Seat Belt Sensor - Unoccupied Passenger Seat

I am having problems with my seat belt sensor going off sporatically. The dealer says this is my purse in the seat causing the sensor to go off. My purse weighs 6 pounds but I still think this is a little light to trigger the sensor. It goes off on the same trip with the same purse when at another part of the trip it does not go off. The dealer says they replaced a seat sensor in July (recall) and it is just more sensitive now. But this did not happen immediately, and has happened 3 times in the last 10 days.

The dealer does not want to replace the sensor. Says it is my purse in the seat and I should just put the seatbelt around my purse! ARGH! This is a $40,000 plus car and I should not have to seatbelt my purse. Hubby and I have had 7 BMW's - this has never happened with any other BMW previous or present.

ANY HELP OR ADVICE APPRECTIATED!

Unless your purse weighs 30 lbs or more it should not enable the air bags. I'd take it back.

Well, at least your purse is safe.

My '07 used to do that too. I'd have my pager, ID and a small bottle of water on there and it go beepin' away.

It's not an airbag issue, it is a seat belt light and tone ringing.

I took my X3 in last week for the same thing. I was told any weight above ZERO pounds will trigger the seat belt minder. The airbag is activated when the sensor detects 60 pounds or more.

My wife uses the X3 and just keeps the seat belt latched all the time, it's easier that way.

I gotta agree that it's a ghetto fix for a premium brand.

That's a stupid sensor setup. I am so glad this isn't a problem for the earlier X3s. Or for the 2004 which doesn't have seat belt chimes period

Originally Posted by rfa7176

It's not an airbag issue, it is a seat belt light and tone ringing.

A 6-pack of beer will set it off too. The darn thing is way too sensitive. I just keep the seat belt buckled just to keep it from going off when I put anything in the passenger seat and when I'm transporting a 6-pack I put it behind the belt. It's nice to know my beer is buckled-up nice 'n safe!

I've put my laptop bag there and it's never gone off. It does go off when I've had a real person sit there and the seat belt wasn't fastened. The bag weighs about 10-15lbs.

A can of beans can set it off in my car, or my 14 lb dog, or my laptop. No problemo for me - nice to know it works. I'll either move the item of fasten the seat belt.