A couple of months ago when we had a power outage, I drained my '08 MCS'es battery while using it to charge cell phones, etc.
I jumped it and went on my way, only to have the airbag lights appear - the one in the center LED and on the speedo.

Reading through the posts, I've read about lots of issues with the overhead warning - I do not have that, and with people having problems with turning the light off after an accident - no accidents here.

Could the battery jump have caused something to fail, or the light to fire?
If not, what is the likely culprit?

The car is out of warranty, and it sounds like a trip to the dealership for a reset will cost $200, according to some posts here. When I had an Audi, ,I had a VAG cable and program on my laptop to reset codes and this saved a lot of $$ being handed over to the Audi stealership. I've read about the Bavarian Technic tool and also that there are ISTA, DIS, or INPA tools are out there, but could not find any onfo about them. I'm not looking for anything as involved or as expensive as the BT tool, so am wondering if anyone has any info to share about any other tool available to reset the airbag light? I'd much rather spend my money on this, and if the light comes back on, I will hopefully have some diagnostic codes to research and then could possibly make my own repair.

Thanks.

 

Do you have an ODBII reader to see if any codes have been thrown? May be anything from a faulty sensor to a failure in the circuit. The code will be your best option. There's also a way to get the code through the on board computer, but you'll have to search the forum for that one (could be wrong).

 

Okay, I've done some deeper digging and found that if I buy this cable:
http://www.ecutool.com/productshow.a...gjO6nBlIh8Lw#4

And download the contents from here:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...beginners.html

Then, I can run INPA and find the airbag module and read the light?

After that, I can then use NCSExpert to fine tune many of the MINI electronic components?

Simple questions, I know, but I want to make sure I'm taking the correct first steps.

I've actually tried INPA before, on a buddies Bimmer, but decided to stop when we couldn't decipher the German and didn't want to do any damage. One thing I can say, INPA is a heck of lot more cryptic than the Audi VAG tool. It was fun making tweaks with it, and I look forward to doing the same with on the Mini.

 

If you're looking for a similar set-up like a VAG-COM (VCDS), you'll want to look at Bavarian Technic.
That's one of the only MINI-protocol scanners that will read more than just powertrain; it'll access the ABS, airbags, etc, etc.

The cable you hyperlinked to doesn't show even airbag connectivity as an option in the screen shots...

- Erik

 

Yes!

And I have done it (unplugged the seat harness causing a fault on the tensioners). Now I would be willing to bet you will be clear the light. But you do have to be prepared that the light is on for a reason that may require a repair.

Also, I would recommend going the DISv57 route (a bit trickier to setup, but worth it). As a much easier to understand interface and a lot of diagnostic help.

FYI, OBDII has nothing to do with the airbag system, and OBDII isn't that great for BMWs anyway as it is a very limited subset of codes the DME can track.

And the onboard CC-ID may help for narrowing down the error before hand, but will still require a BMW specific software to reset the light.
Check this thread and the PDF for instructions on how to retrieve the code.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-messages.html

 

Thanks for the info. I've read some of your posts on the subject, and its good to get confirmation that I was reading correctly.

Also, thanks for the onboard CC-ID trick. I ran down to the garage immediately after watching the vid and joy! - I got a code:
97
*
Multiple restraint
system (MRS)
Restraint systems
faulty!
Restraint systems
Airbags, belt tensioners and belt force limiters
malfunction.
Fasten belts despite problem!
Have the problem checked by the nearest BMW
Service.


3 things wrong, all at the same time, and got the light while I was driving along at a steady clip? Any idea on what repairs are necessary to remedy this?
I found one post here that mentioned this code, and the dealer installed a "seat position sensor" that fixed it. Could this be the "real" culprit?
A couple of Bimmer forums mention a "seat mat sensor" problem that was subject to recall. Does any such recall exist for Minis and if so, is it covered after warranty expiration?

Before doing any repairs, I'm going to order the INPA cable, reset the light, and take it from there.

 

The issue could any of those. There is no recall for any air bag system and the repairs are not covered after the warranty expires.

Best thing to do is reset the light and see what happens. INPA or DIS will be able to tell exactly what the code is if or when it reappears.

 

Cable is on it's way!

 

INPA will reset the light. I just did it last weekend and it took about 4 minutes. Read the SRS codes, push the reset code button.

Software install took hours. I needed about 30 gigs on the C drive, had to move partitions, needed to make mini = true in config for DIS using ERD commander in the virtual machine...lots of little issues, but in the end, all is done.

Bought BMW USB OBD Cable lead Ediabas Inpa GT1 SSS DIS Progman on ebay and the CDs sent were blank, so I had to DL all the software anyway, extract, burn to DVD... it was the little BS that took all the time up.

 

Thanks for the info. I can believe that it is a hassle. Anything that you can get at a bargain (freebie software) usually is. When I messed with INPA before, we had the same issue - unzipping into a folder on the root of C:, changing config files, etc. - but I agree that it is well worth the hassle for what you can do.

For a moment, I contemplated getting the Bavarian Technic unit - there aer used ones available for around $200. But then I found that it is great for diags and warning light resets only and won't do custom programming. So, putting up with the INPA hassles will have a bigger payoff in the end.