[bacampbe]

I have a 2018 M240i vert.

If someone is in the passenger seat with their seatbelt disconnected, I don't get a warning. Should I? I don't get the red icon on the dash, nor do I get a warning chime. I get both of those if the driver seatbelt is disconnected.

I don't hate that--I'd just as soon have one fewer place where the car nags me. But I wonder if that also means the passenger airbag is not armed?

[Mehim]

Most likely coded off.

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by Mehim

Most likely coded off.

Okay, I could buy that. But how would that have happened. Is it _normally_ coded off?

[stvward]

Previous owner coded it off or had someone do it for him/her using bimmercode or similar software. Pretty common for someone to do that. Can be coded back on if required at some point.

[overcoil]

Because on mine just a cell phone resting on the passenger seat will sometimes set off the audible warning.

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by stvward

Previous owner coded it off or had someone do it for him/her using bimmercode or similar software. Pretty common for someone to do that. Can be coded back on if required at some point.

I'm the original owner. I did do some coding a while back, but I don't recall that particular change. I will check; a recent update reset all my coding, so I need to pull all that back stuff anyway.

[stvward]

Originally Posted by bacampbe

I'm the original owner. I did do some coding a while back, but I don't recall that particular change. I will check; a recent update reset all my coding, so I need to pull all that back stuff anyway.

Got it. Good luck !

[Alpintosh]

I own a 2.18i and I'm the first owner. So no coding is applied. I also don't get passenger seat belt warning. Strange.

[Climate Changer]

I would leave it the way it is. Before I coded my car, the passenger seat belt would chime due to items left on the seat weighing less than 5 lbs.

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by Climate Changer

I would leave it the way it is. Before I coded my car, the passenger seat belt would chime due to items left on the seat weighing less than 5 lbs.

I'd love to leave it off. But will that impact other things? For example, if the passenger seat does not detect weight, will the airbag still be armed?

[Climate Changer]

Originally Posted by bacampbe

I'd love to leave it off. But will that impact other things? For example, if the passenger seat does not detect weight, will the airbag still be armed?

great question that I don't have an answer to. I'm thinking the warning chime is deactivated not the airbag sensor. I ride alone 99%of the time and never thought about it.

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by Climate Changer

great question that I don't have an answer to. I'm thinking the warning chime is deactivated not the airbag sensor. I ride alone 99%of the time and never thought about it.

Can you imagine being able to code out airbag activation ?

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

Can you imagine being able to code out airbag activation ?

I can imagine BMW not considering aftermarket coding at all. :-) But I take your point.

In any case, I checked tonight, and the indicator is in fact coded off. I think I might have done that on purpose a couple of years ago because my dog loved to ride there but would set off the seatbelt warning. She's no longer with us (for reasons unrelated to seat belts), so I forgot about that. But I think I will leave it off. It's one little victory against liability-induced nanny features.

[morphomeman]

So if someone in your passenger seat does not put on the seat belt, because of lack of warning, and is unfortunately injured, are you planning to pay their medical costs? I doubt that your insurance would, especially after the public declaration about the liability nannies. Reminds me of the guys who ride motorcycles without helmets and then expect the rest of us to pay for their care after they are massively injured in an accident.

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

So if someone in your passenger seat does not put on the seat belt, because of lack of warning, and is unfortunately injured, are you planning to pay their medical costs? I doubt that your insurance would, especially after the public declaration about the liability nannies. Reminds me of the guys who ride motorcycles without helmets and then expect the rest of us to pay for their care after they are massively injured in an accident.

I don't drive until I visually check that passengers are belted. I learned to do that in the days before seatbelt indicators. I don't need an alert to tell me to do it, and I don't trust it to always tell me.

I especially don't need an alert that complains every time I put an inanimate object in the seat.

[morphomeman]

Very few people are as attentive, which is why the nannies are there.
Does anyone know offhand what weight sets off the sensor? I have not had any problems with that in the five years I have owned this car. I presume that all BMWs (all vehicles?) have the same threshold.

[gosi]

Originally Posted by morphomeman

So if someone in your passenger seat does not put on the seat belt, because of lack of warning, and is unfortunately injured, are you planning to pay their medical costs? I doubt that your insurance would, especially after the public declaration about the liability nannies. Reminds me of the guys who ride motorcycles without helmets and then expect the rest of us to pay for their care after they are massively injured in an accident.

You sound like you believe that adult humans are not responsible for their own actions. If someone doesn’t put their seatbelt on and gets hurt in my car or any other car, then that’s their own damn fault. I am not a babysitter and neither is my car. You make your choices and you live with them.

[harma24]

Originally Posted by gosi

You sound like you believe that adult humans are not responsible for their own actions. If someone doesn’t put their seatbelt on and gets hurt in my car or any other car, then that’s their own damn fault. I am not a babysitter and neither is my car. You make your choices and you live with them.

Warning: the following post contains personal opinions and may offend lawyers and people too stupid to understand the incredibly obvious without having a warning sign to warn them.


Gosi, while I fully agree with you, unfortunately I think morphomeman is correct from a legal standpoint (which is absolutely absurd). I'm sure I can be held responsible is some idiot sits 3" from the airbag and get's injured in my car since I removed the ugly yellow warning label on the sun visor. It's not like every car this millennium isn't equipped with drivers and passengers side airbags, but we still have to have the warning label.

I apologize for having to put a warning label on this post. I just wanted to make sure people knew they might be offended before I offended them.

[Sportstick]

Originally Posted by gosi

You sound like you believe that adult humans are not responsible for their own actions. If someone doesn’t put their seatbelt on and gets hurt in my car or any other car, then that’s their own damn fault. I am not a babysitter and neither is my car. You make your choices and you live with them.

https://www.einhornlawyers.com/blog/criminal-law/drivers-can-jailed-passengers-dont-wear-seatbelts/

[gosi]

Well that’s a good point. I’m from the EU and I didn’t know the legal implications of it in the USA

[Middy2000]

In the UK if the passenger is over 14 then its entirely their responsibility - not the drivers.

[morphomeman]

Aside from the moral/ethical question, which we can debate till the end of time, and aside from any legal questions, there is the monetary angle. If you can be shown to be negligent, then your insurance company may say that you are liable for the cost of injury (or death) of your passenger. If they succeed, then you may be ruined for life financially.
All of that over some hot air over individual liberty and responsibility.
Fix the damn thing!