2012 SeatBelt Chime....AHHHH ! !

update : went to the 'other' dealer today and they shut it off no problem. didnt charge me and were great to work with.

the toyota dealer in Morgantown WV shut it off... the toyota dealer in White Hall WV refused to shut it off.

 

Here is how I convinced a reluctant dealership to turn off the seatbelt alarm. ---- Toyota USA is concerned that their dealers have satisfied customers. Dealers do not want to have Toyota USA on their case for having unhappy customers. In recent years I think everyone who buys or services a vehicle is contacted for their opinions on the dealership. Toyota USA and the dealers all take this very seriously. When I took my '12 in for service I told the service rep that I wanted them to turn off the seatbelt alarm. He responded that he couldn't do that. I said "The owners manual says you can and Toyota USA says you can. If you don't turn it off I will be on the phone to Toyota USA as soon as I get home to tell them you refused to do it." He then said "I'll see if it is possible" and when my truck was ready the alarm was turned off. They do not want bad reports from customers to Toyota about their service. Point out the section in the manual that describes the alarm as 'optional' and let them know you are going to complain to Toyota USA if they won't turn it off. I think this will usually work.
---- I think these service managers who want to insist our seatbelt alarms be functional are the same kinds of people who redundantly post here that you should buckle up rather than try to disable the alarm. There are a lot of these Nanny types around who want to compel compliance with what they see as appropriate conduct rather than recognize individual free will. These people will always have excuses like "Its a liability problem" or whatever, but the plain truth is that they want to impose their will on others. They think you should have to wear that seatbelt just like prohibitionists in the last century thought you shouldn't have a choice about whether to drink alcohol. In many situations there is an argument to be made for limiting free will, but here we have a situation where your choice of wearing or not wearing a seatbelt effects only you. There is no real liability issue. There is only the issue of who makes your seatbelt decisions.

 

Yep,bobby rahal in Mechanicsburg,PA. refused to turn it off too.Also refused a seatbelt extender.

 

Going for oil change n will ask them to do the same. Gave the code to disable urself to my cousin for his 2010 n he fell back in love with his truck. Everyone should have the choice to activate the reminder. Can't wait to see the service managers face, more importantly I can't wait to hear the excuses wish "them" luck!

 

I can vouche for seat belts and air bags. They saved my life once. I wear mine when it's pertinent. I understand the liabilty concern on the dealships end. But for work I'm constantly in and out of my truck and my dog sets off the passenger side one. It comes down to personal responsibilty. I know when to put mine on and I do. But when I'm on the farm in and out of my truck I would like the option to turn off the chime. I've had several dealships tell me no. I will be talking with Toyo USA to remedy this. I understand that for 90% of drivers this is a non issue and so hence the blanket policy. But as there is an exception to every rule, I'm not giving up.

 

I want to say a few words about this. A poster mentioned earlier that an owner was told that the noisemaker could be turned off if the owner signed a release, but the owner refused to sign when shown the release. We have not seen that release, but I have general experience with this kind of situation and here is what I suspect happened--- The owner was told "You will have to sign a release for us to turn off the noisemaker." He says "Fine. Write it up." at which point the dealership's law firm writes a release which goes something like "I hereby release Smarmy Toyota Inc from all liability for any failure of any component that is connected to the seatbelt restraint system or is within 10 feet of any seatbelt. This release covers any failure from the beginning of time until the Earth ceases to revolve around the Sun." Lawyers write releases to favor their clients. They are not aiming to be reasonable or fair, and if accused of being unreasonable they would respond "The other party should have their own lawyer involved so that the terms of the release could be negotiated between us." What I suspect happened in the mentioned case was that the vehicle's owner, reading an outrageous release, refused to sign it. Quite rightly.
----- All that is needed, if the dealership is concerned about liability, is to include on the regular form statement of what was done to the car at the service visit this notation: "Seatbelt Alarm turned 'OFF' at owner's instruction." The owner is always asked to sign the repair order anyway. Now it just has that one additional sentence on it.
----- There is a lot of hogwash floating around about what kinds of things people sue about and win judgements about. I admit there are a few extreme examples, but they are very rare and often inaccurately described and outright lied about. When looking at any situation where some kind of scare story is being presented as an excuse for conduct like refusing to turn off an optional alarm, ask yourself what you would think if you were on the jury. Jurys are made up of regular people. They are not idiots being lead by the nose by silver-tongued lawyers to give outrageous judgements. If you hear of a crazy-sounding judgement that is probably because you are being told a twisted partial version of what really happened. Now imagine you are on the jury in a trial wherein a man claims the dealership is at fault for his injuries because they turned off the noisemaker at his own instruction. You think that claim has merit? Would you vote to award him damages? Neither would anyone else. There is no liability problem.
----- In the case of these noisemakers and the notation on the service order which I suggest, the owner asserts by signing the statement that he instructed the dealership to turn off the alarm. Liability was highly questionable even before that, but there is clearly NO liability for the dealership when the owner instructs them to perform a legal act.
----- I am pleased to be able now to drive down my quarter-mile-long driveway to my mailbox without that noise. The only thing that would make the drive more enjoyable would be if there were a few Seatbelt-Alarm Nannies there to run over.

 

I worked in the Emergency Room in the early part of my nursing career and saw so much vehicle trauma and death. Often the only reason one patient was in the waiting room, and his pal was in the morgue was the fact that one had his seatbelt on. So I ALWAYS wear mine.

HOWEVER! This is America, and what works for me may not work for you. So; The dealership turns it off, or they can give you your free 6" seatbelt extenders to leave plugged-in to turn off the chime.

 

Or you can point out page 586(in a 2012 manual) to the dealer and have them turn it off for free. And wear your seatbelt like a rational logical adult. When neccesary.

 

or just get a cable and copy of techstream and make all your own changes.

 

I am hoping Canadian Dealership will be reluctant to do the same, do anyone know if its the same procedure for the 2013, I didn't see anything in my manual

 

Or just buy the plugs for 6.50 delivered from hong kong. I did,work great

 

Update,

got my Chime set to off by the dealer, no cost, it took him like 5min, also not sure if its the same as the 2012 but on the 13' there's 2 setting one for the driver side and one for the passenger side, make sure the tech shuts both side off