(FiXED) Water LEAK caused BMW Passenger Restraint system Malfunction

[@noyb4423]

I NEVER comment on videos, but this one deserves it. You, Sir, are a genius. I (my wife) left the sunroof open overnight on our 2019 530i, and of course it rained. Thank God it didn't rain much, but it was enough to trigger the warning. I tried everything to get it to turn off, but nothing worked. Then I ran across your video.....like a charm! Thanks for sharing!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@NOYB glad to here it worked for you, thank you for the compliment.

[@jorgesaucedo9250]

Excellent! I used your tips and I turned on the heated seats and lower heater and within 10-15 min the passenger restraint system light disappeared. Thanks for saving me $$ a trip to BMW of Dallas.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Jorge Saucedo that is great to hear! Thank you for taking the time to share.

[@612batman]

I generally do not post comments but I had to say something about this video. Thank you, the solution worked. I have a 2017 BMW 330i XDrive and I spilled on accident of course 32 oz of water on my passenger seat. My airbag and seatbelt alerts kept going off. I called the dealership and they told me it would cost $1500 to get fixed. So I found this video on KZbin, I wiped my seats up real good and I used a towel to wipe up the water that was dripping down to the back seat floor. Then I used 2 hairdryers on warm settings and placed one of them on the passenger seat in the area where I spilled the water and the second hair dryer I placed under my seat where the water was leaking out of while turning my heated seats on and I turned the car heat on 80 degrees and left my windows up while doing all of this. I did this for a hour for 2 days straight and that solved the problem. As mentioned in the video you have to get the moisture out of the seats, the seats have foam within the interior and you have to heat to dry the foam or it will at some point damage your sensor which will probably cost you $1500 to replace. Thanks again for posting this.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Andrar Rainey, thank you for sharing! Cheers 🍻

[@54788963]

I come here to thank you for posting the solutions here. My X-5 had the same problem after I left my roof open and got rained on. Using the space heater to dry it up after a day, I have my car back to normal. Thank you dude!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Marksman, thank you for taking the time to share. I pleased to hear this has helped.

[@sbnmediaa]

did u have to reset everything for it to go away ?

[@TweekerDan1984]

@nshanata0535 the warning indicators should go away automatically. 👍

[@burtonwoods408]

I spilled a water bottle on the passenger seat and got the same error. Ran the seat heater and passenger side heat at full for an hour and problem solved. Thanks to this video, I was saved a big headache and $$$

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you for sharing how you fixed your issue and thank you for the awesome feedback! We will have our BMWs for some time so please feel free to subscribe for some of our future videos.

[@SeriousPajamas]

TweekerDan, like so many before me you saved me thousands of dollars with your tip on this. I was super freaking stressed about this sensor issue. It would not go away after I spilled 12 ounces of water on my passenger seat. I then dried the cushion underneath with a rag, blow dried it for and hour, and then used one of those moisture catchers over night. Next morning, the alert was gone and money, and my sanity, were saved. So thank you man, huge props to you.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you for the great feedback, I’m glad this has helped.

[@marcnobrega4839]

Nailed it! Mechanic wanted to replace belts and possibly airbags. A $6 tube of gasket seal, space heater on the floor, and $8 de humidifying can and the light was off in 3 days, thank you!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Marc Nobrega thank you for taking your time to share. What did the shop want to charge you?

[@chrisjenkins845]

Excellent video. Left my passenger side window down in the rain and sure enough these lights came on. Your research and solution proved to be the fix I needed. Dried it out just like you and presto. Thanks

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Chris Jenkins, glad to hear it worked, thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. 😊

[@sbnmediaa]

did u have to reset everything for it to go away ?

[@mickeyj201]

Just here to say thank you Dan! Unknowingly the sunroof of 2019 530i open overnight and it rained pretty hard. Next morning had puddles in both front seats and water pooled on the floor mats. Didn’t know what to do to get the malfunction warning to go away but thankfully found this video and it worked! Left seat warmers on and heat on full blast for about 2hrs and then about another 2-3hrs with a small space heater pointed at the back of the passenger seat with it pushed all the way up. The malfunction error is now fixed. You’re a God send bro, thank you very much again!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@mickeyprempeh9449 you are very welcome, thank you for sharing. Those damp air or dry-z-air moisture absorption pack will do wonders. 😊

[@simonharris3058]

I was driving on the highway and all of the sudden this the passenger restriction malfunction came on, honestly I had no idea what it even was and was so nervous and scared I had to spend a couple grand to get this fixed but thankfully I found this video and used a space heater and pointed it under the passenger seat for about a hour and the signal is gone thank you so much man

[@vivianr5801]

Yes! Thank you for this video!!! Left my sunroof open and it rained!. Same warning. Found your video and let the car dry out and message is gone! Thank goodness I didn't take it to the dealer. Saved a couple of thousand $$$!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Vivian R thank you for taking the time to share 👍 cheers!

[@cosjef]

I accidentally spilled some bottled water on the passenger seat. Placing a small space heater into the back seat as you demonstrated fixed the problem. And saved me the cost of an $1800 sensor + labor. Thanks!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Jeff Costa, thank you for sharing that this worked! Cheers!

