Are you reading this because you have a BMW and your seat occupancy sensor is broken?

Maybe it’s been like that for a while, or maybe it was broken recently and you think the manufacturer should replace your seat. You can try explaining all of this to them over the phone, but the more convenient option is to buy a BMW seat occupancy sensor bypass kit instead.

What Is a BMW Seat Occupancy Sensor?

The BMW seat occupancy sensor is a device that detects whether the passenger seat is occupied or not. It does this by sensing the weight of passengers sitting on it, and transmitting this information to the car’s central computer. This can be used to prevent the airbag from deploying if there is no occupant in the seat (by preventing an electrical signal from reaching it).

How Does a Seat Occupancy Sensor Work?

A seat occupancy sensor is a small device that is installed in the seat and detects whether or not it is occupied. The sensor is tied into your airbag system. If someone sits on the driver’s side and the passenger’s side of a vehicle then that information will be detected by the sensors. The presence or absence of a passenger on the seat would determine whether or not the airbags should deploy when there’s an accident. If it does not detect an occupant, the airbag will not deploy. 

How Do I Know if My Seat Occupancy Sensor Is Broken?

One of the indicators that your seat occupancy sensor is probably broken is when the airbag light that turns on and cannot be turned off. Apart from the airbag light on your dashboard, you may also see error messages on your vehicle’s LCD display e.g. “Front Pass. Restraint System Fault”, “Restraint system defective”. “Fault in Pass. Restraint System Affecting Airbag” or “Restraint Sys. Malfunction/Defective”. 

One way to verify if there is an issue with the seat mat is to use an airbag scanner so you can check the fault codes through the diagnostic port.

You Can Install a Sensor Bypass in Your Own Car

Bypassing the seat occupancy sensor is a quick and easy way to trick the system into thinking that there’s always at least one person sitting in the front passenger seat, but it does come with some risks. If you have an accident while driving with no one in the front passenger seat and your car’s airbag deploys, it may injure you.

Keep in mind that even if you install a seat occupancy sensor bypass, it’s still possible that the airbag light would stay on. If this is the case, make sure you use the airbag scanner to read and clear the codes through the diagnostic port.

Are you planning to install a seat occupancy sensor bypass for your BMW? Our team is ready to answer your questions regarding the sensor bypass. Call us today at +44(0) 77 837 25020 or click here to reach us!

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