Fitting Msport seats & seat occupancy sensor!

C

chris

Senior member
 Southampton
As most of you know i fitted 2006 msport seats in my 2004 Z the other day, but because the facelift uses a different seat mat it triggered the airbag light to come on.

So for the moment because i did not want to strip my seats down for the mat, i used my seats occupancy sensor control box and wire, and put an ebay bypass unit under the seat so the airbag would still work. Only thing is, it will deploy if there is an accident, whether someone is in there or not!

So today after £30 to get the light turned off all is well again.

The control box is used in other BMW's, like the X3 and the 5 series E60, but not the same as an E46. Shame as there are a lot more E46 ones than anything!

Now i have to get the switch and few other bits so i can have the passenger airbag deactivated when i want, only other option is to leave the box out and have the airbag light on, but then of course no airbags at all.

Hope this helps someone who is trying to retrofit them in the future!

One thing, but now the bypass is there i though i would get the warning beep to alert me the passenger is not wearing a seatbelt, but that does not sound.
 
The only thing that concern's me about these bypass units is would they void a possible insurance payout?
If the car were to be involved in an accident and the passenger airbag is deployed, with no passenger present, the resulting claim will be more expensive as I believe a new dashboard would have to be fitted as well as passenger airbag unit... if this was the case, will alarm bell's ring with the assessor who could then determine that the car has a modification from standard, and perhaps that modification (albeit repair) is not declared?
Insurer's can use this reason not to pay, and this would certainly fall within their T&C's.....
 
I know what you are saying, but passenger airbags have deployed in accidents anyway. And im not sure where it comes out from, but it does look like the top part of the dash would need to be replaced. I very much doubt an insurance company would be too worried, as if the airbags were deployed the damage would probably be extensive anyway.

Plus im retro fitting the switch to turn the passenger one off anyway, and will be off all the time pretty much.
 
See - I'm not buying a switch as they fool the sensor mat into thinking the seat is permanently unoccupied! Hence, in a crash the passenger airbag and pre-tensioner WILL NOT FIRE.

If the reverse was true (as in tricking the seatmat into thinking it was occupied) then the unfastened seatbelt alarm would be permanently on requiring the passenger seatbelt to be continuously fastened.

I'd prefer the latter.
 
Chris, sorry mate, I don't think it does. Your (driver) airbags will deploy, but not the passengers as the seat is registered as unoccupied (which it aint) Otherwise the seatbelt alarm would register an occupied seat with an unfastened safety belt, which it doesn't.

The occupancy bypass replicates the resistance of an unoccupied mat by isolating it from the cars electronics. AFAIK an occupied seat generates a higher resistance thus telling the car that the seat is occupied and to use passenger safety.

Which module did you buy?
 
Chris, as i said to you earlier im glad your paving the way with this as im in the same boat.

So you used your old ocupancy sensor control box from your old seats? Not sure i retained that when i sold mine on. I really cant remember anything from the install now :roll: I just remember there being a cable instead of a box or similar.

Can you post a link to the bypass unit you bought. Im quite happy to have a fully working system with the airbags deploying both sides, better than not at all!

Cheers!
 
The module i had is no longer on eby, as it was around 2 years ago at least when i bought it.

But this is the same almost
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-AIRBAG-OCCUPANCY-SENSOR-BYPASS-UNIT-E36-E46-E39-Z3-/170409910779?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27ad38e1fb

Dreamer its not something you would normally take off, as you would not think you would need it again. But i still had my old seats here, and tried to see if it worked. As if i had to take the mat out of my other seats, i may have killed them completely, and the new seats! Seen it done before, and what i saw the result (old e46) i was not impressed, but it could have been the guy who did it :P

To me it is strange how the seat belt warning does not go off, and to be honest i would love the passenger airbag to be deactivated as then it would save me loads of work! But im only going to know if i crash it :o Recaro make a box for it as well, so may look into that, as i think you may be able to set it either to say someone is sat there or not. Not 100% on that as i have not looked into it, but read another post about racing seats and it said that.
 
I have 07 M Sport seats in my 2004 car
Airbag light on
I have been in contact with Bimtronics. Their module sends a signal indicating that the passenger seat is unoccupied and so no seat belt warning signal happens. Which specific module did you use and how did you connect it? Did you intercept the wire from the seat or install it further into the loom?
 
I am wondering if the unit i have sends a signal saying its occupied or unoccupied, but how can i tell? As i said i would prefer it to say unoccupied as the seat belt warning etc.

The module fits as the one in the ebay add, it goes where the mat plugs in that all, so all hidden under the seat, and tucked up on the first aid box.
 
One on ebay says it emulates a passenger in place and so both airbags would blow, assuming a reset has been done. I have emailed them about seat belts and await an answer - it is no hardship to drive solo with the passenger seat belt clicked in place to stop any dash lights or bleeps.
 
Or disconnect the speaker for the seat belt alarm. That is what I was going to do. I doubt they would tell you about the seat belt, but would be interested to hear what they say
 
Or get a seatbelt connector that just clips in, like the one for my dog harness ?
Where is the seatbelt speaker?
 
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