[@lorenefeehan4740]

So glad you posted this video. My BMW535GT had been garaged all summer and must have had water (from the car wash?) in the side panels or something. When I got back home to the car, there was white mold on the steering wheel and floor mats, and the seat belts were damp! So odd. But the summer had been super hot, humid and rainy so maybe the garage was too. The car gave me that error message when I started it, and I thought I would have to bring it to the service guys. But after airing out the vehicle, this morning the warning lights are out and I did not even need to use a heater. Thanks so much for making me connect the dampness dots to the warning light!

[@ajd2487]

Literally just got this message this morning on the way to work I literally turned on my seat warmers in a few mins error went away thankyou so much and much money saved 👌👌

[@blaizing305]

That interior is super clean 😍

[@sarat9415]

Trying this out today! Left my back windows open one night, this exact message came up a couple days later. I have a large fan and a heater running in there as I type. I'll share my results! Thank you!!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Sara T please share when it works😃

[@MrRedd713]

Update?

[@pinetreeinsnow]

Thank you so much! It worked for my X5 today! The passenger restriction malfunction light came up yesterday after I spilled lots of water on the passenger seat. After I watched your video, I turned the seat heat on for 20 minutes and the light disappeared.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you for sharing your experience, glad this helped.

[@shafiqk40]

I don't usually send feedback but you seem a down to Earth guy and I am going to try this when I feel better. Very informative all the best you and your family stay safe.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@shafigk40 thank you for the kind feedback. If you have any questions feel free to ask them here. 👍

[@dagrimmreepa]

Wanted to add my thanks for this video. My 528 had this light on for a while and then it went away just as I was getting ready to cut that sensor entirely (it's not needed and no other car maker has it). I was curious as to why it came on and then fixed itself later, and this makes total sense. I live in a very rainy region. Cheers!

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you for the feedback, we m glad to hear your issue was fixed 🤙🏼

[@smak387]

My brother thank you. This worked perfectly. I just did this. Took 1 hour and 10 minutes of doing this EXACT advice

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you for sharing that it worked. Glad to hear it. 🤙🏼

[@yl.ded.6780]

Thank you very much for this easily explained video! Thanks millions!

[@josciebarnes9230]

This video was right on time. Thank you TweekerDan. This light has come on in my BMW as well. It was so helpful. I had a container of water leak in the back seat some time ago. I got all the water out, but months later this message popped up. I’m getting my portable heater/fan out to see what I can do. Thanks again for a good video.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Joscie Barnes Thank you for the great feedback.

[@alekzuanl499]

I left a water bottle opened in my passenger seat and spilled all over it. Now my light is on.. good thing I found your video. I’m going to try this out.

[@xxx4651]

I got the same malfunction message this morning after a snow storm. It’s definitely the moisture.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Please share when it works👍.

[@md2893]

I had the exact same thing happen with my X5. I went camping and we got soaked packing up the car and it went on about 3 min after we drove off. I tested the plates and seat belts. Totally helpful.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you for sharing, have you already corrected the issue?

[@metaskymclidon3800]

you are right. I forgot to close the roof window and the rain came in for couple of hours. I got this error code after that. Your video confirmed my guess. I will do the same with my X3.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@ Metasky McLidon Thank you for sharing.

[@AccurweldV9K]

Thank you very much. It seems to have fixed my problem. I always kept my sunroof open ( the upright inch function) as it kept my windows fogging up during the rain. I noticed the warning came on more frequently when this happened. Now I know why. Just keeping the lower heat on to drying out the interior. Thanks again.

[@j.m.hargrove4611]

Thanks this worked for me with blow dryer, heat turned on the grounds, and seat warmers maxed out after like fifteen minutes. Thanks for video it was stressing me out.

[@TweekerDan1984]

I appreciate the feedback, I love hearing that it has helped. Did the light just turn off automatically?

[@thanlorenzo1422]

It’s been a week .. with the sensor thing . Your telling me I gotta dry it ? But it’s been a week and hot weather it should’ve fixed itself already ? I spilled a 16oz cup of coffee on my passenger seat . I will try this technique.. after years later . And will keep updated . And if the KZbinr of this video please reply with help /knowledge

[@kenbramble2425]

Thank you, my friend!! Water bottle leaked in the passenger seat overnight and got the space heater hooked up now! 🤞

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Ken Bramble you are very welcome. Success rate seems to be very high 👍🏼

[@kenbramble2425]

@@TweekerDan1984 annnnnd now it’s back on today. Guess I’ll try again!!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Ken Bramble, this probably just means that there’s still moisture trapped underneath the seat. I actually have two friends that have had similar issues and did not dry the car out as long as I did so their light came back on, but it did go away and has stayed away when they spent more time drying. I recommend getting those moisture absorption containers that remove excess moisture from the car. They with capture unseen moisture for you.

[@kenbramble2425]

Yep. Went away the next day and now hasn’t come back. BTW - folding up the car mats to block in the heat vent under the seat, blasting the heat on high for an hour or so, and putting seat heater on high is what ultimately did the trick.

[@salcidorob]

I purchased an e60 model 525i with the same malfunction. I have TPMS malfunction and a slew of light/lamp malfunctions as well. The more, the merrier, right? 😅 I was going to check all of the related fuses, but I think I'll start with blowdrying the interior and then go from there. Thanks! 😊

[@TweekerDan1984]

@salcidorob look forward to hearing what you come up with, also the scanner that I used in the video is super handy for just about everything and may be super used for you. I have absolutely loved it. Fingers crossed for you!

[@brycehopkins896]

juat got this light on my f30 340i, came on after i was pulling out of my driveway. idk what could of gotten moisture in it. only comes on when theres a passenger in the seat. will come on and then go away for a bit and then come back. hoping the method of a heater and whatever else will fix it.

