[gazah]

Airbag Light is on, but the system hasn't thrown any fault codes to read/reset!? I really need some smart MINI people to help!


It's a long post, I've give you a bit of a timeline to explain how I've gotten to this point, then hopefully the issue/question will be obvious.

* 10/02 MCS. 17% Pulley + CAI + MTH. Out of warranty.

* Passenger seat reclining mechanism ~stuffed for a year or so

* Lined up to buy some Sparcos

* Thought I'd remove the seat & have a little look-see. Didn't read MINI2 first. Turned on the accessories with the seat out. Airbag light came on, & stayed on [expectedly]!!!

* Was going to get the Sparcos installed at a workshop, & given they had an OBD-II scanner, I thought I'd just get them to reset the light after the install... so didn't visit the dealer in the interim.

* Workshop did the install, but when they hooked up the OBD-II scanner/resetter, there was NO CODE... airbag light is still on, but there is NO CODE. They tried telling it to reset codes anyways, but that did nothing. Even with both seats out, they couldn't get it to throw a fault code!?

* Since then we've... checked the battery voltage, OK. Disconnected the battery for half an hour, without effect [although it's not been back on the OBD2 thing, the light is still on]. Workshop checked the accessible fuses, but couldn't find one that seemed specificlly related to the SRS system.

* Workshop are summising that the airbag light coming on was a coincidence, & is actually related to an SRS ECU fault [or faulty SRS ECU]. I'm wondering whether tripping the airbag light initially has somehow confused the SRS ECU.


Questions...

* Any thoughts?

* Do dealers have fancier computers that can access more info than a system a garage that works with MINIs somewhat regularly would have?


Not only am I confused, but I'm not confident that the dealer will know where to start in trying to sort this out, so I'd like to be well informed myself first.

Any light you can shed on the situation would be mighty helpful & mucho appreciated!

[mab01uk]

B200 SRS Reset tool (£50 approx. on Ebay) has always worked for me but only with standard seats and normally LH seat air bag firing loom as a fault code.
Do the new Sparco seats have seat side airbags? If not, how does the SRS system know to ignore that they are missing?

[gazah]

The Sparcos don't have side airbags, but we've wired resistors into the loom to get around that issue.

As you alluded to, you need a Fault Code to be able to reset it... however our issue is that the ECU isn't registering any Fault Codes [despite the light being on]!?

[wywywywy]

Hi,

An air bag code is a manufacturer code, not an engine code.

A normal ODB-II scanner can only read engine codes (as defined by the ODB-II protocol), and won't be able to read any manufacturer codes (air bag, chassis, transmission, electrical, etc). Likewise an ODB-II scanner would not be able to erase manufacturer codes.

Once an air bag light has been on, IT WILL NOT GO AWAY on its own even if you have fixed the fault, until you reset it.

The garage should know better really (or may be not).

Hope it helps.

[gazah]

So to clarify wywywywy, you're saying just because his OBD-II scanner can't read the code, there is still one there somewhere, & BMW should be able to see & reset it?

How then do tools such as the following one work?... SRS (Airbag) Scan and Reset tool

It'd be great news if this as an easy dealer fix, I'm just not sure that having NO CODE registered is really that simple to explain!?

Quote: Originally Posted by wywywywy (original)

Hi,

An air bag code is a manufacturer code, not an engine code.

A normal ODB-II scanner can only read engine codes (as defined by the ODB-II protocol), and won't be able to read any manufacturer codes (air bag, chassis, transmission, electrical, etc). Likewise an ODB-II scanner would not be able to erase manufacturer codes.

Once an air bag light has been on, IT WILL NOT GO AWAY on its own even if you have fixed the fault, until you reset it.

The garage should know better really (or may be not).

Hope it helps.

[mab01uk]

This is the B200 one I used only about £50-60, (cheaper than the price of just one BMW Dealer SRS reset in the UK) and always available to use again in future once you have it.
BMW AIRBAG SRS FAULT CODE SCANNER/RESET TOOL
I guess how it works is that it is custom made to see & read only the BMW unique SRS Airbag manufacturer codes and reset them, rather than the common engine codes,etc. of the OBD-II scanner you have been using?
ie. your fault code is their but can not be seen and recognised by a non BMW type scanner.

[gazah]

Thanks for the input mab01uk

I'd love that to be the case, because it means a quick trip to the dealer should fix things [I can't justify buying a separate device if the problem isn't going to recur]... my concern is that I'm going to turn up at the dealer & there'll be no fault code for them to read either? If that happens, I don't know where this is going to lead.

[wywywywy]

If there really isn't anything wrong with your car, then yes it should be an easy fix.
Forget about looking for a "code", there isn't one. This is not ODB-II.
Saying that, I personally would rather buy the airbag rest tool than visiting a dealer - it is cheaper than a dealer's standard diagnostic charge! And if it does happen again you could do it yourself, or even sell it to recoup money when you sell the car.

[gazah]

Thanks guys.

I'll check the model of the OBD-II device they were using today, & presuming it's simply incapable of reading/resetting the SRS codes, I'll look into the alternatives mentioned.

The workshop owner had said he had read/reset SRS codes previously, but from all your input it's seeming increasingly likely the device is simply not able to read MINI SRS codes.

[Silent1]

Hi Gazah,

If you take it to a BMW garage they should reset it free of charge, as some pre-facelift MINIs had a problem with the wire that runs to the left (port*) side seat whereby it was too short, meaning if you put the seat the whole way back it would temporarily disconnect meaning the light would come on.

This happened in our 'S and BMW where only too happy to keep resetting it whilst we waited for the parts to come in, they didn't charge anything as the Service Desk person just went and got the handheld computer and did it in the carpark.

Now i know you've not got that problem, but it illustrates that they should help

*Yes I know it's a nautical term, but it isn't affected by LHD/RHD

[mab01uk]

Quote: Originally Posted by Silent1 (original)

Hi Gazah,

If you take it to a BMW garage they should reset it free of charge, as some pre-facelift MINIs had a problem with the wire that runs to the left (port*) side seat whereby it was too short, meaning if you put the seat the whole way back it would temporarily disconnect meaning the light would come on.

This happened in our 'S and BMW where only too happy to keep resetting it whilst we waited for the parts to come in, they didn't charge anything as the Service Desk person just went and got the handheld computer and did it in the carpark.

Now i know you've not got that problem, but it illustrates that they should help

*Yes I know it's a nautical term, but it isn't affected by LHD/RHD

If only all BMW MINI dealers were as kind and helpful.................most seem to want £50-70 for each reset. and won't fix the seat wiring loom problem out of warranty !

[Silent1]

Quote: Originally Posted by mab01uk (original)

If only all BMW MINI dealers were as kind and helpful.................most seem to want £50-70 for each reset. and won't fix the seat wiring loom problem out of warranty !

Indeed! Our local dealer replaced it all for the labour cost, out of warranty and we didn't buy the car from them!

[gazah]

Update...

Having re-spoken with the workshop owner, he reports his Snap-On software allows access to the SRS system menu & they have previously scanned/reset MINI SRS codes.

I've still yet to work out whether this means the codes simply aren't there, but obviously that makes a difference as to how I proceed.

If I'm confident the codes are there & can be reset, than an aftermarket tool would be fine.

If there is a suggestion there is a bigger issue & the codes simply aren't present, then buying an aftermarket tool would be a fruitless endeavour, & a trip to the dealer is a must/

I dunno!?