I feel your pain MPower-

I have a 2005 Mini Cooper S Convertible that has an intermittent passenger occupancy sensor light on. After 3 visits to the Mini dealer closest to me, they finally said that my seat sensor is cracked. This is a 1600 quote.

Why did it take 3 visits? First they said I needed a side airbag and front passenger airbag. I don't even remember the quote. I almost blacked out. I walked out thinking "what do I do now?"

Then I realized the light was off. Then on. Then off and called the dealership. They informed me that they must be wrong because it should be on consistently. So I take it back.

This time they can't emulate the on and off and my husband gets frustrated and leaves.

I record the light coming on and then I wiggle the wires and it goes off. I think thank god for cell phones. This time they want a copy of the video for themselves and dianose it with a cracked seat sensor and a 1600 quote and a copy of a April 2006 Service Bulletin since I have been causing a fuss about this not being covered by a TSB for 2005 models. My 2005 is not covered, go figure.

I too am interested in anything cheaper! A new seat has been almost impossible with my stitching for some reason. I am calling all over CA looking. The emulator seems like the cheapest sensible solution.

I found another possible place to buy it http://www.airbagmodul.com/.

Has anyone tried this before? Any help would be appreciated. I have attached a bad photo of a seat like mine in case anyone knows where to buy one.

 

The guy i found on ebay said this regarding his emulators for the R56 models:

"I AM NOT SELLING YOU RESISTORS YOU CAN USE RESISTORS ON OLD BMW E46 E39 ETC UP TO 2004 ,

INSIDE IS PROCCESOR PROGRAMMED TO US SYSTEM REQIRMENTS!!

COMPARE MY OFFER WITH OTHER SELLER, THE ONLY COMPETITORS WE HAVE ARE CHINESE OR PEOPLE WHO BUY FROM CHINA
- BUT THEY ARE 10 YEARS BEHIND US
THEY DONT EVEN HAVE 10% OF OUR OFFER

RESERCH AGAIN AND SEND ME LINK TO COMPANY WHO DOES BMW X3 USA SPEC, MINI US SPEC OR SUZUKI FORENZA US SPEC,HYUNDAI SONATA US SPEC, OR VISIT OUR NEW SHOP FOR USA MARKET AT AIRBAG360.COM ( UNDERCONSTRUCTION BUT MOST MODELS ARE LISTED THERE )

PLEASE DONT TELL WHATS GONNA WORK OR NOT IF YOUR KNOWLEDGE BASED ON WHAT PEOPLE SAYS ON FORUMS !!"

"there is no resistors in it- resistors works with 2 wire sensor bmw up to 2004 /2005
mini usa is completly different system - 3 wire sensor, different coding than any other bmw (only x3 has same system)
sorry i dont have time to explain you everything, is gonna work 100%
after you fitted in i hope you update information on that forum with the link to my store "

 

Well damn. I guess I will just have to figure it out one day when I replace the seat. Or, If you buy that box remove your bad mat sensor and sent it to me and I will figure it out and post it on here for everyone to know!

 

Our ABL went on the other day for no apparent reason. How do you tell which seat is the problem? I'm about ready to drive this car into the pond.

 

Did anyone look at this mat? Absolutely a travesty. There is no need for a mat. With the seatbelt engaged the fasten seatbelt beep/light is disengaged. Why would'nt they then engage the airbag. And why so big. I see a waste of $ and engineering. Not to mention a consumer aggravation switch. We recently paid to have the mat replaced. P.O.S.

 

The mat is weight sensitive. Probably even controls airbag timing.

 

Except that it has been required by law in new cars since 2006. The real problem is that the BMW/MINI mat is fragile and prone to failure. I already had mine replaced (thankfully under warranty), but now out of warranty and the replacement is showing signs that it might be starting to fail too.

