BMW and M Power Owners

Atleast they didnt test them in Texas....

Comes as quite a suprise in different climates when the airbag deploys and generates a load of ice shrapnel.
 
Actually I had my passenger airbag replaced by them as part of a recall last year when the subframe was inspected. Might explain why I got no letter recently then.
 
Noticed now that the cold weather has hit that the stop/start on my 530D doesn't cut in for ages after I start the car. Sometimes 25 minutes+

Does the engine oil have to be at optimal temperature (100°C?) for it to operate?
 
I got the first letter nearly 2 years ago, but that said they didn't have parts... I got the notification the parts were in-stock about 9 months ago and had the work done with the MOT in August.

They managed to break the under-seat sensor while they were at it, too... grrr.
 
crinkleshoes said:
I got the first letter nearly 2 years ago, but that said they didn't have parts... I got the notification the parts were in-stock about 9 months ago and had the work done with the MOT in August.

They managed to break the under-seat sensor while they were at it, too... grrr.
Click to expand...

Did they fix it for you FOC?
I think the previous owner fitted blanking plugs for the occupancy sensor and I can't be bothered with them messing about with it
 
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VincentHanna said:
Noticed now that the cold weather has hit that the stop/start on my 530D doesn't cut in for ages after I start the car. Sometimes 25 minutes+

Does the engine oil have to be at optimal temperature (100°C?) for it to operate?
Click to expand...

There are a bunch of environmental conditions that just be met but it shuukd work before 25 min. Its very sensitive to battery voltage too so your battery may be on the way out.
 
With the wife's Mini the main reason stop/start isn't being enabled is the outside temperature has been under 3c for extended periods recently (located in Scotland).

I assume the 5 series works on the same parameters as the rest of range and won't engage if... :-

The car is coasting (manual transmission)
Brake vacuum reading is too low (manual transmission)
Insufficient brake pedal pressure is being applied to hold the vehicle stationary (automatic transmission)
Stopping on a hill/downhill with a 12% or greater gradient
If the steering angle is more then 6 degrees
If the steering wheel is still be moved after approximately one second of coming to a stop
The system has not yet be activated by going over a speed of 5mph for automatics, 3mph for manuals since the last engine switch off
If the gas pedal is being pressed (engine must be at idle speed only)
You're coming to a stop from reverse
The driver gets out of the car
If Hill Decent Control (HDC) is activated
If the engine is not up to temperature
If the carbon canister is being purged
if the grade of the fuel is too low for the engine
Transmission adaptation is active (automatic transmission)
The hydraulic pressure accumulator is not yet up to pressure (automatic transmission)
Stop-and-go traffic - system is only activated by driving over 5mph for automatics, 3mph for manuals
Batter charge is low
Outside temperature is colder then 37.4 F / 3 C
Outside temperature above 95 F / 35 C and the air conditioning system is on
Fogging of the windshield is detected by the IHKA system
Climate control system is on but passenger compartment has not yet reached desired temperature
ABS system was used when coming to a stop
 
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ADT said:
Did they fix it for you FOC?
I think the previous owner fitted blanking plugs for the occupancy sensor and I can't be bothered with them messing about with it
Click to expand...

No, they claimed the issue was there when I brought the car to them and I had no way to prove otherwise.

It wasn't, I'm 100% certain it wasn't.

They then failed the MOT on the warning light and wanted £500 to fit a new one.

The warning light had flicked up once or twice, but only when someone was in the seat and wouldn't show during an MOT test.

My theory is they hooked it up to diag computer, saw the history of a couple of logs in the records, decided to have a poke around at it, broke it and then claimed it was already broken and blatantly lied by saying the light was on as soon as they got in the car and turned on the ignition.

An Indy wanted £250-300.

I could have bodged the wiring with a resistor for under a £1 to "fix" it... but I didn't want to ruin the wiring, just in case it ever went to another person and they wanted to replace the sensor themselves.

So I overnighted a blanking plate like you mention from ebay... cost about £18 including next day delivery... would have been about a tenner with slower mail. The appropriate sized resistor housed in the BMW-style connector, so all I had to do was unplug the seat sensor, plug this on the end and the light went off.

Took it back the same afternoon to get free re-test.

Not in a hurry to take the car back to BMW Bournemouth... if they'd been honest about it, mentioned the part was faulty to begin with and said they'd tried to fix it but made it worse, then offered to supply the part at cost and massively reduced the labour cost... it would have been OK.

It's the lie that annoyed me.

I could make a complaint, but with no proof... I'm not sure it's even worth it.

The resistor makes the computer think that someone is always in the seat, so the airbag is always enabled. We don't have kids and don't plan to, so that wouldn't be an issue and we can always easily unplug the resistor if the need should ever arise. Only thing to note is to make sure any next owner is informed. Probably run the car into the ground though... spent a shade over £2k on it this year, first bills in 4 years and 60k miles.
 
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Sounds like a pain. I'm not entirely sure if mine has the occupancy sensors blanked but if someone is in the passenger/driver seat without their seatbelt on I don't get any flashing from the dash or any warning noise.

I know for a fact that the lights work because they come on for a few seconds when you turn the ignition on. So I'm assuming that the owner before me has blanked them. I'm completely fine with it though as a I don't have kids.
 
just tried to change my BMW warranty direct debit date and came out with my £9 cheaper per month.

They cant just change the date they had to start a new policy which came out cheaper.
 
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