Yup, you read it right my ipad mini is causing the passenger airbag on my 2014 Mini Cooper Countryman JCW to malfunction. I wouldn't have believed it myself. It all started when the seat belt indicator and gong came on while I was driving. (The indicator on the information/tach display) I had my seat belt on so knew it wasn't the driver seat belt. That annoying gong kept chiming. Then I noticed that the passenger airbag off indicator light display on the overhead console had tuned off. Meaning, the passenger airbag on my JCW had armed Itself although no one was in the passenger seat. The only thing I had on the front seat was my ipad mini. I doubt my ipad mini weighed enough to activate the occupancy sensor on my JCW. So, I slightly lifted my Ipad mini off the seat and the overhead light indicating passenger airbag off turned on and the seatbelt indicator and gong chime turned off. I did this several times and yup it was the ipad mini.

Wait it gets better, while my Ipad mini was on the passenger seat it was also charging (I was using the 12v power outlet) well, I unplugged the Ipad Mini and guess what, the passenger airbag off indicator came on (passenger airbag disarmed) and the seatbelt warning light turned off too. So, I plugged my Ipad mini back and the passenger airbag off indicator light turned off again and when I drove the car the seat belt warning light and gong come on too. (I had my seat belt on)

So, there you have it, an Ipad mini that is charging and placed on the front passenger seat will cause the occupant sensor in the front passenger seat to sense that a person of proper weight is sitting on the seat. Therefore, activating the front passenger airbag and turning on a seatbelt warning sign with a gong chime.

Very odd, but, this can be a potential safety concern. What would happen if a parent (who wasn't thinking properly) placed a small child who wouldn't weigh enough for passenger airbag activation in the front passenger seat? Then, that child is playing with an Ipad that is charging and suddenly places that Ipad on the seat next to his/her little legs. That passenger airbag will be armed and ready to deploy in an accident. If an accident occurred with a charging Ipad that is on the passenger seat and there happens to be a small child, that passenger airbag is going to deploy no matter how small that child is....... This could be bad.

 

Seen this before, search here. Known issue I believe.

Many cars now use a body-mass sensor in the seat hardware - phones with all sorts of RFI set them off. - http://www.chevymalibuforum.com/foru...ad.php?t=46626

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulle...arning-254466/

Its not just a Mini issue.

 

It's not just the iPad. My iPhone. A FILE FOLDER. I got one of those carbon dummy seat belt latches.