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Car Forum / BMW Cars / April 2007

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BMW Z3 Airbag Warning Light - Passenger only?

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patrick.rinckey@gmail.com - 18 Apr 2007 00:50 GMT
I've read over all the previous messages regaurding this topic and it
seems the Airbag warning light will stay on.

Well, in my 2000 Z3 it doesn't, it only comes on when my wife is
riding in the passenger seat with the seatbelt clicked in. It will
also go off with just the seatbelt in and no passener, so I'm down to
a couple choices:
Pressure mat under the seat
Seat belt sensor

At first I just believed it must be the seatbelt, but now I'm not
sure. Perhaps when it does it's check, it notes the seatbelt is in,
indicating a passenger, then checks the pressure mat which throws an
error. Does anyone know the logic that the airbag sensor goes through
or has had a similar problem?

Patrick
daytripper - 18 Apr 2007 01:03 GMT
>I've read over all the previous messages regaurding this topic and it
>seems the Airbag warning light will stay on.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
>Patrick

Between the two, I'd bet it's the pressure sensor, and it isn't registering
sufficient passenger weight to activate the bag.

But isn't there also a seat position sensor? On my cars if the passenger seat
is too close to the dash the bag on that side is disabled...

/daytripper
'00 s4 6spd
R. Mark Clayton - 18 Apr 2007 12:01 GMT
> I've read over all the previous messages regaurding this topic and it
> seems the Airbag warning light will stay on.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> Patrick

Or the passenger air bag is faulty, but it only tells you when you have a
passenger.
Jeff Strickland - 18 Apr 2007 17:14 GMT
Does your car have a switch that is activated by the key to disable the
passenger side airbag? If so, then the light is telling you that the seat is
occupied but the system is off.

If there is a fault that is triggering the light, that fault can not clear
itself.

> I've read over all the previous messages regaurding this topic and it
> seems the Airbag warning light will stay on.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> Patrick
admin - 18 Apr 2007 17:36 GMT
> I've read over all the previous messages regaurding this topic and it
> seems the Airbag warning light will stay on.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> Patrick

And if you want to play parts roulette - I suppose just replacing parts
willi-nilly is fine, but gets expensive. Once the light goes on it can't
be turned off without some sort of tool - either the dealers GT1, or an
aftermarket tool.

If it was me - I'd buy the Peake Research SRS code reader/reset tool and
find out WHAT the actual problem is. Be cheaper in the long run rather
than just shotgunning it with parts in the hope it gets fixed (plus
you'll have to visit the dealer to have the light reset AFTER installing
EACH part..)
Jeff Strickland - 18 Apr 2007 20:18 GMT
>> I've read over all the previous messages regaurding this topic and it
>> seems the Airbag warning light will stay on.
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
> have to visit the dealer to have the light reset AFTER installing EACH
> part..)

He _claims_ the light turns off when the seat is empty. If this is true,
then the light being on is not a fault report. You are 100% correct, if the
light IS a fault report, it can not be turned off except by the appropriate
diagnostic equipment.
patrick.rinckey@gmail.com - 21 Apr 2007 22:25 GMT
I've decided to purchase the PEAKE so I can clear the error and see if
that fixes it. Thank you all for the excellent response. The one
tidbit I left out is the whole airbag sensor unit was replaced by the
previous owner, and I believe afterwards he never had a passenger that
would throw the error. Therefore, the error was created when I drove
it with a passenger, and just needs to be reset.  If not, I guess I'll
use the Peake to figure out what's wrong with it.

Patrick

> > patrick.rinc...@gmail.com wrote:
> >> I've read over all the previous messages regaurding this topic and it
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
> light IS a fault report, it can not be turned off except by the appropriate
> diagnostic equipment.
 
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