Reset Air Bag Light

[NearlyNN]

Wonder if anyone has tried the Peake SRS BMW airbag lght reset tool on their Mini. I just talked to Dan at Peake and he hasn't had any feedback from anyone to date. I am the second person to ask.

I have put in racing seats(OMP Bigs, which I love) and though we have added the 4 ohm sensor to fool the light, it went off the other day. May have had something to me avoiding a crash in front of me at Barber Motorsports and tapping the tire wall with my rear end. Very lucky, since I was in fourth gear coming through the kinks at about 100 when I had to take evasive action. Probably tripped the sensor.

Pain to always have to go to a Mini dealer to ask for a reset. Especially since they kind of question the two small dents in the bumper.

Apreciate any info.

[fbson]

Not really an answer to your question, but it ws me who asked Dan @ Peake about the SRS tool a couple of days ago. Unfortunately he was sketchy and didn't have an answer other than the following:

'It will read codes, there is some question as to wether or not it will
reset them.

Thanks,

Dan'

Useful...

Anyway, I'm dead keen to know, since the BMW garage quoted a shocking amount for the time, and I just can't bring myself to pay it, particularly since I guess the light will come on again a week later!

Has anyone tried it????

Cheers.

[NearlyNN]

I'm going to follow his suggestion and contact a couple of BMW Clubs I'm doing schools with next week. He said the clubs often have the tool. I'm also trying Rogue who is about 15 miles form where I'm now staying. Maybe you could contact your local club also.

Since, he said once we buy it, it's ours, I want to see if it will work first.

Will let you know if I have any success.

[fbson]

Did anyone get to try the peake srs tool on a mini yet?

[NearlyNN]

Quote: Originally Posted by fbson

Did anyone get to try the peake srs tool on a mini yet?

I will be meeting up with the NJ Chapter of the BMW Club on Tuesday and they have one in the club tool kit. I will try it on my Mini then and will report back. Here's hoping.

[fbson]

Great stuff, thanks for the reply. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed - the tool could be just a bit useful if it does the trick!
Thanks again.

[fbson]

Can anyone actually answer whether or not the Peake tool will reset the airbag light? There seems to be a lot of complaining about the light, so I can't believe no-one has actually tested the most likely cure!?!... Surely you don't all like to line the dealer's pockets?!
Cheers

[cristo]

From looking at Peake's site, I'd guess it's not compatible with the MINI,
but I sent them an email asking this question, and will post back when
I get a reply.
I do have their r5/emx reset tool, and it has already come in handy.

[NearlyNN]

Quote: Originally Posted by cristo

From looking at Peake's site, I'd guess it's not compatible with the MINI,
but I sent them an email asking this question, and will post back when
I get a reply.
I do have their r5/emx reset tool, and it has already come in handy.

My discussions with them have turned up the fact that their experience has been that some times the BMW SRS reset tool works on the Mini and sometimes it doesn't.

I have posted on the local BMW club site for someone that has the tool plus the adaptor (needed for the Mini) and have yet to get a positive reply. Sure, would like to test it, before spending $160. Have a few more ideas.

As for the code reset tool, I couldn't live without it. One of best purchases I have made.

[cristo]

here's the reply I got:

"Dear Chris,

Does the SRS tool work on the Mini? Basically no. We've had some customers use it and it worked, but others have found that it did not work. We can not guarantee that it will, so you would be buying it at your risk. At this time there are not plans to release an airbag tool for the Mini in the near future. We do appreciate your input.

Kind Regards,

Carol
Peake Research
www.r5tool.com "

[NearlyNN]

Reporting back on this front.

It worked. I found someone to buy the tool from me if it diidn't work. However, I seem to be one of the lucky ones. Well, at least it worked to clear codes relating to the seats. I have an April '03 MCS.

Besides the obvious benefits of not having to endure the cost and inconvenience of taking my out-of-warranty car to the dealer, it will have one other use for me. Research (which I can't find right now) indicates that the use of air bags at the track, in conjuction with racing harnesses, increases the level of injuries. I will be unclipping one of the seat connectors before going out and then re-clipping it and resetting the light/system at the end of the day.

I imagine I have just created a whole new thread, of sorts.

[jdewey]

The bulletin you are thinking of is an SCCA warning.

In some class of car, not related to what most people drive, they found that an air bag deployment could rotate a full face helmet downward, potentially breaking the lower jaw of the occupant.

The way I sit in my MINI it is more likely that the bag would rotate the helmet UP.

If you are using a Schroth, made for the MINI harness, it clips into the OEM belt using the Pyrotechnic belt tensioner. The car knows the belt is buckled, so it deploys the air bags at "user is belted" speed.

If you use other harnesses, and the car does not know it is there, the bags are deployed at "user is not belted" speed.

I use a Schroth, and a full face helmet. If I bang up the car bad enough to deploy the bags, the minor risk of breaking my Jaw is not going to be important to me! If I do get a damaged Jaw, it will keep me from yelling back at my co owner.

John

[jblow]

Quote: Originally Posted by NearlyNN

Reporting back on this front.

It worked. I found someone to buy the tool from me if it diidn't work. However, I seem to be one of the lucky ones. Well, at least it worked to clear codes relating to the seats. I have an April '03 MCS.

Besides the obvious benefits of not having to endure the cost and inconvenience of taking my out-of-warranty car to the dealer, it will have one other use for me. Research (which I can't find right now) indicates that the use of air bags at the track, in conjuction with racing harnesses, increases the level of injuries. I will be unclipping one of the seat connectors before going out and then re-clipping it and resetting the light/system at the end of the day.

I imagine I have just created a whole new thread, of sorts.

Has anyone else had any success reseting the Mini airbag light with a Peake, or any other, tool?? Just installed some Recaros and the resistor trick didn't work..

[robbo mcs]

Quote: Originally Posted by jblow

Has anyone else had any success reseting the Mini airbag light with a Peake, or any other, tool?? Just installed some Recaros and the resistor trick didn't work..

Hi,

My local BMW dealer reset mine

I had to sign a legal disclaimer, acknowledging that both side airbags were disabled. They also put big orange "Achtung! Danger!" stickers on the door frame stating that the side airbags were disabled.

They had to obtain a rolling security code from Germany, which apparrently is only valid for 24 hours. They reset the error using the code. The airbag light went off, and apparrently the front and roof airbags are now operational.

They charged me around $200 from memory, which is a bit more expensive than a resistor

BTW, the fact that the airbag light has come on does not necessarily mean the other airbags are inactive. I have a friend who has race seats. He hadn't done anything to reset the airbags, and had the error light on. When he had a crash in a rally, involving a side impact his drivers side roof airbag and pyrotechnic battery disconnect activated approriately

Cheers

Robbo