2003 Cooper S. My car failed its inspection today because the airbag light never comes on; not on startup, not with the key in any position, never. I suspect a previous owner probably found a way to tamper with it so they could either get it to pass inspection or sell it. Either way, I'm guessing I should start at the speedometer and work backward to find the issue. I have a fault code of 51 Lamp Fault when I look at the codes in the Multiple Restraint Section of my code reader. I don't see anything else that would be related to the airbag system. Any ideas?

 

Hoping to bump this to see if anyone here has ever come across this?

 

Maybe the bulb was removed or it's blown?

 

There is no bulb. It’s LED. Either the LED failed which is new Speedo cluster time (or solder a new SMD in) , or someone coded the airbags out.

I suspect with the code, it’s the former.

 

Thread title sounds like a smiths song,btw.

 

"Bag light's out...tonight...
Checked my Bentley and Mod MINI and the N-A-M foooruuum...
Trying to smog this car, it's never ever going to pass...
Because it doesn't come on....anymore..."
.
"Bag light's out...tonight...
I have a scanner and a fault code and the damn thing won't liiight...
Oni-zu-ka-chan...says 'check the L-E-D'
Because it's no light bulb, there's no light bulbs on an R53..."

"And if I had the heart...to pull the dash apart...
You know damn well the bloody thing would not start again..."
.
"This air-bag light will never come on...this air bag light will never come on..."

 

Beautifully done, and I totally read it in Morrissey’s voice, lol.

 

Here is the smiths song being referenced. Play it amd Sing along with the new lyrics… beautifully done!





Though I do feel like the ending chorus is about every r53’s dashboard…

 

"Check engine light will never go out...check engine light will never go out..."

 

In case anyone ever runs into this, I figured it out. The car likely had a driver's door leak somewhere along the line, which I assumed damaged the 40-pin connector in the footwell. One of the PO's decided to cut it out and then rewire it incorrectly using cheap butt splices. I went wire by wire with the schematic, resoldering all of them. Now, everything works as it should.

 

"This airbag light, it finally came on...this airbag light, it finally came on..."

 

Good job of diagnostics and repair! You are the Champion.... of the world! (Apologies to Queen!)

 

Thanks for posting the solution, but might I recommend you also post it in your other thread?