seat belt alarm going off!

[Swimjim]

hi:
need some help here. i have an '08 128i and the seat belt alarm for the driver's seat just begins to chime for no reason. the seat belt is fastened. the chimes will range from just a few to up to 30... yes, i counted!

the dealer has had the car nearly a week and claims to have found some strange wiring; possibly from a previous owner. i am owner #2 and bought the car with about 22,000 miles on it.

any one have any experience with similar issues?

thanks,
jim

[firokzz]

I can't say I have. What did the dealer say they where Gona do about it?

[halfhalo]

I had something similar happen with my car, where the seat belt alarm would just go off randomly while driving.

I first thought it was due to a pothole I hit a little earlier possibly damaging wiring somehow, since I couldn't find any other common factors driving: different road types, different speeds, etc.

I finally figured out the cause when I came to a stop... and lifted my messenger bag off the passenger seat. It turns out if the car senses enough pressure on the seat (in this case a bag + 2 ultrabookish computers and a massive calculus book) it will throw the seat belt alarm if the belt is not buckled up.

[edisapimp]

He said the driver's seat. I am assuming that he is in the seat with his seat belt on whilst the machine tells him that he is not wearing his seatbelt.

[BratsForBilstein]

Are you sure this warning indicator is from the driver seat and not the passenger seat? I have an 09 135i and this has been an ongoing issue for me. In my case, it appears to be related to the sensitivity of the restraint system pressure sensor in the passenger lower seat cushion. During the chime, if I depress the cushion a couple of times by hand, it will stop. Anymore, I tend to fasten the passenger seat belt to stop the chime. I am just beginning to investigate how to correct this condition.

[halfhalo]

Originally Posted by edisapimp

He said the driver's seat. I am assuming that he is in the seat with his seat belt on whilst the machine tells him that he is not wearing his seatbelt.

Both the Driver and Passenger seats trigger the dash warning. As far as I know there are no differences in the alarm between the two in the cluster. So while you might think its the drivers seat acting up, it could be the passenger seat.