[@CarplaySolutions-za]

Hi, did you get a fix for that?

[@TweekerDan1984]

@CarplaySolutions-za hi there, thousands of the viewers here have confirmed that this process has fixed the problem. Many people message here but a lot of people also have messaged me directly through instagram 👌🏼

[@sbartholomew-nb2zw]

my girlfriend left her sunroof open the other night. last weekend in august and it poured buckets. that error light has been on since. i'm about to try your trick. thanks, man! fingers crossed.

[@TweekerDan1984]

I’d love to hear if it helped 👌🏼

[@bobblehead555]

Thanks for the video Dan! Placed a small space heater behind passenger seat for 6 hours . Voila! No more warning. Erased code using Bimmer Link afterward but not necessary. BMW X5 F15.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Your very welcome, Thank you for sharing your success.

[@miguelpina6890]

6 hours? I have to wait that long?

[@dbotero56]

Hi Dan. I have this problem on my 2020 BMW 3. I got rain in my car so the water was everywhere. Should I have the doors closed w the space heater going? Can I use just a space heater or do I need a small fan simultaneously as well? Thanks so much. I have no clue what I’m doing. 😊

[@TweekerDan1984]

Hi @dbotero56 yes, I would vacuum or absorb as much of the water as possible and then use your space heater. I would then get some of the water absorbing products to help remove any of the trapped moisture. Feel free to reach out if you have any additional questions. I included links in the description that may help. Also please share when this works for you as I’m confident it will 👍 if you are trying to use a large heater it will be more risky so be sure you don’t set your heater too high or too close to anything so that you don’t damage your car.

[@dbotero56]

@@TweekerDan1984 Dan!!! IT WORKED!!! Malfunction gone. I did it all weekend and even overnight. While I don’t recommend this I did it anyway and checked on it every few hrs. One thing I will add, I purchased a dehumidifier and I think that really helped. So I did space heater and 35pint dehumidifier. Emptied the tank twice. No fan cuz I didn’t have one small enough. And I moved them around from front to back seat. Can’t thank you enough. 🙏

[@Reza.Pezeshki]

BMW X2 sunroof opened during a 20 minute downpour. Dried it using 2 fans and a dehumidifier. Error / fault red alert went away after 24 h of drying. No resetting or code reading was required. Thanks very much.

[@andoverdang]

Thanks so much for this! Left the skylight on the X5 open a couple of nights ago and of course it rained....same error code. Was a little worried and found this video...put a fan in the car for 24 hours and error went away.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Dan Grecoe that is great news! Thank you for sharing.

[@ginagina3512]

Thank you for this!!! I haven’t attempted to put a space heater in my BMW 320i yet but I will tomorrow. I picked up my son today after his football game and he was drenched from the massive rain he played in. Sat in the passenger seat (I had no choice there lol)…..and the light popped up on the onscreen display and dash. I was sure this was going to cost me a fortune. So I am certain it’s the same issue. Moisture that drained from him to the inside of the seat. This was super helpful and calmed my stress.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you very much for the feedback, it will be safer to have anything wet in the backseats although you will still want the moisture out of the car either way. Please share when this works for you thank you so much. They have a product called dressier that you can just hang up in the car and it will absorb the moisture which I found to be very helpful.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Product for absorbing moisture is actually “Dry z Air”.

[@ginagina3512]

@@TweekerDan1984 It worked!!!! I put a small space heater in my car like you did, I left for a few hours while I did some stuff outside. I waited for a few hours more before starting the car but once I did, both the onscreen display and dash messages had disappeared. Super super happy I found your video!!

[@ginagina3512]

@@TweekerDan1984 I’m going to see if I can find these and I’ll use them too. Thanks again for your help!! 🙌🏼

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Gina Gina, thank you for taking the time to share, very pleased to hear that it worked. 🤗

[@abbyanderson8866]

left my sunroof open on my 528i and this happened. your method worked !!

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you for sharing.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Before starting this process I did attempt to clear my codes multiple times and they came back immediately. So I cleared the codes one last time and worked toward removing the moisture from the vehicle. Once the moisture had was removed from the vehicle which took several days. I started the car up and the Passenger Restraint Malfunction did not return.

[@miguelpina6890]

Left it for 2 hours but it’s still showing.. should I leave it longer??

[@TweekerDan1984]

It took several days to dry the car out. It looks like multiple people commenting saying it also took them multiple days.

[@miguelpina6890]

TweekerDan1984 thxs! Hopefully it goes away! And did you just leave the heater on the passenger side? Or did you move it around?

[@sallylincoln]

Does it go off after it dries or do u have to reset? Thank u for ur video 😊

[@TweekerDan1984]

@sallylincoln after receiving lots of feedback the light goes away on its own after it dries.

[@sallylincoln]

Thank you

[@newcenturygoldllc9253]

Thanks, Dan. I really appreciate the video. I have a 550i M-sport, and the light just came on yesterday. Your video has helped me out a lot.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you for sharing, did the light go away automatically for you?

[@sharitarandall167]

Can you share the information about the scanner that you purchased? Price, where purchased, how to use, etc? Thank you.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Sharita Randall Yes, are you wanting a video or just in text?

