Passenger Air Bag
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Originally Posted by EBMCS03' date='Dec 27 2004, 07:29 AM
99 lbs still seems like on the heavy side... considering teens who are still under 99 sit up front now. My sister 14 who I think is under 99 lbs but shes always in the front. Shouldnt the weight sensor be made like at 60 or 70lbs?
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My Ride: #1: 2004 545i; 6-speed manual; Sport Package; Mystic Blue with a gray leather interior and Anthracite wood; CWP; Logic 7.
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Thanks you for your reply, the passenger was my Father in Law he's about 6'3" and ways 190lbs. I even asked him to slide around on the seat but nothing happened. I'm guessing the senser must be defective.
Happy Holiday
Aside from the weight issue others have discussed, I think there is a sensor in the dashboard that detects occupant position and obstructions. Once a passenger had his briefcase on his lap, out in front of him, and the light came on. I told him to move it down between his feet, as a test, and within a few seconds the light went off.
So I think it looks for obstructions, like a briefcase, that would prevent normal operation of the airbag. If it's really smart, it would react the same way to a person who is too close to the airbag, and to a person who is too far away from the airbag (like reclined with the seat way back), or any other condition that would make operation of the airbag inappropriate.
Was your passenger holding something in front of him, very close to the dashboard (did rear passenger make him move right up against the dash?), or reclined way far away from the dash?
If the airbag doesn't fire because of one of these causes, it is because BMW has determined that the airbag would not be appropriate for that accident condition. The front airbag also shouldn't fire in a pure side impact.
Will BMW get sued? Well, I know automakers get sued when the airbag fires and injures the person. People claim it was too strong for a small person or a person "out of position;" so hopefully their testing/ design is correct, and is truly not firing only when the airbag would not offer the desired protection without creating undesirable safety risks.
Thanks you for your reply, the passenger was my Father in Law he's about 6'3" and ways 190lbs. I even asked him to slide around on the seat but nothing happened. I'm guessing the senser must be defective.
Happy Holiday
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[/quote]Aside from the weight issue others have discussed, I think there is a sensor in the dashboard that detects occupant position and obstructions. Once a passenger had his briefcase on his lap, out in front of him, and the light came on. I told him to move it down between his feet, as a test, and within a few seconds the light went off.
So I think it looks for obstructions, like a briefcase, that would prevent normal operation of the airbag. If it's really smart, it would react the same way to a person who is too close to the airbag, and to a person who is too far away from the airbag (like reclined with the seat way back), or any other condition that would make operation of the airbag inappropriate.
Was your passenger holding something in front of him, very close to the dashboard (did rear passenger make him move right up against the dash?), or reclined way far away from the dash?
If the airbag doesn't fire because of one of these causes, it is because BMW has determined that the airbag would not be appropriate for that accident condition. The front airbag also shouldn't fire in a pure side impact.
Will BMW get sued? Well, I know automakers get sued when the airbag fires and injures the person. People claim it was too strong for a small person or a person "out of position;" so hopefully their testing/ design is correct, and is truly not firing only when the airbag would not offer the desired protection without creating undesirable safety risks.
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