Need Airbag Light Reset on E36! Any help?

Baraics Pollox

Is there any quick and easy way of resetting the airbag light on an E36 318is?

I have had the airbag light on since recently buying the car and I have the NCT retest on tuesday.

After tonnes of reading I read the the seat occupancy sensor gives trouble on these. Mine has a passenger airbag and lo and behold I looked under the seat and the little black occupancy module was missing with a white connector from the floor just hanging free.

I have since got my hands on a occupancy module and have connected it to the car along with a resistor which then tricks the module into thinking that someone is sitting in the seat.

So as far as I can tell, the occupancy system is all back together but the light is still on. Just need it cleared.

I kinda banked on it being this module as I know the pretensioners can also cause grief but my local mechanics diagnostics packed up and seeing as it was missing the occupancy module I assume that that is the reason for the airbag light (fingers crossed!)

What I'm asking is if anyone knows a Dublin based garage that could scan my car and reset the light without charging me through nose for somewhat a simple task.

Or, if any boardsie is free and has diagnostics that could help there'll be a six pack of beer in it for you :P

Foxhole Norman

Give a shout over on BMWHaus.ie, plenty of lads there from Dublin that could sort ya!

Baraics Pollox

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

Give a shout over on BMWHaus.ie, plenty of lads there from Dublin that could sort ya!

Thanks FN, I've signed up there and made a post, hopefully someone from there on here on boards can help. Had a hard enough time getting my hands on the occupancy module in the first place! The amount of E36 without a passenger airbag!

Foxhole Norman

Baraics Pollox wrote: »

Thanks FN, I've signed up there and made a post, hopefully someone from there on here on boards can help. Had a hard enough time getting my hands on the occupancy module in the first place! The amount of E36 without a passenger airbag!

I had the same problem with one of my E39's, I got a bypass module for the seat and reset the tensioner codes and it's been all good so far! I would help but I'm in Cork and don't have the correct cables for an E36

PeteK*

I had mine done in a garage when getting it serviced.
It came on again after a few days.
They did it again for me and it stayed off for a few months.
So get it done as late as possible.
It's the sensor in the passenger seat on mine.
Apparently it just means the air bag will go off in a crash even if the seat isn't occupied, or so I'm told.

Baraics Pollox

PeteK* wrote:

I had mine done in a garage when getting it serviced. It came on again after a few days. They did it again for me and it stayed off for a few months. So get it done as late as possible. It's the sensor in the passenger seat on mine. Apparently it just means the air bag will go off in a crash even if the seat isn't occupied, or so I'm told.

Cheers!

Fully serviced the car myself and it's ready for the nct retest all bar this light that's been winking me in the face for the last while.

Thanks again FN, surely someone around Dublin could be as helpful?

shietpilot

Where abouts in Dublin are you?

Baraics Pollox

shietpilot wrote:

Where abouts in Dublin are you?

I'm in Dublin 8 but would be willing to travel around !

shietpilot

Baraics Pollox wrote: »

I'm in Dublin 8 but would be willing to travel around !

I'm based in Rathcoole, Co. Dublin.

Are you willing to travel to Citywest Shopping Centre? I could meet you in the underground car park today. It's a handy place for me as it's nearby and no rainfall.

You need to check that you have an OBD port in the car. It should be somewhere under the dashboard. I don't have a round adapter for the port that's under the bonnet.

Baraics Pollox

shietpilot wrote:

You need to check that you have an OBD port in the car. It should be somewhere under the dashboard. I don't have a round adapter for the port that's under the bonnet.

Thank you very much, ID be more than happy to travel there to sort this. If you give me a half hour I'll double check that my car has the port under the dash. I know it has one under the bonnet so here's hoping there's another one under the steering wheel somewhere

Will let you know, thanks again

shietpilot

Baraics Pollox wrote: »

Thank you very much, ID be more than happy to travel there to sort this. If you give me a half hour I'll double check that my car has the port under the dash. I know it has one under the bonnet so here's hoping there's another one under the steering wheel somewhere

Will let you know, thanks again

Yeah have a look. Hopefully it has the port and it's OBD2 compliant. I wouldn't want you to come all this way and find out that I can't help you.

What year is the car actually?

Baraics Pollox

shietpilot wrote: »

Yeah have a look. Hopefully it has the port and it's OBD2 compliant. I wouldn't want you to come all this way and find out that I can't help you.

What year is the car actually?

Unfortunately there is no 16 pin connector behind the panel under the steering wheel, typically enough! :pac:

Only the 20 pin one under the bonnet.

Reading online it appears to be the case for a lot of European E36 models.

Mine is a 99.

But thank you very much for offering to help, very kind.

Cheers!

JP 1800

I can help you with this, can you get to me this evening? I am in the city center.

Regards

Baraics Pollox

The issue has been resolved! Big thanks to JP 1800 for sorting this on a rainy Sunday evening, much appreciated.

And thanks to other boardsies who offered their help also!

JP 1800

Any time, if you need anymore help let me know. Lovely e36 by the way and I know you will enjoy driving it.

PeteK*

Probably should have said mine is E46 but it's likely the same.
A guy sold me a thing that was connected under the seat first.. it worked for about a year.
DiscountTyres in Blanch are the ones who shut it off for me. Twice. Third time due, though. Lol