Passenger Seat Occupancy Sensor
 

Have a 2006 X5 3.0i, facelift.

The Passenger Seat Occupancy Sensor has become faulty (had the code checked). There was a recall on this specific issue but lucky me my car isn't covered. Local shop told me $6-700 to replace the sensor. (On the facelift E53 the sensor is built into the seat, need to replace the whole bottom half of the seat). Currently I have the passenger airbag disabled light turned on.

Searched and found this which is supposed to make the computer think there is always a person sitting in the passenger seat, thereby allowing the passenger airbags to work in a collision.
Problem is its not compatible the sensor wire I have under the seat. The maker of that bypass doesn't know how to help me.

Is there anything else out there that I can do to avoid the big repair bill?

Now for pictures:

Wire layout under seat:

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/x.../Underseat.jpg

The yellow box. Wire bundle comes out of floor into this box. The sensor wire along with those for all the seat control motors feed into the other side:

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/x.../yellowbox.jpg

Seat sensor wires connected

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/x...rconnected.jpg

Sensor wire on the sensor side. Any pre-made replacement needs to have this socket:

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/x...sensorside.jpg

Sensor wire on the yellow box side. Pointed it at the camera to show number of pins and the shape of the connector:

http://i755.photobucket.com/albums/x...rolboxside.jpg

You can get someone to uncode that in the computer... BMW dealerships will not.
Did it for my backpack, and dog (with custom pitbull safe covering ;))

This is a question that's been nagging at me for a while... was it only facelift models that came with the occupancy sensor? I see it in parts catalogs all the time for my 2003, but you know I don't have the "passenger airbag disabled" tell-tale. My manual says something to the effect of "in the event of a collision airbags will not be deployed in positions unoccupied," yet I have no indication of when the sensor detects the seat is unoccupied.

At least I don't have that annoying ding-ding-ding thing when the car's in motion without all people belted in.

EDIT: To the OP, since your car is within 10 years (and hopefully within 100k miles), assuming you're in the US, BMW NA should replace sensor at no cost other than labor as part of "goodwill repair." ESPECIALLY if it's part of a recall campaign, even though your particular VIN/model isn't listed. Keep going up the corporate ladder until you get a yes. If you can't get a yes, let me know and I'll reach out to my contact at Corporate and put you in touch with the right person. This is a safety issue that BMW doesn't want on their hands.

Thanks e30 I will go up that ladder then.

For the first part of you post, on non facelift models the sensor is seperate. There still should be a light on the ceiling that lights up when no one is in the passenger seat.

My face lifted 2004 didn't have the roof light "passenger airbag off" like my 2006, also I used to have a sunglass holder, now it's some module, I'm assuming its an improved microphone ...

I have this BS problem too. It seems to only happen after someone extremely heavy sits in the seat, and then gets out. So tell whoever sits there to lose some weight. lol. But seriously curious what BMW NA will tell you.

I purchased from e-bay the passenger occupancy seat by-pass gizmo. the reason I purchased it, it's because that sensor can go bad (numerous instances where that sensor goes). What the by-pass gizmo does, is it tricks the system thinking there is always someone in the passenger seat, so in the worst case scenario (front end collision), my passenger is still "protected". If one has a front end collision, the car is scrapped anyways, so I don't care about an additional deployed airbag.
The gizmo was around 10-12 bux. I think a guy from the UK is selling these.

I have a problem with what I assume is the same sensor, only kind of the opposite--mine is WAY too sensitive. It causes the car to ding at me with a "FASTEN SEAT BELT" warning whenever I set anything more than a pound or two in the passenger seat. I can't even put a two-inch paper binder there without it flipping out that I need to make sure my binder is belted in nice and safe.

What does this bypass do to address the seat belt warning? I'm assuming it must take care of it, as well. Otherwise you'd be driving around with a constant warning ding whether someone was sitting there or not...although the passenger airbags would definitely work.

Sweep-
That is what I was referring to, backpack, dog etc.. Sets it off..
You can either drive around with the seatbelt fastened or get it coded with someone with NCSExpert.. Bmw north america dealerships Will not do this for you.

So what does the ncsexpert coding do, specifically?

Does it just turn off the light or does it recode the computer to always keep the passenger airbags on?