OK I thought I wasn't crazy. It would make sense that you are exactly right about how it operates. I will have to check mine. And dealers are usually WRONG.

 

So is it supposed to illuminate when no one is in the passenger seat or not?

 

Lol this thread is funny ! Everyone seems confused haha
Btw, If I remember well, My car do the same thing as AchtungE60.

 

I don't have this light is this only for US cars ?

 

+1

If an actual person is seated, the light should be off.
If no one is seated, the light should also be off.

Think of the light as a warning sign - like, hey, I detect something on the seat but it's too light for me to consider it a real person and deploy an airbag. I have seen the light being on when I have a suitcase on the front seat, or when my wife has reclined the seat completely and is sleeping when I drive.

 

Maybe there are some differences in the SBE I and SBE II mats, and I believe there is also an OCIII...? After looking in my owners manual regarding this light (2008 LCI) it says,
Depending on the vehicles equipment, the arrangement of the switches and indicator lamps may differ somewhat. The indicator lamps for the front pass airbags indicates the operating status of the front and side AB's on the front passenger side depending on the seat occupation. The indicator lamp shows whether the pass AB's are active or inactive. The indicator lamp lights up when there is a child seat in the seat, or a child. Most child seats are detected by the system. After installing a child seat make sure the indicator lamp for the pass AB's light up. The indicates that the child seat has been detected and the pass AB's are deactivated

The indicator lamp does not not light up when for example, a correctly seated person of sufficient height is detected on the seat. The front and side AB's on the passenger side are no longer activated.

The indicator lamp DOES NOT light up when the seat is empty. However, the front and side AB's on the pass side are NOT activated.

This is exactly how my system behaves and exactly aligns with the my manual and the SA. My original question was that intermittently there would be no one in my seat and the light would be illuminated. My system has never done this that I am aware of and I just noticed it recently. It's not every time though. I would say maybe up to three times a month. This signals to me the beginning of a problem. I did massage the leather a bit just to kinda rule out that the leather could be setting off the sensor. The leather is not as soft as it once was. So far over the weekend the system is working just like the manual says it should be.

Perhaps the OBD I system in the older cars is always on?

Perhaps the OBD II works as I described above.

I assume that I have the OC III in the X5 because is behaves exactly like my E60

 

I did and my manual states (means) the same but says NOT instead of INCORRECTLY... and also states the light is not to be on if no one is in the seat. I thinking there are two different systems here. I will make a call today to someone who will clearly know for sure what the differences of the SBE I & II.

 

+! hahahaha. I now actually have NO CLUE what mine does. Now it's driving me nuts. I'll have to check it out this am! Gotta love threads like this.

 

OK, here is the latest information I have. lol Read your specific manual for the correct behavior.

 

Can you look in your owner?s manual? Maybe it says something different than mine. I attached a copy of mine. I know the dealers and manuals all lie, but it's in writing on how the system is "supposed" to operate...