So I just took apart my steering wheel which involved disconnecting the negative battery terminal and removing the steering wheel airbag. After reassembling everything, a warning popped up saying "Passenger Restraint System" regarding a malfunction.

Anyone know if this can be fixed at home? Could it be a low battery issue because I did run electronics without engine on for a while testing the tilt/telescope and the several times I put the negative terminal back on there were sparks...

Bought the car (2004 530i) last year so I don't know if the previous owner did the recall on the mat sensor.

 

When you put the neg terminal back in several times for testing, was the AB still disconnected? It is was, then you have tripped the warning and you will need INPA to turn it off/reset.

 

You need to clear the code to see if comes back. Unlike emission codes (MIL) safety codes are not cleared automatically if problem is resolved. You've likely connected the battery when airbag was not attached properly. Take it to Autozone to see if they can clear it for you or buy K-CAN INPA interface on eBay and do it yourself

 

Yeah I did exactly as you described. Well...that's a relief. All I need to do is reset then?

 

Do you know how much will Autozone charge?

 

Also, to clarify, the airbag still works right?

 

Your airbags work OK. Autozone or similar places normally do not charge for reading and clearing the codes but unlike MILs they may straggle with Safety codes.

 

Is the software mentioned earlier the same as ncs expert?

I checked my local area and no autozone nearby. Will check local bmw shops to see if they can give me a hand.

 

Looks like I'll be doing this on my own. The bimmer indys in town charge $50 at the lowest.

Can anyone give me a hand on the coding?

 

If you post your location someone here with the software might be near by and can help you.