I linked a photo earlier of a bare 1st gen mat:


Here's the R56 sensor mat, still enclosed in its sheath, from this thread: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3072740


It has a lot of wires, connections and individual sensors that can potentially fail. If somebody can identify specifically what is failing, there might be a way to repair it. firehawk618 (of the 1st photo) is very technical and I think he would have been able to find the failure if it were visible.

 

$125 to reset the light at Waterloo Motors. Code came up 'intermittent'. It's kind of a toss up whether to buy the BMW tool. Wife said she was leaving the seat belt hooked up with nothing on it except groceries once in a while. That may have done it, who's to know? She says she won't do that anymore.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Mini told you about these things? Maybe not, who'd buy them or how would they make any money, not that I give them any more anyhow.

 

I always put my groceries on my seat and generally have a gallon jug of water seat belted in. Never had any issue. Did you solve the issue yet? I really would be interested in getting my hands on a broken mat and seeing what i could figure out.

 

Dave07 is looking at one over on this thread: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ll-deploy.html

 

How can I report a safety problem to NHTSA?

If you think your vehicle or equipment may have a safety defect, reporting it to NHTSA is an important first step to take to get the situation remedied and make our roads safer. If the agency receives similar reports from a number of people about the same product, this could indicate that a safety-related defect may exist that would warrant the opening of an investigation. In order to make it convenient for consumers to report any suspected safety defects to NHTSA, the agency offers three ways to file such complaints.

Vehicle Safety Hotline
NHTSA operates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Vehicle Safety Hotline telephone service to collect accurate and timely information from consumers on vehicle safety problems. You can call 1-888-327-4236 or 1-800-424-9393 toll free from anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to register complaints or receive recall information about a vehicle. The Hotline also has Spanish-speaking representatives and offers a dedicated number, 1-800-424-9153, for use by persons with hearing impairments.
When you call the Hotline to report a vehicle-related safety issue, you will be asked to provide certain critical information that agency technical staff needs to evaluate the problem. The information you provide is filed on a Vehicle Owner’s Questionnaire (VOQ), entered into the agency’s consumer-complaint database, and forwarded to NHTSA technical staff for evaluation.
VOQs filed through the Hotline will be mailed to you for verification of data. In addition, you will receive an explanation of how your report will be used, as well as a request for written authorization allowing NHTSA to provide your personal identifiers (e.g., name, address and telephone number) to the manufacturer of the alleged defective product you own. Note that you are not required to provide such authorization. However, sometimes sharing this information with the manufacturer can help facilitate the recall process.

Safercar.gov
You can also report a vehicle safety issue to NHTSA online at our vehicle safety Web site: www.safercar.gov. Select “File a Complaint” within the Defects and Recalls section of the home page. The information you submit via the Web site is recorded in VOQ format, entered into our consumer complaint database, and provided to our technical staff for evaluation.
When you fill out a VOQ online, you will be given the option of checking a box to authorize or not authorize the release of your personal identifiers to the manufacturer of the alleged defective product you own. Again, while you are not required to provide such authorization, doing so can sometimes help facilitate the recall process.
Actual Link - https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

U.S. Mail
To report a safety complaint to NHTSA by mail, send your letter to:
U.S. Department of Transportation
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Office of Defects Investigation (NVS-210)
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE
Washington, DC 20590

 

Is this dead
Do the emulators work for the R56?
Has anyone made emulators/resistors for all three circuits contained in that yellow gang plug?
I want to run w/o the pass seat and w/o SRS codes everywhere.

 

I've got the dreaded airbag light as well. It's a 2hr trip to the dealer and I don't have any confidence that they'll have the necessary parts in stock so that means 2 trips to the dealer to get this fixed. I found this http://www.ebay.com/itm/161161656100?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT on eBay and the seller has good feedback. I'm seriously considering this option under the heading: "nothing ventured, nothing gained". P.S. I made an offer of $50 and the seller accepted so I guess I'll get to be the guinea pig. I'll let you know if it works. If not, I'll return it for a refund and pay just the shipping.

