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Earlier this year I had the occupancy mat recall done on my '05 R53 and things were fine until a couple of weeks ago. My passenger decided to adjust the seat, and after doing so the airbag light popped on again. I read it with my C100+ and it was code 71, passenger occupancy detector. Great.
I took it to the dealer, figuring it was now their problem. Well, they disagree. Their conclusion is shown below. Has anyone had similar issues?
I pulled the aftermarket stereo and the light was still on, even after attempting to erase the code using the C100.
Should I go directly to an occupancy mat emulator or is there something else I should consider?
You'll have to play by their rules. The seat mat and your aftermarket radio are both connected to the K Bus. It's unlikely but there's a small chance that your radio is interfering with the seat mat's K Bus connection. In theory, they can't do a definitive diagnosis while your aftermarket radio is still connected. So disconnect your radio and bring the car back.
You'll have to play by their rules. The seat mat and your aftermarket radio are both connected to the K Bus. It's unlikely but there's a small chance that your radio is interfering with the seat mat's K Bus connection. In theory, they can't do a definitive diagnosis while your aftermarket radio is still connected. So disconnect your radio and bring the car back.
Sure, I could do that, though getting to/from the dealer is a major hassle.
The radio is out now and no change in the code. Sadly, whoever installed the radio didn’t use a harness adapter, choosing instead to cut the original plug off and wire the new one directly. So the dealer would probably take issue with that, too, even though it was done ~10 years ago and hasn’t been an issue (I realize that past performance does not mean it’s not the issue now). Unfortunately, I can’t justify paying the shop time ($175/hr) on this car.
Maybe it just pulled off the plug, in moving the seat!
I wish it was that simple! Presumably the dealer checked that. And today I looked under the seat and verified that everything was connected securely. But the light persists despite being reset many times with my scan tool. Really frustrating.
Just to update this, because I know you've all been wondering...
Today I hooked up an occupancy mat emulator and that immediately cleared the airbag light. So clearly the dealer made a mistake in their diagnosis and it is nothing to do with the stereo or any other aspect of the car's electrical system. It's just another faulty occupancy mat. Glad I have a solution, but not happy that I had to pay the diagnostic fee from the dealer only to end up fixing it myself.
Glad you were able to sort your airbag issue. When I went to the dealership for a diagnosis, they wanted $175 just to use their scan tool. I declined their service fee.
Turns out, with a Foxwell scanner, I figured out that one of my battery cables were loose.
Spend $175+ on a BMW/Mini specific scan tool to do your own diagnosis. Spending cash just for someone to attach an OBD II cable and print out the results is just nonsense IMHO.
Glad you were able to sort your airbag issue. When I went to the dealership for a diagnosis, they wanted $175 just to use their scan tool. I declined their service fee.
Turns out, with a Foxwell scanner, I figured out that one of my battery cables were loose.
Spend $175+ on a BMW/Mini specific scan tool to do your own diagnosis. Spending cash just for someone to attach an OBD II cable and print out the results is just nonsense IMHO.
You're right about the scanner. I have one, and it told me it was the passenger occupancy mat, which had been fixed under recall by this same dealer. So I expected them to just replace it, not go down some crazy diagnostic expedition looking for an issue that wasn't really there... Anyway, if I need 'professional' service in the future I will be visiting a different shop.
You're right about the scanner. I have one, and it told me it was the passenger occupancy mat, which had been fixed under recall by this same dealer. So I expected them to just replace it, not go down some crazy diagnostic expedition looking for an issue that wasn't really there... Anyway, if I need 'professional' service in the future I will be visiting a different shop.
Mini's customer service is great when you're under warranty...:(
Just get the schwaben scan tool and in once use you have pretty much the fee on the service charge. I use mine for a bunch of things already. Yep when out of warranty the bills can really rack up there. Check out most MINI factory service shops have discount coupons on their sites if you have to go to the dealer.
