Ongoing airbag issue - BST cable ??
Discussion
I thought I would post this on the BMW forum as BMW and Mini are obviously related and the Mini forum is DoA. Possibly too many youngsters that do not dabble.
I have been getting the airbag light reset every MoT which did solve he problem initially but now even a reset will not work. Anyway I got the code read and it came up as the battery cable. I took it to H&C Motors in Maidstone (electrical 'experts') who on booking said yes we can sort it. Well I had already told them what the problem was but they then charged me another £72 to tell me the same code that had already been read by another garage and then say I would have to book it in a some point so they could get the cable from BMW/Mini (~£200). This on top of a provisional 6 hours job to replace the cable so £650 all in.
Well having delved further it seems it may be the BST (a safety device that partially severs the battery cable in the event of a crash [or apparently even in a small bumping incident]).
My question is has anyone had to go down this route to sort their airbag light problem? There is a replacement BST for BMWs which presumably may work on a Mini and will save replacing the whole cable. The other option seems to be putting a resisitor on the cable that runs from the airbag to the battery but I assume this will disable the airbag completely.
If anyone has had this issue will bypassing the safety mechanism between the battery and the positive connection sort it or is the resistance so finely tuned that the program will recognize an incorrect resistance. In essence I am talikng of just making a direct connection to the battery so in a crash the battery will still be connected ala old school.
Any pointers welcome.
Pip
I have been getting the airbag light reset every MoT which did solve he problem initially but now even a reset will not work. Anyway I got the code read and it came up as the battery cable. I took it to H&C Motors in Maidstone (electrical 'experts') who on booking said yes we can sort it. Well I had already told them what the problem was but they then charged me another £72 to tell me the same code that had already been read by another garage and then say I would have to book it in a some point so they could get the cable from BMW/Mini (~£200). This on top of a provisional 6 hours job to replace the cable so £650 all in.
Well having delved further it seems it may be the BST (a safety device that partially severs the battery cable in the event of a crash [or apparently even in a small bumping incident]).
My question is has anyone had to go down this route to sort their airbag light problem? There is a replacement BST for BMWs which presumably may work on a Mini and will save replacing the whole cable. The other option seems to be putting a resisitor on the cable that runs from the airbag to the battery but I assume this will disable the airbag completely.
If anyone has had this issue will bypassing the safety mechanism between the battery and the positive connection sort it or is the resistance so finely tuned that the program will recognize an incorrect resistance. In essence I am talikng of just making a direct connection to the battery so in a crash the battery will still be connected ala old school.
Any pointers welcome.
Pip
I wouldn't mess with making bits to fix this, you'll likely set all the airbags off. Intelligent battery leads are pretty common, frequently preventing battery charging, and causing other random issues if I recall, like stop/start system failure. Check with the main dealer perhaps, or realoem the cable your garage is saying, in case they're looking up the labour for the wrong part etc.
Nothing wrong with a garage charging you labour to re-test it. Why should they take a chance the first garage was right and then the responsibility if it's not all that was wrong, or incorrectly diagnosed? If you were happy to assure them you'd pay in full regardless then they'd perhaps take your instruction, and fit whatever.
Nothing wrong with a garage charging you labour to re-test it. Why should they take a chance the first garage was right and then the responsibility if it's not all that was wrong, or incorrectly diagnosed? If you were happy to assure them you'd pay in full regardless then they'd perhaps take your instruction, and fit whatever.
No, not problem in checking but surely if you tell them what the problem is and they say they can fix it they could at least say if it is confirmed as the battery cable as you intimate then we will need to order the part in. So we can fix it but not on the day you have put aside to sort it out.
My plan was to take it there they confirm and then I pick it up fixed, NOT have to book it in and take it down again at a later date. A waste of my morning. I could have taken it to BMW for that and at least got a loan car.
Never mind. Lesson learnt.
More to the point I cannot believe I am the only one on Pistonheads to have had issues with a battery cable and airbag.
Pip
My plan was to take it there they confirm and then I pick it up fixed, NOT have to book it in and take it down again at a later date. A waste of my morning. I could have taken it to BMW for that and at least got a loan car.
Never mind. Lesson learnt.
More to the point I cannot believe I am the only one on Pistonheads to have had issues with a battery cable and airbag.
Pip
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