BMW Airbag and seatbelt light on

[moneygoddy 0]

Hi guys,

I recently got my car's battery changed from a random mechanic. Right after having it changed the airbag and seat belt warning light turned on. I believe these got triggered when the battery was changed or it just happened at the same time, I don't know. I read online that after changing the battery, you need to update the system to say that the battery has been changed but it wasn't updated. So I went to a new mechanic as the service was due and he found that the Seat Recognition pads, and the rear wheel pads are triggering those lights!!! 

I am just confused on how come the lights turn on right after changing the battery?

[hotwire 352]

No one will know anything without yo mentioning the vehicle as to battery reconfiguration.

Seems random to me. Occupancy seat sensor will have nothing to do with battery change & i am assuming you are meaning rear brake pads & if so neither will have anything to do with those lights

[moneygoddy 0]

So should I go and get it checked from BMW specialists? I was quoted $500 for occupancy sensors and rear pads as they were coming on the system to be replaced, still that mechanic wasn't sure that will fix those lights lol. 

[kiwi535 538]

The answer is to go to a BMW SPECIALIST to get him to "register" the battery and to report to you what error codes he can read and what he thinks are the cause of those error codes.That is all.You can move forward from there.

A BMW sprcialist does not always mean the dealer but it must be someobe who knows BMW ,and has the equipment to communicate with your BMW ,not a random mechanic.

[Mad_Max 231]

18 hours ago, moneygoddy said:

I was quoted $500 for occupancy sensors and rear pads as they were coming on the system to be replaced

That's pretty steep..... depending on the car, sensor might take an hour to change tops, and the rear pads I can swap on the floor of my garage within an hour. If you feel like a trip south (or get down to Invercargill often) gimme a yell.

I've got basic BMW software and a cable here, if the car is an E36 will also have occupancy sensors. 

Let us know what make, model and year your car is as problems like these can be specific to certain models.

[M3AN 4016]

Yes, we need to know what type/year the 320i in your profile is @moneygoddy.

But without knowing that we can all tell you to spend nothing more at the mechanics you've been to.

You need the error "codes" read from the onboard computer. A BMW specialist (original dealer or independant mechanic) with the correct computer equipment can do this for you, as can some private individuals such as @Mad_Max offered above.

If you take it to a specialist you should ask for the codes to be read and to be provided with a printout which you should then post here for comments. Make no commitment to further work. This shouldn't cost more than $80 and IMHO should be free (rebated) if you get any repair work done at the same shop. To get the codes they need to connect up the computer, read the codes, clear the codes, drive the car, connect up the computer again, read the codes and print all the results. A charge is justified, it does take time and equipment (although very little skill) to do it properly.

If you can find somebody private to do it for you then you should ask them what beer they like.

 

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by M3AN

[hotwire 352]

Two posts & still we don't know the actual car. We are all wasting out time without that knowledge - how long is a piece of string?

[hotwire 352]

6 hours ago, Mad_Max said:

That's pretty steep..... depending on the car, sensor might take an hour to change tops, and the rear pads I can swap on the floor of my garage within an hour. If you feel like a trip south (or get down to Invercargill often) gimme a yell.

I've got basic BMW software and a cable here, if the car is an E36 will also have occupancy sensors. 

Let us know what make, model and year your car is as problems like these can be specific to certain models.

Occupancy sensor - 1 hour... really?

[moneygoddy 0]

5 hours ago, M3AN said:

Yes, we need to know what type/year the 320i in your profile is @moneygoddy.

But without knowing that we can all tell you to spend nothing more at the mechanics you've been to.

You need the error "codes" read from the onboard computer. A BMW specialist (original dealer or independant mechanic) with the correct computer equipment can do this for you, as can some private individuals such as @Mad_Max offered above.

If you take it to a specialist you should ask for the codes to be read and to be provided with a printout which you should then post here for comments. Make no commitment to further work. This shouldn't cost more than $80 and IMHO should be free (rebated) if you get any repair work done at the same shop. To get the codes they need to connect up the computer, read the codes, clear the codes, drive the car, connect up the computer again, read the codes and print all the results. A charge is justified, it does take time and equipment (although very little skill) to do it properly.

