2003 LS430 Driver's seat belt indicator flashes while driver is seated with seat belt fastened.
If I unbuckle, then re-buckle a few times, the seat belt indicator goes out for a short period, but then begins flashing again in a few minutes.

I tried blowing some compressed air into the buckle which didn't help.

Most interestingly, I've found that if I raise my weight off the seat, then unbuckle and re-buckle, the seat belt indicator stays off! I've tested this workaround up to a few hours of driving, and the indicator stayed off the whole time. This seems to be a strong clue that the issue does not lie with the buckle, but rather with the weight sensor or its wiring or logic control.

Has anyone experienced this behavior?
Does anyone have any thoughts on what I could check? Or know the architecture of this warning system?
I wonder if the airbag would deploy during a wreck if the belt indicator was flashing? Would the airbag deploy if the workaround was active?

Thanks!

 

Good morning...
Not sure why the weight is making a difference. Also I am not 100% sure about the way this work with the sensors.
I would check under the seat and look at the electrical connections to see if they are corroded due to spilled coffee or a drink - it's not too difficult to do since there are 4 bolts for the front seats and you can then tip the seat and check the connections. Perhaps one is corroded with rust or something? A plastic interior tool will pop off the plastic covers on the bolts very easy. Good luck and let us know what you find.

 

On a positive note I found a 14K gold chain when I cleaned out under my seats when I took delivery of my 2004.