BMW PASSENGER SEAT OCCUPANCY BYPASS MAT SENSOR AIRBAG E46E36E38E39E60E65M3M5Z3X5

I do sell these as a single item (click) but this is for 2 plugs with Free 1st Class Recorded Signed For Delivery. If you would like a different amount please click the picture amount below to be taken to that item. If you'd like more then please contact me using eBay messages

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU READ IMPORTANT NOTES SECTION BELOW
(sorry to put this first in big red text but it's to make sure you read info, thanks)

No cutting wires! No loose ends! No black box! No tools! Just unplug n plug in within SECONDS!

Welcome to the listing for a Plug'n'Play Air Bag Occupancy Sensor Mat Bypass Module for various BMW models. These are for models such as BMW E36 & E46 (3 Series), E38 & E39 (5 Series) and other BMW models that use the similar part with the passenger occupancy sensor mat but mainly models Pre-2005. It may also be suitable the E60 Pre LCI pre 2007 (Life Cycle Impulse). The Air Bag Occupancy Sensor Mat detects when you have a passenger and switches on passenger air bag. It is common for it to fail so you get the air bag warning light, this item will bypass it completely. There is a more detailed explanation in the FAQ further down the page.

Before you buy, please take a moment and check your own car first (see Diagnosing the error - Checking fitment section below). Please DO NOT buy if you are unsure that this is the part for you.

You can see the plug itself is VERY SMALL as it's no bigger than your original plug as it's manufactured by the same company as BMW and has similar clip/housing. The image below is for illustration purposes only due to quality of lighting/flash/picture/camera, therefore the colour of the internal parts of plug may differ from pic

This is the simplest thing to fit as you just unclip the original plug and plug this one in within seconds! There's no black box to get in the way or tie up. Although very simple, I will also send a detailed guide with pictures to your registered eBay & Paypal address once payment is made.

MICRO SIZE

You can see the size comparison to other other versions I sold and that are for sale on eBay. The picture below is for size illustration only in comparison to black box versions and you will only get the black plug at the top (the inner fitting may vary in colour black/white/green/grey)

Is this the light that is always on?	This is a video of a typical BMW (convertible) light sequence when you turn on your ignition. You can see the air bag light comes on as it does this for a bulb check. The light goes off briefly but then comes back on to alert you of the error!

Please ensure your Occupancy Sensor Mat is at fault is as it will not resolve any other air bag fault. This can be confirmed by using the correct error reading tool that will tell you the exact air bag error code issue. If you go to a BMW dealer to replace the mat then you are looking at £300+. Even fixing it yourself will cost money and effort as the mat alone is over £120. This bypass module is newly self-made to specification with an original BMW plug. Please note it should only be used as a temporary fix until you can get round to replacing the mat itself (see notice at end of listing). All modules are tested in my own E46 prior to sending to ensure it works OK.

Locate the black Electronics Box that should be under your passenger seat (left pic). To release the plug, push the clip forward and slide off (centre pic). You can see the plug fitting and yours should look similar though it may differ slightly on the outer casing and may not be same colour but that doesn't matter. As long as you have the blue/white wires going into the plug that goes in black box with similar white fitting then it should be fine

NOTE: if your air bag warning light has been on a while (or coming on intermittently) then you may need the error resetting as simply plugging the bypass plug in won't remove the light due to the frequency and length of the error beforehand. Your local garage should be able to do this if they have the right equipment and it only takes moments to reset this light so get a price first but it shouldn't cost much. It's probably better you call them first before you buy so you are aware of any additional cost. You can see by my feedback that some buyers had to reset the light. Also even if the light is now off, the previous errors are still held in the cars memory until cleared.

Click pics for larger versions (may open in new tab/window)

If you are unsure about anything after reading the FAQ's below then please send a message as I will respond as soon as possible, normally quickly but certainly within 24 hours.

Due to people buying first but then finding out it's not compatible I now ask that you are certain before you buy. Please take a few moments and check your own car first by looking at the DIAGNOSING THE ERROR -CHECKING FITMENT section below for pictures. Please DO NOT buy without checking or if you are not certain this part is compatible. If you are unsure then just ask and I will reply as soon as possible, normally within a few hours if not straight away.

