Airbag Light on... How much?

Strokesfan · 26-10-2007 5:06pm #1

My airbag light has been on for a few weeks - I drive a Mini One (2003). Took it to the garage that I regularly go to and they tried to tell me it's the ABS light and needs a 500 or 600 euro part.

The ABS light on my dash is actually two lights away to the left from the airbag one...

Can I just get this light switched off or how much should it cost to look at? I think they've took me for a bit of an eejit with the ABS story

eringobragh · 26-10-2007 5:08pm

Those Lights are there for a reason, but failing that

You'll need an "OBD-II Diagnostic cable" and laptop. Or an OBD-II diagnostic unit, there available on ebay they can switch off timing belt lights etc

Pete4779 · 26-10-2007 5:19pm

Strokesfan wrote: »

My airbag light has been on for a few weeks - I drive a Mini One (2003). Took it to the garage that I regularly go to and they tried to tell me it's the ABS light and needs a 500 or 600 euro part.

The ABS light on my dash is actually two lights away to the left from the airbag one...

Can I just get this light switched off or how much should it cost to look at? I think they've took me for a bit of an eejit with the ABS story

By Airbag light do you mean SRS light? (they make most of the in-car airbag systems).

The light is there to signal a fault in the airbag system or apparently both airbag and antilock brakes in the MiniOne. If you switch it off then then if the airbags don't go off in an accident, don't get pissed off at BMW/Mini.

AFAIK anyway, it costs around €300 to get individual airbags reset anyway.

Find out what the actual problem is:
1. A bulb
2. A electrical fault
3. An actual fault in the SRS or ABS system.
4. ..something else

Once you know what the problem is then see if the price matches up. The SRS light should come on for a few seconds when you start the car, and then go out. If it stays on for more than a few seconds (i.e., like you have experienced) it typically indicates a fault with the airbag system, it's not just for decoration. So - the simplest reason for it is that you've been driving around for a few weeks with a faulty or non-functioning airbag system.

Mailman · 26-10-2007 6:28pm

SRS is the acronym for Supplemental Restraint System and is not the name of a company.

Neilw · 26-10-2007 7:11pm

Check the electrical connections under the seat, seat belt pre tensioner connections have been known to set off air bag lights.

Neil.

colm_mcm · 26-10-2007 7:14pm

Still have to go to dealer to reset though.
Better to go to the dealer and plug it in rather than guessing.
Has the MINI an airbag off switch for the pass side?

Strokesfan · 26-10-2007 8:38pm

Neil, That might make sense actually because it only came on the day after I hoovered the car out and had been moving the seats!

Thanks for all the replies. I'm just slightly broke at the moment and I don't want to pay out for parts the car doesn't even need - Is the ABS connected at all? It has a separate warning light so I don't know why the mechanic told me that.

Pete4479 - 300euro per airbag to reset? It has a driver one, a passenger one then has side ones in the front seats (eeekkk)... could be very costly for me.

Colm - can't find an airbag off switch for the passenger side...

colm_mcm · 26-10-2007 9:30pm

Reason I asked is that on some cars if you disable the passenger airbag the general airbag warning light comes on (rather than a specific "passenger airbag off" light).
Sounds like Neilw suggested alright, had this happen on 2 of my own cars. but had to get dealer to reset even though I knew what the problem was.

Mr.Diagnostic · 26-10-2007 10:02pm

Pete4779 wrote: »

AFAIK anyway, it costs around €300 to get individual airbags reset anyway.

I knew I was too cheap

Esel · 26-10-2007 10:20pm

Pete4779 wrote: »

Find out what the actual problem is:
1. A bulb
2. A electrical fault
3. An actual fault in the SRS or ABS system.
4. ..something else

Faulty bulb? Staying on?

Mailman · 26-10-2007 10:30pm

It's a Mini. Airbag deployment based on whether there is someone sitting in the seat and also if they are wearing their belt to decide if to deploy and if so, how hard.

Mini is infamous for lack of rear seat space. So without specific knowledge of the car I'm guessing someone was unfortunate enough to have been given a lift in the back of the car. Probably a big gangly bloke. So check under the seats to see if he hit any of the wiring under your seats. Re-attach and tie up whatever is hanging loose under the seats.

It's a Mini? does it have a 5 year care package? If so when you next bring it in for a service they'll probably reset the ECU and the error will hopefully disappear.

Fey! · 27-10-2007 11:16am

It sounds like the same problem as the BMW 5 series (e39); when you adjust the drivers seat to the fully back position, you can often knock out the airbag connection. While the connection only breaks for a second, you still have to get it reset.

I ended up buying the reset tool from a company in Dublin for around €70 on ebay (reset in the garage costs €80); have saved a fortune, as between my parents, my friends and myself we have 3 e39's, and we're all tall so we're forever setting the light off!

Strokesfan · 27-10-2007 12:35pm

Mailman & Fey! - thanks so much - this really confirms to me that it was because I hoovered the car out and like that - I adjusted all the seats back etc - that this was the problem!!

I'm going to explain to another garage and hopefully get it reset.

You guys have saved me a fortune in the sense that I now know that I don't need an expensive ABS braking part of some kind!!

Fey! · 27-10-2007 1:43pm

That's only assuming that we're right based on your description.

I reckon the best person on here to give you Mini advice will be Ned78; I'm sure he'll be around in a bit...

Cmar-Ireland · 27-10-2007 4:35pm

If your sure it was moving around under the seat that caused the light to come on, then you could get a reset tool online.
I bought one for my car recently to turn off the srs light. It came on because I took out my dash cluster without unhooking the battery.

€120 if I got bmw to check the light, €70 for the reset tool. No contest there

Owen · 29-10-2007 12:48pm

PM sent to the OP.

colm_mcm · 29-10-2007 12:51pm

ned78 wrote: »

PM sent to the OP.

I wonder what it says?

Owen · 01-11-2007 1:35am

It said :

Apologies about not seeing your thread, I'm not spending as much time on boards as I used to. First of all, I'm going to blame the wiring under the seat. If you moved the seat, it could have pulled the wiring taut, and caused one of two problems.

1) It temporarily caused the electrical connector under the seat to disconnect, if that happens, the light stays on to show you there was a problem, and all it needs is a reset.

2) It actually damaged the wiring, and that will need to be reset.

That's assuming all you did was move the seat. If you washed the seat it could be worse, inside the seat is a mat that can detect when someone is sitting down on it or not, so it knows if it needs to deploy the airbag or not.

Either way, it's something you should get checked out. Go straight to a MINI garage, and tell them you want a diagnosis only. Where and when was the MINI bought? If it was bought as a second hand car from a MINI garage within the last 12 months, it will be under warranty.

Hope all this helps, and don't hesitate to get in touch if you need anything else.

Airbag Light on... How much?

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