 

I've seen the R53 version work, so that will probably work, too. Any reason why you don't prearrange the appointment with the the dealer to make sure the sensor is there before you arrive?

 

My airbag light has been on for Months...screw it....R56 09' MCS 84,000 miles...

 

Just filed with Safe Car Gov...so we shall see...

 

Actually I did ask and was told they couldn't order any parts until they troubleshoot the problem.

 

Well, I got the emulator from SRSdrive on eBay and installed it about a week ago. For me, it worked as advertised. The big ugly airbag symbol is gone from my tac display. The pax airbag inop display is no longer illuminated by the rear view mirror. All I get now is the airbag light on the speedo which illuminates briefly on startup and goes away after 2-3 sec. The seller also included a separate module that you hook up to the pax seat belt to prevent the annoying seat belt chime to remind the passenger to buckle his seat belt (even though there's no passenger). The emulator is easy to install without removing the seat (if you're thin and flexible). The seat belt module is a little tougher. I ended up unbolting the seat and tipping it back so I could access the main connector under the seat. I'm out about $60 and 2hrs of my time but the dreaded airbag light is GONE.

 

https://www.eeuroparts.com/Parts/639...t-65776930683/

fix it the right way

 

I buy that from eBay, still got the problem, previously spent 900 in a new seat because some mechanic said that's the problem, never solve it.

 

I didn't see this mentioned anywhere in the thread but if your car is not that old there is an extended warranty program where Mini dealers will replace the sensor mat at no charge. I took my 2012 MCS in and they took care of it about 4 months ago. I bought one of the eBay bypasses and it does fool the car into thinking someone is always sitting in the passenger seat. The car then insists that the seatbelt be then buckled so I had to buy a dummy insert. Sent all the eBay stuff back once Mini fixed it correctly.

 

Great you go it taken care of. Was it a warrany, or a recall? (cause I saw that somewhere on the earlier cars) I've got a 2013 JCW - any guess if that might be covered as well?
Thanks!

 

Aaron at OutMotoring hooked me up! Works perfect!

https://www.outmotoring.com/seat-occ...-srs-seat.html

 

I have a 2011 Cooper R56 Hardtop and my passenger side airbag error light is on. I paid the dealer $208.00 for their computer diagnose and they said... they need to replace the sensor in the seat. They said the whole seat needs to be ordered from the factory in Germany (2 week shipping), and it will cost $1400 for everything to correct the problem. They said it was every bit of a 4.5 hour job.

I asked if I could buy a whole seat from a junk yard and if they could do the rest to make it correct again and they said No... because the seat is "VIN specific"? They said it needs to come from the factory and is programmed to my VIN?

So... my question here is... has anyone tried to purchase a whole seat from another of the same for an easy fix? I know where one is right now in my area. Does it really need to be re-programmed? Why are they saying that it is "VIN Specific" and another used seat will NOT work? Any truth to all of what they are telling me?

I don't think I would want to purchase the module from ebay to bypass the unit. I need to know 120% that the airbag will deploy in case of an accident. I wouldn't want to gamble on it doing what a guy on Ebay says so that is not an option for me..
Thanks!
Please message me or post!

 

Find a replacement seat or bottom seat cushion. You can definitely find one cheaper than a new replacement. It doesn't even need to be the same color as long as it has the mat in it. I had this happen to me on a convertible I bought. I managed to find a bottom seat cushion with the sensor mat and heated seat element which I needed for my hardtop. Had to take the seats apart and the C- clip upholstery staples are not a-lot of fun to get off or reinstall but it's doable with some determination. Airbag sensor mat was plug and play no reprogramming needed. Used seats aren't all that hard to find. If I had to do it again I wouldn't hesitate to buy a set of "upgrade" seats. In my case the cushion alone was cheap and was worth a shot. I got lucky. Its easy to see when you get the mat out how the thin film transistor construction can easily be damaged by weight or moisture.