[ppejack]

I recently purchased a 2015 BMW 320i. I noticed that sometimes when I put my ipad or iphone on the passenger front seat, the seat belt gong would start ringing. I took my car into the dealer and asked about it. After some research he told me about a BMW document titled "FUB-FUB-FB-GZ-A125-F25 Seat-occupancy detection, front passenger".

That document says:

"Notice!
Electronic devices that are placed on the front passenger seat, e.g. laptop computers, mobile phones etc., could cause the front passenger airbag to activate."

I can potentially put my ipad on the front seat and boom, the airbag deploys?

Are any of you as alarmed by this as me?

 

[Shon528]

Reading that doc, it seems to me not as if the airbag would randomly deploy. Rather that the mat in the seat detects the weight and the crash module interprets the capacitance to be that of a grown person. So in the event of an accident, the passenger airbags would deploy. With no weight on the seat or if it interprets it to be a child sitting there, the passenger side airbags would not deploy in the event of an accident. That's my interpretation anyway.

 

[ppejack]

The document says:

"...could cause the front passenger airbag to activate."

You are interpreting this as:

"...could cause the front passenger airbag to activate in the event of an accident that would normally deploy the airbags."

I hope you are correct. If so, then BMW should be more clear in their wording (IMHO).

 

[RPM1123]

This happened to me once, I had my phone on the passenger seat and the car was dinging, claiming my seatbelt wasn't buckled. Confused the hell out of me until I realized it thought the cell phone was a person.

 

[quackbury]

Did the document say "activate" or "deploy"? There's a huge difference.

If it annoys you that much, just find some here else to park your phone. "Problem" solved.

 

[khammack]

The document says:

"...could cause the front passenger airbag to activate."

You are interpreting this as:

"...could cause the front passenger airbag to activate in the event of an accident that would normally deploy the airbags."

I hope you are correct. If so, then BMW should be more clear in their wording (IMHO).

When the airbag is not active it will not deploy during an accident. Putting weight on the seat will cause the airbag to activate. Hitting something will cause it to deploy. Sounds like they are saying that even if the electronic device isn't heavy enough to activate the airbag, the electronics may activate it, but only having an accident will deploy it.

 

[Michael Schott]

I think the post title is misleading. In an accident these electronics may cause the airbag to deploy. By the way I often have my iPhone 6S on the passenger seat and have never had the warning go off.

 

[Gubu]

I have put much heavier things on the passenger seat and never seen the seatbelt warning.

 

[Versipellis]

Happens when I put groceries on the seat LOL

 

[CALWATERBOY DUE]

Did the document say "activate" or "deploy"? There's a huge difference.

Very true - I find my wife activated, but declining to deploy, from time to time, for instance.

But, hey....find someplace else to put it? I've yet to find satisfying hands-free op and just gotta have quick phone access. Before 5"+ screens could use shirt pocket, but today? Nooooooooo.

And another thing - that iPad's mighty handy for Internet access and I don't want it packed away. If not the passenger seat, where?

 

[CALWATERBOY DUE]

.

This problem has a solution! Fasten passenger seat belt. Um.....works until a collision, you say, but I submit: Works especially well in that situation!

See, when a collision that deploys the airbag - no I don't mean my wife - Hi Honey! - everything not nailed down continues on its intertial trajectory as the vehicle decelerates. Enter the airbag! Forgiving yet firm, your valuable electronics are captured like a ball in a mitt, preventing damage.

Thank you, BMW!