[@running_rich]

I just got this error. Scanned for codes and 930A60 popped up, it pointed to the occupancy sensor in the passenger seat. The sensor works by detecting moisture near the seat, a human body normally. A BMW dealer bulletin says to use the heated seat for a few days to attempt to dry out the seat. A full bottle of water had unknowingly leaked into the seat. When I realized the seat was wet and knew the details of the error, I asked my wife "I want you to be honest about your car, I just looked at it". Instead of saying she spilled water she said "yeah I hit a curb yesterday". So I fixed one problem but now have another, a badly scraped wheel with yellow paint!

[@CrystalKat]

I wanted to say I tried this and it worked!! Thank you so much for making this video, it seriously saved me. I followed your instructions and dried the car out for 2 days with a heater and fan. Thanks again, Dan

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you for sharing, I post a wide variety of videos on my channel but I will continue to post helpful videos on our BMWs as well. Thank you again for the great feedback.

[@Sheff313]

Thanks man . Mine was set of because I rolled my window down with snow that was caked up on the bottom of my window . All the wet slushy snow fell all over my passenger seat which I believe caused the problem . Thanks again

[@TweekerDan1984]

Your welcome, I’m glad your problem is fixed.

[@transparentfox4338]

had this issue recently on my mini and im going to try this know it had a wet seat the day it happen. great video ill let you know it it helped

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Transparent Fox hope to hear great news from you 🤞🏼

[@bennyben7040]

My light came on last summer while I was driving. It was super hot and I turned my AC on to max and two blocks down the light went on. I wonder if it caused some kind of condensation somewhere

[@TweekerDan1984]

It is possibly but it would take time for a condensation leak to cause the issue. By the amount of comments on here it seems this light can be triggered with a very small amount of water/moisture. On the bright side the success for taking this issue by following these steps is very high.

[@mikeilahtatum809]

Hello thank I will try it I have the light on my 528i 2013 and I’m so confused

[@TweekerDan1984]

Hope this fixes your problem, it was a huge relieve for us and the error has not returned.

[@kevanteb]

I need help I just bought this car last week and spilt my soup yesterday in the driver seat and got a “Driver Restraint System” immediately after I haven’t noticed the car having any moisture aside from this incident. I want to try to get a small space heater and see if this works for me too

[@TweekerDan1984]

We also had a hot coffee cause this issue, and the same heating and ventilation tricks did the job.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@kevanteb feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

[@crimson7241]

Hey I have the same issue, when you left the heater on did you open any windows etc? Or you just let it run continuously? I have the same problem cause of windows left open :( should I combine a fan and heater or heater alone? Thanks.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Crimson7 apologies for the delay, I used a moisture absorption product (dampRid) as I was using a heater to dry out the vehicle. You can purchase that product at your local hardware store or sometimes at a grocery store.

[@deank280]

Did you have to reset the code or does it reset by itself? Thanks!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@deank280 the passenger restraint system warning will go away by itself, but the code would still be within the system until cleared. Although you wouldn’t have any check engine or warning lights on even if you did not clear the codes.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Definitely feel free to ask any questions if you need anything, this process should do the trick as it has had a huge success rate.

[@deank280]

@@TweekerDan1984 I set up a hair dryer, but I couldn't close the door on the wire - how'd you do that? use a flatter extension cord? Right now I have it through the window creaked open. one more q - how long did you run this, like 24 h?

[@TweekerDan1984]

@deank280 I closed the door but not all the way so that it wouldn’t smash the wire. The window method it fine as long as rain water isn’t getting inside. I’m not sure how long it would take for a hair dryer but I had everything set up for days as it was an experiment. Many people have shared that the warning indicating light went away with in the first 24hrs of using these methods.

[@czalta]

It’s interesting and makes sense. I hear the swishing of water somewhere in the interior of the car. Once I find it i can work it out. It usually happens when there’s a large rainfall.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Please share any results. Thank you 😊

[@tyronemclean936]

I noticed condensation on my lower rear window on my 2005 525i, my rear window trim was corroded and not sealing. I fixed it by going to O'Reiley's and purchasing window rubber trim. I;m going to try this and see if it works, hopefully it will. I have the same readings on my car.

[@GBAuDiiO]

I’m getting the same malfunction but I don’t believe there’s any moisture in my vehicle or any liquid that spilled. Is there anything else that can be causing it?

[@TweekerDan1984]

It doesn’t seem to take much to cause this issue so I would definitely still recommend running a fan to air out underneath the seat. Even in a warmer climate if you leave a water bottle or open container inside the vehicle the moisture can escape into the air and become trapped under the seat. Hope this helps.

[@viviandai2008]

It really works in my car as well. Super grateful!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Vivian Dai 🤗🤗🤗

[@NicoleMartin-z1l]

My son accidently left his windows cracked and rain water got inside the vehicle. The passenger restraint malfunction light is on. I told him to get the water absorbers and a hair dryer but the inverter he bought for the hairdryer isn't strong enough to run it. Any other ideas to get the dampness out and dry it out. He has the heat in the car running. It's 40 degrees out so no way of letting the outside air flow to dry it out.

[@TweekerDan1984]

A small space heater like I used in this video set to low/medium heat should do the trick just fine, it will take some time but will save you $$$$ 👍 there are links for the items that I used in the description. Hopefully they help.

[@jonathantisdale7563]

dan i have 2009 code cc id 97 code is coming up and its keeping car from starting is it anther problem 328i conv so moisture could be but not starting

[@TweekerDan1984]

It is possible, what did you come up with as a definition for that code?

