Is there a way to shut off the seat belt reminder temporarily, I live on a mile long dirt driveway and like to leave it off when i pick up my mail or paper. Plus I work in a gated facility where I am the only employee and ride in first gear. The bell drives me crazy, I never travel public roads without my seatbelt.
Any suggestions?
Thanks
RR

 

Blargh! I don't have any suggestions but I HATE that seatbelt reminder. I often drive with my pup in the front seat and I have to remember to buckle the seatbelt behind him or bare to listen to the chime on the ride! It's not only my dog that sets it off, a lot of times it's my purse! I don't carry bricks or anything it's just a normal woman's purse..... back from the dealership the other day I had my MINI book (the manual thingy) on the seat along with a can of soda and it went off... UGH. Talk about annoying...

 

I temporarily shut mine off by putting on my seat belt.

 

If your riding by yourself you could grab the passenger side belt and click it into your side. Or make a trip to the junkyard and find a vehicle that has the same style belt clasp and just keep it in the vehicle and click it in when needed.

 

I just turn the radio up. So how are you doing with the dust from your road? I live down a 3/4 mile gravel road and the dust and the mud are allot to keep up with.

 

Yes, it's dirty a lot, the back is the worst part. I wasn't able to run my mini as much this winter due to the low clearance and the snow ruts on the lane, milk trucks,amish buggies etc. I took over the plowing and it has been easier to navigate now. After the snow came the ice then the runoff and the ruts, Central Pa. winters. It's like it's a new car all over again. 2009 Sparkling Silver

 

I'll be the first to say it, I think it shouldn't be there period. Why does the government care if I wear my seatbelt? Isn't the ticket enough? Why make the car manufacturers put these annoying bell chimes in the car? I am not hurting anyone by not wearing my seatbelt, only myself.

That being said, I ALWAYS wear my seatbelt because I want to, but I don't understand the annoying chime and harsh penalties for those who do not.

 

I contacted a Service Advisor and was told that it is not possible for them to turn off the chime or dong.

I don't believe it is a law that cars MUST have it as I have a F250 which allows you to turn off the seat belt chime through a series of procedures.

Seems to me that there has to be a switch in the latching mechanism which recognizes the seat belt being engaged. So, if we knew which wires went to that switch, they could simply be jumped so as to register the seat belt as always being connected.

 

That has always been my question. I can't get a straight answer on whether its a law if it has to be there, but apparently if the car has it, it cannot be disconnected. I have had BMWs and this MINI and the dealer refuses to unwire it. But I have a brand new 2008 Land Rover that doesn't have the chime. So it must not be a law to have, only, to not disconnect if it does have it.

 

Wonder what would happen if you just pulled the little noisemaker?

I also get very tired of it, and I also always wear my seatbelt, and not because of some little noisemaker beeping at me.......

 

The problem is the noise comes through the speakers. The worst part about that is if you crank the music up to drown out the dreaded gong, the gong just gets louder (at least on my '09).

 

I have an 09 as well and its loud! Its very annoying.

 

This and many of the other sounds that the car makes are part of the head unit of the radio system/computer (which btw also controls all the items that are displayed on the radio screens). Thus it is not removable.

 

My computer bag sets off my passenger side bell (!) and since I most often drive solo, I just buckle the belt on the empty seat. I guess you could buckle it before you get in, sort of under you.

 

+1

I'm actually surprised the safety ***** haven't started giving us their two cents in this thread yet. There was a very similar thread for the 1st gen thread, and it got ugly really fast.

With that said, the Euro-spec MINIs I've been in don't have the seatbelt warning. I've often wondered if we could get the BCM reprogrammed to eliminate this annoyance?

 

That is an interesting tidbit of info!

 

FMVSS/CMVSS 208 states that the vehicle must be equipped with an audible seat belt reminder with a duration of between four and eight seconds. That's the law. However, that's the minimum requirement. Studies have shown over the years that making the reminder more annoying (louder or long-lasting) does increase seat belt use amongst those drivers who might otherwise not be inclined to buckle up.

Many vehicles do offer the ability to modify the seat belt reminder. My Toyota has two settings - the "federal" setting, where it beeps for only six seconds per the letter of the law, and the "voluntary" setting, where it will beep at an increasing rate for a full two minutes. Dealers can make the change from the "voluntary" default setting, but many refuse to because they're under the mistaken impression that this is somehow illegal. Mine asked me to sign a waiver before making the change.

Doesn't sound like Mini offers this ability, though.

 

I have an 2008 F250 that allows you to completely disable the seat belt reminder (as in no chime at all) via a series of steps which are spelled out in detail in the owner's manual. I would tend to think that if it was illegal for an owner to disable, that they wouldn't show you how to do it.

Granted, there may be a different set of laws for trucks?

 

Or for vehicles over a certain GVWR.

 

Aaaaaah. So MINI chose to go the annoying route. Yes, my Land Rover does chime, but only for probably 4-8 seconds like you said then it never comes on again.

Strike 1 for MINI which is shocking because I couldn't find anything wrong with anything they have done so far.

 

I'm glad you said safety *****. I was going to go there before but decided to be semi-PC. I just don't see how that affects anyone. Shouldn't I be allowed to not wear my seat belt if I want to? And the safety ***** can wear theirs. Everyone is happy.

But we are a dying breed. I see now children need to be in a car seat until like 8 years or 80 lbs. That's insane. I am not driving my second grader to school in a freaking car seat. Just give me the ticket. I didn't have a car seat after 1 when I was coming up, we just kind of rolled around in the back seat or wore the seat belt if the car even had one.

 

Funny I use the seatbelt all the time but it's the passenger one I want the chime off for. Even a water bottle on the seat sets it off! Crazy I need to plug the belt in just to turn it off. On my VW Touareg I could plug my computer in with a VAG COM cable and change any setting I wanted.

 

R56s must have much more sensitive sensors than the previous generation, I know my passenger airbag deactivates when I have a heavy bag on the seat, or even a case of CDs and my laptop, but I've never gotten the seatbelt chime without a person in the seat.

 

New plan, anyone want to go in on a group buy for just the belt plug for the passenger side? Just leave it plugged in all the time and remove if you have an actual passenger?

 

I would be all over that.