Also as this module tries to simulate a passenger in the seat your car may sound /flash the seatbelt not fastened alarm/light. Some BMW's stop this after a few seconds but some may continue until you insert in a seatbelt. You can either fasten the passenger seatbelt in, buy a seatbelt buckle insert or modify your buckle .For example there is a seatbelt buckle extender such as item 320769081518 or a null blank insert such as item 290579744245. Click previous item numbers for links or just do a search for "seatbelt buckle insert" to see other items. One alternative option is to modify the belt buckle so car thinks it's connected (may only be possible depending on buckle, can supply example pics upon purchase)

Reproduced with permission thanks to binman (author) & bootist (website admin) from www.bimmerforums.co.uk (LINK)

Q. What is an occupancy sensor?
A. It is a mat with an integrated electrical circuit installed into the front passenger seat base which detects when a person sitting in the seat.

Q. Does the drivers seat have one?
A. No.

Q. What's the idea behind it?
A. The idea is that if the front seat is unoccupied in the event of an accident the passenger air bag will not deploy, thereby saving on repair costs.

Q. How does it work?
A. The mat is pressure sensitive, it has 2 wires coming from it. It can be thought of in simple terms as a switch - If a person is sitting in the seat then the switch is ‘on’ otherwise its ‘off’.

Q. OK, if it’s just a switch, when it breaks why can’t I just join the 2 wires together and clear the fault codes?
A. It’s a bit more complicated than that, there is some crude intelligence built into the mat. During the system check at start up the electrical resistance through the mat is measured. If the resistance is found to be out of a predetermined range then a fault is detected and the air bag light is switched on.

Q. Why do they become faulty?
A. The mats seem to be fairly fragile and if you frequently carry a passenger then the mat will get a hammering. When they break the sensor will either give a short circuit (no resistance) or an open circuit (infinite resistance).

Q. Are the mats repairable?
A. Not unless there is a break in the external wiring which is rare.

Q. What is the operational state of the SRS system (air bags and seat belt pre-tensioners) if the occupancy sensor is faulty and the air bag light is on?
A. There doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer to this question. BMW technicians from different dealerships and they both said the whole SRS system is disabled when the air bag light is on (this could well be an official BMW response though). Other people say that the system is intelligent enough to work out where the fault lies and activate the air bags which haven't returned a fault. Another view is that all the air bags will still attempt to be deployed in the event of a collision

Q. Will fitting a bypass prevent faults from other areas of the SRS (air bags and seat belt pre-tensioners) system being reported?
A. No, the same system checks are carried out at start-up and faults in other areas of the system will switch on the air bag light if a problem is detected.

Q. How do I fit a bypass sensor?
A. Disconnect the negative terminal from the battery, wait 30 mins, fit the sensor under the passenger seat, reconnect the battery, clear the fault codes from the air bag module to extinguish the air bag light

Q. Disconnect the battery? Won't that mean I'll need the radio code? Will it upset anything else?
A. It doesn't on the E46, the radio code is stored in the ECU so after reconnection apart from reprogramming the radio pre-set channels and setting time you should be good to go. It does also reset all your MPG, trip counter etc

Q. What about using a child seat in the front of the car, how is this affected?
A. The owners manual normally states that no child restraint system should be used in the front passenger seat of the car anyway so the situation remains the same.

Q. What are the pros to bypassing the occupancy sensor?

• It's cheaper and quicker than replacing the mat in the seat.
• The bypass unit will reactivate the air bag system (if it's even disabled in the first place)
• The occupancy sensor fault will not reoccur.
• The air bag light will be extinguished and free to light up for other faults in the system.

• It isn't the proper fix for the problem.
• You are fitting a part which is not approved by the manufacturer.
• You are changing the operation of a safety system.
• If your vehicle is involved in an accident, the occupants are injured and the bypass is found your insurance will be invalid and you will more than likely be prosecuted.
• The passenger air bag may possibly not deploy in the event of an accident
• Knowingly selling the vehicle on with a bypass fitted without informing the buyer is morally VERY wrong.