[@jasonharris3873]

Had a plugged sunroof drain that let a bunch of water in with rain. Passenger airbag warning then popped on. Now I am in the middle of a heater dry out.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Jason Harris this should definitely do the trick 🤙🏼

[@robertr8687]

Same issue with the same vehicle for me that yours ever come back on again or that completely solved the problem?

[@TweekerDan1984]

It has been solved completely. No weird lights or additional issues.

[@michaelabi-aad2658]

Had this issue come up today after spilling my water bottle on the passenger seat. I’m on a college campus however and can’t really set up a heater or anything. U have any other recommendations?

[@TweekerDan1984]

I would recommend getting some of the damp rid bags or dry-z-air containers to absorb the moisture. Also I would have the seat heat on hi along with the heater on high whenever possible. This would help dry it out. Also according to many of the viewers it is possible for the code to go away automatically once the issue is resolved.

[@michaelabi-aad2658]

@@TweekerDan1984 thanks for the tips! Had some really nice weather and was able to just crack my windows and let the car dry itself out

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Michael Abi-Aad did the malfunction warning go away on its own? 👍

[@bcg5175]

having issue with my 08 135i, left sunroof open for couple hours during rain & codes haven’t gone away since

[@TweekerDan1984]

Many people have shared that leaving the heater and heated seats on for an extended amount of time has cleared the code and corrected the issue. Otherwise a heater and moisture absorption products should do the trick.

[@mattylowe5949]

Hello mate, I have the same problem with my bmw at the moment… I have left a heater in the car and as I write this it has been out there for around an hour and a half (I have seen other comments saying they had left it for a few days and will continue doing so) but I was just wondering how close to to put heater ? I currently have it right at the back as far as it will go… should I put it as closer or leave it where it is. Thank you in advance

[@TweekerDan1984]

I would leave it where it is so that it does not become a fire hazard. Local hardware stores also moisture absorbing products called damp rid, they work pretty great.

[@mattylowe5949]

@@TweekerDan1984 I have a few moisture absorbing pots in there now, I think mine might be a battery issue as I’ve still had no change…. Thanks for the reply tho

[@DanielFernandez-xj9yc]

I was randomly parked cleaning my car from the snow and the passenger restraint system came on could the snow that got around my mats and door cause that to turn on ?

[@TweekerDan1984]

Absolutely, many people have been able to turn their heat on high blowing down with the heated seats on high. Restraint light went away within 30 minutes of doing this. Please share if this also works for you. Thank you for checking out the video.

[@DASSTADT]

This thing started showing up on my BMw after I was cleaning the snow and good bunch of it fell from the window on a passenger seat.... I'm testing blowdryer thing now to see if it'll help

[@goget3460]

I spilled a bottle of water and my light went on. Let it air out for a night and hard reset my seats by pushing it back all the way and front all the way

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Preston R thank you for sharing. 👍

[@alexmejia5186]

dude this just happened to me today. it clicked pretty quickly that the water prob messed up some sensor. Hope i can dry it out!

[@goget3460]

@@alexmejia5186 yeah let it dry out and hard reset your seats. For the first couple days the sensor will be buggy and might ask you to put the seatbelt on the passenger side when no one is siting in it. But after a few days it goes back to new.

[@alexmejia5186]

@@goget3460 thanks! I sure hope so

[@conflictedshotz8412]

How do you hard rest ur seat?

[@womeshsaywack7288]

What an excellent video…..thank you!!

[@ozanaktas8064]

I am thinking to buy a 2006 530 xi and front passenger side seat belt error comes when someone sitting at the moment. But when the passenger side is empty message doesn`t appear. Should I just pass the car? Not buying is better?

[@TweekerDan1984]

If it is a great deal I would not pass because of that issue. In many cases the issue can be repaired or corrected without steep cost of repairs. Is the vehicle by chance for sale through a dealer or private car lot?

[@ozanaktas8064]

@@TweekerDan1984 the car I could buy from a friend, not a dealer. Actually I am taking the car for a general inspection tomorrow. I think garage people will say the word :)

[@TweekerDan1984]

I’m curious what you do, best of luck 🤞

[@ozanaktas8064]

@@TweekerDan1984 we re going to discuss about the price again. Mechanic listed 1800 dollars cost fixing (tires,brake fluid,brake hoses) but the seatbelt problem not even on the list. I think when not anybody sits on passenger side is okay. I am going to use OBDII to delete the message anyway. We`ll see. I`ll keep you posted :)

[@ozanaktas8064]

@@TweekerDan1984 well, we bought the car for 4.000 dollars today. I am going to try to use OBDII to erase the error on the screen later. We'll see :)

[@brandonjohnson2678]

I was a stressed and pissed off mofo about leaving my windows down and had this problem. Thank you for this video Mr White Man. Sincerely Appreciative Black Man

[@TweekerDan1984]

You are very welcome, your comment really cracked me up, I hope this fixes your issue. Cheers 👍🏼

[@bumsen2105]

Left the windows open on my Mini 4dr hardtop. Trying the space heater now.

