2004 330ci airbag fault code

[mikeshammer]

I took my perfectly good e46 to the dealer on the recall drivers side. as soon as I left the dealer the airbag light came on. i called them and they said most likely a problem with the passenger side which 3 months later they finally got around to replacing. Light still on. i asked and they said a code showed BOTH passenger and drivers seat latch switches are bad. at least thats what I seem to find on code they gave me. they said at 150$ an hour they could start looking for the problem. My feeling is there was no problem till they worked on it. Anyone else had a problem with the seatback lock switch? I would understand if one side but both at the same time is just strange. they are only 60$ each but labor is a lot to install them if they are not bad .

[MarcoZandrini]

My recommendation is that you go back to the dealer and calmly but firmly explain the sequence of events to the service manager, and not a service advisor. You would think that the tech, seeing that the air bag light is AFTER installing the passenger airbag, would have scanned the car to determine the fault. But, dealer service folks are under the gun to maximize profits for the dealer. If the SM doesn’t budge I’d call BMW NA and explain the issue. Maybe BMW NA can get you a free SRS scan by the dealer.

If that doesn’t work you should find a local reputable indie shop that specializes in bimmers to diagnose the issue. Yes, it does seem odd that the dealer says both latches are bad. Latch faults are pretty rare and can be caused by something getting into the latch and messing with the switch. Try www.bimrs.org to find a shop in your area.

[jclausen]

Got directly to the service manager he makes the decisions not the service writer

[mikeshammer]

the delaler gave me a code that said seat back latch switch passenger and drivers bad .I find it hard to believe they went bad the same day the dealer worked on a car with no problems. I pulled the seats apart and found the two switches. they both work properly. the latch makes contact and they ohm out o zero when the seat back is latched. anyone else ever have this problem?

[MarcoZandrini]

Go back to the Service Manager and explain what you did. Mention the “good will” (means that the dealer is giving you a break/doing you a favor in the hope you’ll return for other services/purchases).