If you can find somebody private to do it for you then you should ask them what beer they like.

 

 

 

4 hours ago, hotwire said:

Two posts & still we don't know the actual car. We are all wasting out time without that knowledge - how long is a piece of string?

Thanks for your reply guys,

The model is 2006 320i 5door. The guy I went to said he is getting errors of passenger seat occupancy, rear wheel pads, fuel levelsensor. I don't really think fixing these will sort out the airbag and seat belt sign off. Car was absolutely fine before getting the battery changed and both of these signals came after I got the battery changed I mean right after I got it changed. I will try going back to the same guy who changed the battery and ask him look into it. 

[Mad_Max 231]

11 hours ago, hotwire said:

Occupancy sensor - 1 hour... really?

Lol taking my time and doing it nicely on someone else's car...... one of mine? A lot faster to do hahaha.

6 hours ago, moneygoddy said:

 

Thanks for your reply guys,

The model is 2006 320i 5door. The guy I went to said he is getting errors of passenger seat occupancy, rear wheel pads, fuel levelsensor. I don't really think fixing these will sort out the airbag and seat belt sign off. Car was absolutely fine before getting the battery changed and both of these signals came after I got the battery changed I mean right after I got it changed. I will try going back to the same guy who changed the battery and ask him look into it. 

AFAIK the occupancy sensor can trigger the airbag light, as it is part of the SRS system - one sensor fails and it will throw the light on so you get it checked out. So it may be the occupancy sensor or the seatbelt sensor that's throwing the airbag light, either one shouldn't be hard to fix.

Rear wheel pads may just be sensor wire not connected, or your rear pads are too low and need changed, easily fixed.

Fuel level sensor won't have anything to do with the airbag light.

As for the timing, well stranger things have happened but I really don't think changing the battery has caused a single one of these issues to develop.

As mentioned above, more than happy to get my hands dirty if you want.

[moneygoddy 0]

4 hours ago, Mad_Max said:

Lol taking my time and doing it nicely on someone else's car...... one of mine? A lot faster to do hahaha.

AFAIK the occupancy sensor can trigger the airbag light, as it is part of the SRS system - one sensor fails and it will throw the light on so you get it checked out. So it may be the occupancy sensor or the seatbelt sensor that's throwing the airbag light, either one shouldn't be hard to fix.

Rear wheel pads may just be sensor wire not connected, or your rear pads are too low and need changed, easily fixed.

Fuel level sensor won't have anything to do with the airbag light.

As for the timing, well stranger things have happened but I really don't think changing the battery has caused a single one of these issues to develop.

As mentioned above, more than happy to get my hands dirty if you want.

Sounds good, so how much it gonna cost me in total? 

[*rUstY_nUts* 9]

Captain Money.... go to a BMW specialist before this turns into a money pit nightmare with all the misinformation and suggestions you may be getting for your E90. You have already been hit in the pocket with an idiot repairer

Edited November 9, 2017 by *rUstY_nUts*

[Mad_Max 231]

On 11/9/2017 at 1:34 PM, moneygoddy said:

Sounds good, so how much it gonna cost me in total? 

Whatever the parts cost plus fuel. Might pay to have a hunt for an occupancy sensor, unfortunately they are different to the ones I have available.

As for rear pads, just need to know if we're dealing with a broken wire/sensor, or the pads themselves are really low. New pads at a guess would be $75-$90 depending on where you buy them, and a new sensor around $65, so may be better to grab both then just repair what's needed on the day, return whatever's left over and get your money back on that.

Just let me know if you want to go this way and I'll free up some time for ya.

On 11/9/2017 at 2:36 PM, *rUstY_nUts* said:

Captain Money.... go to a BMW specialist before this turns into a money pit nightmare with all the misinformation and suggestions you may be getting for your E90. You have already been hit in the pocket with an idiot repairer

Yes understand completely where you're coming from and why, some of us do have knowledge and skills - first job was as a mechanic for a Euro specialist in Melbourne, and since then I've spent the last 3 years or so playing with all sorts of things. I wouldn't have offered to help if I wasn't confident I could do it. 

At the end of the day, it may cost him for parts and fuel to travel, my labour is free, so not a huge outlay - and not an idiot repairer either lol. So worst case -