[@soniarivera32]

Thanks for the video!! I will try it it’s just literally came out and was because was raining and the passenger side got wet and when I turn my car the warning was on make a lot sense!! Thanks

[@Vic-tc9my]

Thank you for the video. I recently took my 2017 X5 to the detail shop and after I picked the vehicle up I noticed the warning popped up on the display saying the driver side restraint system is malfunctioning. I'm on day 3 of the using the space heater but no luck yet. I haven't noticed any moisture in the car but I would suspect the steamer the detail shop used caused it. Quick question..do you have to use the multi scanner to reset the computer or will the warning on the dash just disappear on its own? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Vic I personally used the scanner that I shared in the description to erase the code but many of the viewers here have shared that the passenger and driver restraint malfunction has disappeared on its own after the moisture was removed.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Vic, if you happen to be local I would happily scan and remove the code for you. We are located in Washington.

[@Vic-tc9my]

@@TweekerDan1984 Hi Dan. I appreciate the reply. I'm still working with a space heater and using the heated seats when driving the vehicle but no success in the seeing the driver side restraint symbol go away. I'm out in IL otherwise, I'd take you'd up on the offer which I do appreciate. Maybe I should order the scanner and see if it will clear the symbol on the dash?

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Vic On the bright side the scanner that I shared in the description is preloaded specifically for BMWs and you can do so many cool things with it. It is definitely a great tool that can save you lots of money.

[@seanyb007]

I so need to try this on a car I just picked up. Thank you for sharing!

[@seanybravo69]

Having this same issue on my ‘14 320i. It’s been over a year since I’ve last seen passenger restraint message that time it went away next day at the beach. Just popped up again yesterday after picking up my car from hail damage shop, hope they didn’t let it sit out in rain with windows down. It’s in the 90s here today going to open up all 4 doors push seats up and let it dry out really good hopefully that fixes it.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Sean Bishop definitely will have fingers crossed for you, Are you able to throw a fan blowing under the seat as well?

[@seanybravo69]

@@TweekerDan1984 yeah I’ll put a fan on it too thanks for the video

[@MaxKimmich]

I hope you read this! You mentioned that the vapor barrier on rear driver's side panel was failing. Was the door the culprit of the excess moisture? How did you determine this in particular? Did you go door by door disassembling each door panel and checking for moisture? Did you do anything to the door fix that particular issue? I have the same restraint issue on my 2013 750 LI, and would like to know a bit more before starting to pull the doors apart xD Thank you for sharing your research and video!!

[@TweekerDan1984]

Hello @Max Kimmich, I determined the rear driver side door weather stripping seal was leaking after noticing the carpet was damp underneath the factory floor mat. At first I tried to use a garden hose to investigate leaks while the door was closed and after doing this for a bit I then pried out on the door panel itself and water was draining out of the panel on the door. After doing this I noticed that there are rubber plugs in the bottom of the actual door panel itself and you can remove them to drain the water out. I removed the rear panel and inspected the vapor barrier and the seal and I was actually able to reuse my existing seal by heating it up a little bit with a hairdryer. This corrected the problem and the door has not leaked (retained water) to this day. If you need help finding out the new seal I did locate a product that worked really well made by 3M.

[@kevinr662]

this just happened to me and i am taking your advice. Do i need a fan or can i just let it sun dry? i left my passenger window down and it rained. thank you so much for this

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Kevin R apologies for the delay, a fan is useful to move the air but eventually it would dry out completely.

[@kevinr662]

@@TweekerDan1984 thank you again for this because i was about to spend 2k in dealership - i live in orlando florida so we have lots of sun. i had about 30 mins of rain fall into my car from a window left down on the passenger side and this light came on. i simply left my doors and sunroof down for about 4 hrs and it worked perfectly - eroor message gone. i have a 4 series coupe so the fan and heater would have been difficult but thank you so very much

[@sayittrue9570]

Hi just had my seats resprayed and have this light come on and same error passenger restraint error.hsd the battery disconnected whilst work done . everything's looking ok I suppose moisture is still in the seats.does the light and system reset themselves or do I need to get a scanner to clear it

[@TweekerDan1984]

Many people have shared that the malfunction error went away automatically without using the scanner. Since there were no confirmed solutions out there I did not know it would go away. The scanner has been used on many other cars and has been well worth it, As a sidenote this code never came back after I created this video. A fan and heater and maybe some of those dries the air moisture absorbing products would help as well. Hope this helps👍 Also you want to be extremely careful disconnecting and reconnecting the battery regularly to avoid terminal issues.

[@outragedgamer1410]

This has been bothering me for months now. How long would you say this issue stuck around for in total? I’m just worried that it’s too far gone for this to work.

[@TweekerDan1984]

I bought the car and it had this issue for a couple years or so. The owners just dealt with it. So I think this will still work for you. 👍

[@outragedgamer1410]

I tried full blasting the seat warmers and my heaters for about an hour but it didn’t work. I’m gonna try to use fans this weekend to air it out while it’s warm. However, I noticed that sometimes the light will turn off for a few minutes, but then I get the error again, and then light turns back on. But I’m assuming that that’s how the error works.

[@TweekerDan1984]

@outragedgamer1410 I originally did heat with a fan for a couple days because I didn’t want to risk the issue not being solved, some people have shared using a fan and heater for only a few hours did the trick and others have shared that they used this method overnight. You may also want to purchase some sort of moisture absorbing product to help the moisture trapped under the seat to escape. The success rate is so high that I would bet with time and patience. Your problem will be solved.

[@outragedgamer1410]

@@TweekerDan1984on my passenger door, I’ve noticed that my car door fills with water, and the spot you had pried open on the floor is also broken off. How did you go about fixing the leak in the door?

