[TNganele]

I just got finished installing my new steering wheel and i forgot to unplug the battery so now i have a message saying that there is a problem with the passenger restraints. Is there anything i can do about it if i don't have a bt scan tool or do i have to take it in?

[onebadmofo]

Only with BMW-specific scan tool or software.

[JTILAK07]

drain computer down and it'll probably clear code.

[TNganele]

Originally Posted by JTILAK07

drain computer down and it'll probably clear code.

What is that?

[onebadmofo]

Originally Posted by JTILAK07

drain computer down and it'll probably clear code.

Nope, won't work.

[JTILAK07]

Originally Posted by TNganele

What is that?

When you disconnect the negative and positive battery cables and you touch the positive and negative cable together for about 3-5 minutes. but do not make them touch the battery or it will spark. gotta know what you're doing!

[wobbles1]

Originally Posted by JTILAK07

When you disconnect the negative and positive battery cables and you touch the positive and negative cable together for about 3-5 minutes. but do not make them touch the battery or it will spark. gotta know what you're doing!

Nope wont clear codes for airbags.
Once it is set.Its computer scan time.
you either had your key on when you removed the airbags. or one of your 2 plugs is not connected "properly"

[JTILAK07]

It does clear the codes for the airbags. I'm specialized in european/german car repairs. I deal with these things all the time. Once in awhile it won't clear because of a hard code but almost 80% of the time it works.

[Alpineweiss e90]

I'm pretty sure anytime you remove an part of the airbag system, the battery needs to be disconnected. Doesn't matter if the key is in or not.

I've also never heard of shorting the battery terminals solving anything in a car.

I would think if you remove an airbag itself, it sets a "hard" code. Something like the seat mat sensor would set a conditional code.

[Alpineweiss e90]

Btw shorting the battery termianls can kill your alternator...

Cars today aren't as simple as they were pre-OBDII.

Now that I think about it, shorting the car worked on OBDI cars because once they lost power, the memory was lost. But OBDII cars retain the memory whether there is power or not.

[JTILAK07]

It doesn't weaken or kill the altenator because theres no power going to it. Its a trick that they use at all dealers. I did it to my car the other day to clear my airbag light. But I completely drained the computer, I left it for about a half hour to drain the computer down.

[Alpineweiss e90]

Originally Posted by JTILAK07

It doesn't weaken or kill the altenator because theres no power going to it. Its a trick that they use at all dealers. I did it to my car the other day to clear my airbag light. But I completely drained the computer, I left it for about a half hour to drain the computer down.

It can damage the diodes within the alternator. You do as you please, it's your car.

I was looking through my bentley manual today for an issue with my TCU module and happened to come across an excerpt about the airbag system and how it stores codes.

"A fault in the airbag warning system is indicated by the airbag warning light and stored in the NONVOLATILE control module memory." It continued on about internal/external faults and what not but nonvolatile means the memory is retains even if there is no power.

But hey if it works on your car, it works on your car. But it's not the proper way to do it.