I am trying to silence the GONG chime...it is driving me nuts. I want to do this for several reasons..I know I can adjust the volume but I want to eliminate it all together...anybody?

 

i am very interested in this as well. i always place my backpack for school on the pessenger seat and if i dont place it just right it thinks someone is sitting there with no seatbelt. it can be very annoying to say the least.

 

It never stops when I take my dog for a ride.

 

There are at least 3 other threads on this exact subject.

It is not possible via a control to eliminate the GONG. It is part of the computer in the car.

There are two ways of making it stop.

1. remove the radio system that is what generate the sound. Unfortunately this eliminates many other functions in the car. It would be possible to leave the radio system in the car and just disconnect the speakers and have them driven by another stereo system but realy the only place to put a second stereo system is in the secret compartment.

2. have an extra seat belt buckle and place it in the seat belt buckle receptacle. Although this would be illegal to use if a person was sitting in the seat in most if not all states.

Unfortunately Mini does not sell these as a part. It only comes with the whole seat belt assembly.

 

Thanks
Primary reasons I want to do this..
1. When I am working in and around the car with the key in the GONG drives me nuts.

2. When I have anything on the seat, laptop, dog, etc

Do you know what in the buckle receptacle stops the gong? Maybe I can make a metal wedge to put in there when I am working on the car or whatever the reason to stop the gong.

 

Wonder if it's possible to just take apart the seat belt receptacle and modify it to permanently appear to have the seat belt buckled. Seems like it'd just be something completing a circuit that you could wedge closed or permanently contacted.

I don't have one to look at, but seems like it might be worth the effort when I do

 

yup... dealer can definitely do it by programming the computer. I know you can vag something like that in audis... but i dont have any cables for the mini. I asked them to do it, even tho the service manager is really cool with me and all, he wont do it >:O says its illegal for them to and such, but my parents have had it done to their mercedes before, so they obviously can.

 

In 1st gen MINI, the gong sound comes from somewhere in the center dash instruments, not from the stereo system speakers. I would be surprised if it is different in 2nd gen. So you can track down the location of the gong sound generator/speaker and disconnect it. You would also lose the gong for any other warnings (e.g. tire pressure).

Edit: Just did a quick search and it appears that I was wrong, and the gong is indeed different in the 2nd gen because you can adjust the gong volume from the stereo (not possible in 1st gen). So the gong sound comes out of the stereo speakers?

 

Yes you are correct...I was on the hunt for the source of the gong and found it comes thru the speakers. Think I am going to try and bypass the seatbelt clasp...should be easy to complete the circuit if it comes apart.

 

just becareful when you do have it bypassed... it'll trigger the airbags to also go off if an accident were to occur, depending on the situation.
but garrr i hate the stupid gong

 

So if I bypass it the car will think that someone is in the seat....should work the same then...what do you think?

 

The air bag sensor is not in the seat belt connector.

There is a weight sensor in the seat bottom that tells the airbag if it is to deploy during an accident depending on the weight of the person sitting there.

The sensor in the seat can tell how much weight is on the seat and if it is more than 80lbs (approx) then it will deploy the airbag in a crash, but if there is less than 80lbs on the seat it automatically turns off the passenger side airbag. I regularly put about 25-30 lbs on the passenger seat and the Air Bag OFF light comes on.

The sensor should also not turn on the GONG until there is approximately 10-12 pounds on the seat. This is so that a lady's hand bag or small item can be set on the seat without setting off the gong. I find that one small grocery bag of food, may be 6-8 lbs does not set off the GONG or the AIR BAG OFF light.

As for bypassing the sensor in the belt clasp, it may not be so easy. If my memory serves me correctly someone else tried it and it did not work as planned. I believe if it was totally disconnected there was a seat belt waring light and if it was shorted out the GONG went off all the time. This may have changed though.


All of this is per Mini Specs and if you test the weight sensor in the car by putting a 5 lbs weight on the seat and it still sets off the GONG I would have the dealer check it out and have it repaired under warranty. Just remember that the weights limits are only estimates but should be fairly close.

 

I read somewhere in this Forum that a guy paid a Mini mechanic under the table to get rid of the gong and he did it. Not sure how he did it, but must have been via the OBD port with some kind of device that allows you to change parameters. Need to find out how and with what this was done. I'm assuming a standard OBD tool won't do it.

 

You can! I found way!!! Check this out...

Buckle your seatbelt on the driver's side, and don't put anything in the passenger's seat.

Problem solved.

 

I know that my passenger seatbelt gong goes off at over 10mph w/100 pound passenger and keeps on for five minutes (or until buckled).

If I fasten the buckle over an empty or lightly loaded seat, I then see the "Air Bag Off" warning light,
but have never heard the gong for any package set in the passenger seat.

Today, I started with two 12 Pak's of coke and added more on top as I traveled until the load was 57 pounds on an un-buckled passenger
seat and never heard any gong (or saw the Airbag Off lite).

This may have been due to the wide flat area of the load in comparison to a person, or it could be that some 'sensors' are more sensitive.

 

I would expect that coming for a guy like you....you are the guy who hates anything thats not a Mini....your a real asset..

 

What's your solution for the drivers door?

 

I got nothing.

 

I like plenty of cars that aren't MINI's. I would kill for a Fiat 500 Abarth. Also a big fan of anything with an M sticker.

If you're talking about the Vette thing (if I recall correctly, you're a Vette owner), I don't dislike Corvettes. They're just common place in my neck of the woods.

 

You can pick up a seat belt buckle at any junk yard. BMW should fit as so should any Honda

 

OH Really...so now you don't hate Vettes... Sounds kinda dumb now when you see it in writting.....

Originally Posted by MoxieMini
I hate Corvettes. I see them all the damn time, every damn day. Hate 'em. But I do love your JCW. Pretty car. And I like the paint over the rubber trim. I might copy that.

 

No no... you misunderstand. I DO hate vettes. That's why I don't "dislike" them.

No, but really, I wouldn't personally own a Vette, unless it was given to me. There are plenty of other cars for the same price I would rather have, and novelty definitely plays a role there. But for an American car, I guess it's not terrible. The interior could use some work.

 

I am not fighting....only quoting what you said. I am a car guy and have owned everything from M3's, Boxter's, Z06, etc...I am a car guy and don't hate cars because its a brand I don't care for. And a car that has more than 50 continuous year of racing history and production is not a novelty...now my JCW is my fun car...cant beat the fun factor...and the rear seats are worth about as much as the trunk in my vette

 

Sorry, you saw the original before I edited it. In the spirit of friendliness, I thought I'd say the same thing a little less "standoff-ish".

 

Happy Trails