[@CTRChrisRich]

Hey, Dan. I have a 320i with the same issue. However, I left a soda can in the car and it exploded. It was a Coke zero (would've been worse if it had sugar). I've been trying to leave the heater in the seats on at max with hot air blowing. Think that is the same as your process? Placing a heater in my car is a bit tough as I live in an apartment complex

[@CTRChrisRich]

Forgot to ask, will it go away on its on or do I have to buy something to reset the light even after it's dry? If so, what do I buy?

[@TweekerDan1984]

I think it would still work for you, Multiple people reported the code disappearing on its own without purchasing the scanner. Although the scanner I shared in the description has been so useful. This scanner works on many other makes and models as well.

[@slipperysandals]

Left my sunroof open on my f22 and it got rained on, causing the light. Gonna try this now. Thanks!

[@TweekerDan1984]

Please share your results 👍 I sat on my remote which caused all of my windows to open up on my F01. This worked twice for me. Yay!

[@slipperysandals]

@@TweekerDan1984 this solved my issue. Thank you so much! You saved me from spending a bunch of money at the dealer 👍🏼

[@miguelpina6890]

gage how much time did you leave it for bro?

[@slipperysandals]

@@miguelpina6890 just a few hours

[@miguelpina6890]

@@slipperysandals I can’t leave mine for a few hours bc the heater turns off😕 the light is still on btw.. how did you make your heater not turn off?

[@coreytarne5896]

Hey Dan. Thanks for this video. I'd love to get your advice if you would be so kind. I have a 2019 X5 lease and the driver restraint indicator came on. I took my car to a local dealership and they said they somehow some moisture, possibly coffee, had seeped into the console through the (cup holder?) and to repair the module they'd have to replace the it for around $2,000. First, since this car is a lease and I know this wouldn't have been negligence on my part, can they tell me this isn't covered by the warranty and get away with it? EVEN IF a little moisture did seep below into the under-workings of the car, that seems more like a defect of the car. I would assume liquid gets into cup holders from time to time but they are saying it traveled below the center console?? Also, do you think I have recourse against BMW North America or through my insurance company to have this fixed without paying. Lastly, do you think this could be repaired more economically through a licensed BMW repair shop? Thanks in advance!

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Corey Tarne sorry to hear that your in this situation, this seems pretty radical, I would definitely want to see proof of their assumption that this issue was caused by a cup holder. Iced drinks condensate very easily. BMW makes some pretty amazing cars but they definitely lack in seals and weatherstripping. There conclusion seems ridiculous and unrealistic. I have seen customers that have left their sunroof open during a heavy rain causing the restraint warning lights to illuminate and simple a space heater and fan was able to dry up all of the moisture and correct the issue. On another note if you try using a heater and fan and it does not correct the issue I bet you would be able to reach out to your insurance company who would then be able to assist you in covering the cost from the water damage. Please keep me posted, I’ll have my fingers crossed for you.

[@mariana011085]

Hello there! I have the exact same issue happened to my car. Wondering what was the outcome of yours ?

[@TweekerDan1984]

@Mariana Gama, hi there! I have helped many people that live local here in Washington and this has been a consistent fix. It seems it is quite common to accidentally leave the sunroof open or to spill a drink which results in this malfunction. The feedback received from this video has had overwhelming numbers of success. Just figured that I would share, I’ll be wishing you the best of luck as well. Please feel free to reach out with any questions 👍

[@markcondolora5377]

I left my top down and it rained for 10 minutes and caused the malfunction. I dried mine out by turning on both the vented seat and the heated seat as well as the cars heater. also left it out in the sun for about 10 hours. However, the warning stayed on until I cleared the fault code. Now its fine :)

[@ericgilchrist]

This video got me to subscribe! That bit about wanting to fix it correctly is awesome. I am also in the Pacific Northwest and drive a 2011 535i. I'm dealing with TPMS malfunction even after replacing all the sensors in the wheels. I was surprised that there is no consensus that I could find about where the main module is! Have you dealt with this issue by chance?

[@TweekerDan1984]

Hey there @Eric Gilchrist did you have to reprogram each of your sensors?

[@TweekerDan1984]

Also thank you very much for subscribing and I definitely appreciate you, I have not dealt with the tpms malfunction but if your local I bet we could figure it out.

[@ericgilchrist]

I bought them from Amazon. I always scour the reviews before making a purchase like that and other bmw drivers said they automatically synced within a few blocks of driving - no programming required. I had the error with the old ones as well.

[@ericgilchrist]

I saw a video of a guy pulling the TPMS module and carefully opening it up to reveal some corrosion and a bad solder joint. A little cleaning and a bit of solder was all he needed to save a few hundred bucks on a new one. So that's my goal. I'm just south of Everett, WA

[@pmaxgen]

How to reset the warning after eliminating the root cause ?

[@TweekerDan1984]

You would need the scanner to remove the code completely, but the system malfunction display should automatically go away without using a scanner.

[@pmaxgen]

@@TweekerDan1984 okay, thanks for your reply and the video.

[@wanddforsale7633]

Thanks so much, will try it on my Mini where I'm having the same issue

[@TweekerDan1984]

@WandD For Sale hope this helps, I would love to hear if this fixes your problem. 🤙🏼

[@beatrizordorica6134]

Looks like there was spilled water on passenger seat. Contacted bmw and they said it would need to get fixed not covered under warranty. They said that it can cause airbags to not function properly and would need to be fixed ASAP.. is this a big issue or true ?

