat belt. So I have two questions: 1) What makes the buckle go bad and 2) Do my air bags still work. – Ray
A – The buckle still works fine mechanically and to answer your last question first, no…the air bags do not work while the light is on even if the seat belt still does. Now why the buckle failed is a bit more obscure.
According to Porsche, the buckle and harness suffer from a resistance problem that is cured with a new design. For years, wire terminals and harnesses would last for the life of the car but now, corrosion and environment conditions damage these components. With computer circuits being as sensitive as they are, if a signal is corrupted, the computer gets confused and shuts the system down. This is considered a “fail safe” strategy versus the possibility of a false air bag deployment. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but better safe than sorry. – MC