Airbag Warning Light - Passenger

[Safeas]

Hi All,

I'm a new member and looking for a bit of advice..... My Wife has a 2006 Mini Cooper S. Around a month ago I moved the drivers side seat and the airbag warning light came on. Having read a few of the comments on here I assumed it was wiring under the seat and when I dropped the car into Mini for a service I asked them to check and reset the fault.

They reset the fault - Stating it showed as the passenger (dashboard airbag) - But could not say whether it was actually a fault, or just a glitch. However, after driving for a mile I went over a bump and the light came back on.

I took it back to Mini where they said they had not looked at any of the seat wiring as the fault is showing on the passenger (Dashboard) airbag.

The car is out of warranty and Mini have stated that they need to replace the airbag at a charge of £1200.

This doesnt ring true to me, because the fault seems connected to the wiring which is why its disturbed by bumps in the road.....

I'm happy to take a crack at fixing most things myself, but feel a little out of my depth with wiring.

I took it to an independant garage, but they did not have the correct gear to diagnose it.....

Does anyone have any advice, or indeed know of a garage in the Bristol area which could handle this?

I feel like I'm getting ripped off on this one....

Any help is appreciated!!!

[Macguyvic]

Seems like they should replace an airbag sensor. The airbag hasn't gone off so what's wrong the the bag itself? I don't think a bag sends the signal. Considering it happens when you move the seat or hit a bump I think you're right to look for a loose connection starting under the seat.

[mab01uk]

Even if you did need a replacement airbag they are widely available cheaper secondhand from scapped Mini's where the airbags were not fired:
Products - Airbags - Mini Spares UK