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I just picked up a new to me R53. It is an 06 with pleather seats. It has an airbag light on for passenger occupancy sensor. Also, it has this protruding thing on the seat surface. Any advice as to how to repair both the bulge and the light? I know i can bypass the light with an device from ebay or a resistor. how about the the seat itself? Is it relatively easy to dismantle the pleather cover and figure out what's underneath that's protruding? here's a picture.
I'm not really an upholstery guy, so I can't help you with the seat cover. You can't bypass the occupancy mat with a resistor though, but it may still be covered under recall. I just coded mine out because I figured that the replacement mat would just fail again somewhere down the road.
I'm not really an upholstery guy, so I can't help you with the seat cover. You can't bypass the occupancy mat with a resistor though, but it may still be covered under recall. I just coded mine out because I figured that the replacement mat would just fail again somewhere down the road.
How did you code it out? mind sharing?
I found this video, I might just put something underneath just to stop the indentation.
I used INPA and NCSExpert. I believe all I did was set the OC3_1 and OC3_2 fields to inactive in the MRS5K module. It’s been years, and I’m just comparing the TRC files on the laptop I use for coding to see my changes. I unplugged the mat and cleared the codes with INPA, though I don’t remember the exact order. I had to do some trial and error. Based on my reading at the time, I believe I was fairly confident that all it did was disable the mat so that the passenger airbag would always deploy. I’m still fairly confident in it. I have no SRS malfunction light in the speedo, and the light in the headliner that shows a disabled passenger airbag never comes on like it did when the mat was acting up.
However, I have no way to verify that the airbags will still deploy short of crashing my car, which I don’t plan to do. I’m pretty sure they will. Shutting off the mat requires monkeying with the SRS system. If I’m wrong, very bad things could happen, so DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
The resistor trick doesn’t work on facelift mats, but there are modules out there that are purported to emulate the mat. I’ve got one kicking about in a box that I never installed. I don’t know if they work.
I used INPA and NCSExpert. I believe all I did was set the OC3_1 and OC3_2 fields to inactive in the MRS5K module. It’s been years, and I’m just comparing the TRC files on the laptop I use for coding to see my changes. I unplugged the mat and cleared the codes with INPA, though I don’t remember the exact order. I had to do some trial and error. Based on my reading at the time, I believe I was fairly confident that all it did was disable the mat so that the passenger airbag would always deploy. I’m still fairly confident in it. I have no SRS malfunction light in the speedo, and the light in the headliner that shows a disabled passenger airbag never comes on like it did when the mat was acting up.
However, I have no way to verify that the airbags will still deploy short of crashing my car, which I don’t plan to do. I’m pretty sure they will. Shutting off the mat requires monkeying with the SRS system. If I’m wrong, very bad things could happen, so DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
The resistor trick doesn’t work on facelift mats, but there are modules out there that are purported to emulate the mat. I’ve got one kicking about in a box that I never installed. I don’t know if they work.
Cool, thank you so much. I have NCSexpert and INPA on my computer. I'll just have Adrian code it out the when I get a tune. I'm just glad to know that it can be coded out. Not really planning on crashing so the airbags, I don't wan to overthink whether or not the airbags will deploy.
No one plans on crashing but #&*@ happens. Although the risk is minimal, keep in mind that, in a collision, should an airbag not deploy and someone is injured, you may be liable if proven that the system was over-ridden.
No one plans on crashing but #&*@ happens. Although the risk is minimal, keep in mind that, in a collision, should an airbag not deploy and someone is injured, you may be liable if proven that the system was over-ridden.
Thanks for the insight, NC. I don't mind the light, but the indentations on the seat is unsightly for me. Do you think that is from the broken occupancy sensor? Can I remove the sensor and then still code the airbags to still deploy?
Can I remove the sensor and then still code the airbags to still deploy?
That's essentially what I did. My mat is no longer connected.
I added the doom and gloom disclaimer because this is a public forum, and I can't physically verify airbag deployment, even though I have no indications that they won't deploy. Mini obviously won't tell you how to do that coding, so I had to figure it out myself. As far as I know and could figure out from my research, those two parameters are solely tied to the mat. I didn't touch anything else in the airbag module because, while I don't play on crashing, I'd rather have functional airbags.
You can probably still get Mini to replace that mat under the recall.
That's essentially what I did. My mat is no longer connected.
I added the doom and gloom disclaimer because this is a public forum, and I can't physically verify airbag deployment, even though I have no indications that they won't deploy. Mini obviously won't tell you how to do that coding, so I had to figure it out myself. As far as I know and could figure out from my research, those two parameters are solely tied to the mat. I didn't touch anything else in the airbag module because, while I don't play on crashing, I'd rather have functional airbags.
You can probably still get Mini to replace that mat under the recall.
Thanks for the recall tip. checked online and mine has an unrepaired recall. will call Mini now. Called and schedule. They'll replace. Wow, thanks deepgrey.
Sure thing. They should be able to fix the bumps at the same time. I'm pretty sure they just replace the mat these days, so they have to remove the seat upholstery to do it. Before they issued the recall and started doing it on their dime, they made people pay for an entire seat bottom.
Sure thing. They should be able to fix the bumps at the same time. I'm pretty sure they just replace the mat these days, so they have to remove the seat upholstery to do it. Before they issued the recall and started doing it on their dime, they made people pay for an entire seat bottom.
Oh wow. New seat bottom huh. I’m scheduled to take it in on the 16th. Will update the post then. Good thing i have the pleather upholstery, hopefully it doesnt take any permanent marks.