[@TweekerDan1984]

The passenger restraint malfunction message does mean that there’s something wrong that should be addressed, our vehicle had this issue for almost a year before I found time to fix it, the dealer wanted a few thousand dollars to do all of the repairs. I would use a fan and heater and dry everything out. It appears that this is a common issue that can be fixed without spending much money. I hope this fixes your issue as it has helped so many others.

[@carolinepena1882]

For how long would you keep the space heater and fan on?And how long after the light came on did you try fixing it??

[@TweekerDan1984]

I actually used kept the heater in the car for about 5 days.

[@kevinr145]

How long did you need to use the heater?

[@TweekerDan1984]

I used it for a couple days to make sure it was completely dry, since I’ve never encountered this issue I wanted to make sure drying it out and removing the code would work the very first try, but many people have shared after a couple hours the passenger restraint went away without the scanner. If you decide you would like the scanner I shared it in the description, it has been extremely useful. Cheers!

[@kevinr145]

You should see the set up I got going right now lol. I don't have access to a space heater so I took a windshield cover put it over the seat and put the heat on blast needless to say it's really hot right now lol

[@kevinr145]

Did you have to reset the passenger fasten seat belt alarm?

[@hgjh0]

I opened my sunroof for about 4hrs today. Temp was about 70F today in Cincinnati. I was able to buy a scanner at walmart for 45$. It read the Passenger restraint system error and 2 more errors. judebox and FRM. I cleared them all. And as of now it looks fine so far. Tomorrow I will check if any light comes up. Also replaced my fuse for cigarette lighter or usb coz it wasn't working for a while. So looking good so far

[@martinwinter7202]

did some work on the car at the weekend then all of a sudden get this error code live in Florida so its hot and no rain for weeks Like you dont want to bypass anything here its that way for a reason just ordered the scanner so will plug it in and reset erase the code and see what happens thanks for a great u tube on it hopefully i will get it straight as soon as the scanner arrives .

[@TweekerDan1984]

Definitely keep us posted, thank you for sharing.

[@samumah4673]

I also had water ingress in mine, I was able to dry it, but the fault is still showing, should I disconnect the wires below and get it all cleaned out as well? Any ideas, I have. 525 2007

[@TweekerDan1984]

How long did you dry it out? A fan to circulate the air may help as well. If moisture is the issue the. eventually it should correct itself. The moisture traps itself under the fabric so it can take some time. If you were to disconnect anything it would be very important not turn the ignition on to avoid any further issues.

[@natasharodriguez7328]

I’m excited to see your video... silly me I left the sunroof open after a rainstorm... and now I have the sensor on. I will try to see, if this takes care of the DX🙂

[@brib0i]

Did this work for you? I did the same thing... 😅

[@murphdog9506]

I wonder if a dehumidifier would also work

[@TweekerDan1984]

I bet it would 👍

[@yellowdeucetennis]

I have a similar issue on my f20/f21 1 series (2013). But the light is only intermittent. It flashes up and sometimes stays for about 5-10 minutes then goes back to normal for 5-10 minuets etc but it’s consistently on and off. I have set up a heater under the passenger seat now so I’ll let you know the results. Do you think this should solve it?

[@yellowdeucetennis]

When I check vehicle status on the idrive system no faults show up as the light isn’t currently on

[@terrancebeck333]

Did it work? I have a 2012 528i having the same problem

[@yellowdeucetennis]

@@terrancebeck333 On m one it turned out it was a USB charger adapter for my phone in the 12V socket which had b broken and was confusing the electrical system. A soon as I unplugged this it went away. If you have anything in the 12v socket try unplugging it

[@ststw975]

Hi, great tutorial. Can you still drive the car even with the "Passenger Restraint" light on in the dashboard? Thank you.

[@Silva3sp]

Yes you can drive the car normally

[@mauriciogamez570]

Thanks for sharing the video, my car is a 2016 320i with the passenger malfunction light, I will turn on the heater. I will keep you informed Thank you

[@Sp1keon3]

hello, Any chance this went off? thanks

[@zlord1199]

Did it work?

[@joel1595]

Was your seat working before? I washed my carpet liner the seat stopped working and i cant even move it to check out the bottom.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Yes the seat works before, but there are a lot of electronics under the seat so drying it out may definitely help,

[@anthonyreed7855]

When you were having this issue did your speedometer stop working? Was the steering wheel harder to turn? Or any other issues?

[@TweekerDan1984]

Hello there, I did not have any issues other than that passenger restraint malfunction light.

[@robfigueroa]

I left my windows open and it rained last night. Now I know why my light came on. Thanks.

[@TweekerDan1984]

Your welcome @Rob Figueroa , as a side note many people have dried out the moisture and the code went away without the need of the scanner that I shared in the description. Although the scanner is very helpful in many situations.

[@malcolmbarker7661]

Left the sunroof cracked on my wife's 528 xi hopefully this works 😞

[@malcolmbarker7661]

Update!!! It worked like a charm I left the heater in there overnight and when we came out in the morning the light went off!!!😁 Thank you brother you saved my life with this one👍💯

[@shadycooper9682]

During the car wash rain leaked on the passenger seat and set this sensor off. Ugh

[@TweekerDan1984]

The success rate seems to be pretty high👍

[@shadycooper9682]

@@TweekerDan1984 I ordered a heater from amazon I will let you know how it works

[@TweekerDan1984]

Thank you 🙏