BMW 2 Series: Airbag Light and Soft Top Issues Connected?

I have some experience working on cars, and I actually faced something very similar with my 2015 BMW 3 Series last year. Those BMWs can be tricky with their electronics! The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I dealt with. The airbag light kept coming on, and it ended up being a faulty control unit. My mechanic ran a full diagnostic and found that the rollover protection system was acting up because of the defective unit. Got it replaced at a BMW specialist workshop, and it set me back about 1000 Euro, not cheap, but it fixed both the airbag warning and the soft top issues completely. Before I can suggest more specific advice, could you share: Has the car been in any accidents? Are you getting any other warning lights? Which specific error code are you getting? BTW, if your issue is similar to what I had, don't wait too long to get it checked. The soft top mechanism could get damaged if the problem persists.

Hey there! Just had my latest service done, and with 45054 KM on the clock, I can definitely relate to your issue. In my case, it turned out to be a loose connection in the control module. Got it fixed pretty quickly, but I totally understand your concern about the rollover sensor. The airbag warning light was super annoying for me too, kept stressing about it until I got it sorted. Have you tried disconnecting the battery for about 15 minutes? Sometimes that can help reset the system. If not, I'd really recommend getting it checked by a specialist soon, those soft top issues can get worse if left unchecked. The diagnostic might cost a bit, but it's worth knowing exactly what you're dealing with. Would be interested to hear what error code you're getting specifically. That could help narrow down the problem faster.

Hey again, really glad you brought up the battery disconnect trick, I actually tried that before taking my car to the shop! Unfortunately, in my case, it didn't resolve the issue. I'm getting error code 93C4B, which is specifically related to the rollover protection system, just like what you experienced. My latest update is that I took it to a different specialist last week (after my previous fix attempt), and they found that the wiring harness near the control module was slightly damaged. Apparently, it's a known weak point in these models. Would you believe it was causing intermittent connections similar to what you described with your loose connection issue? The soft top is still acting up occasionally, but now I'm thinking it might be worth getting that whole wiring section replaced rather than just fixing the connection. Since you've been through this, do you think that's overkill? The quote I got was pretty steep, but I really don't want to keep dealing with this problem. By the way, good call on getting yours sorted quickly. These electrical gremlins have a way of multiplying if you let them hang around too long!

Thanks for sharing your experience! After dealing with my own car's issues and hearing about your wiring harness situation, I definitely think you're on the right track. The error code you mentioned (93C4B) matches what I initially saw, and you're absolutely right about these electrical problems getting worse if ignored. Based on what my mechanic explained during my repair, replacing the entire wiring harness might seem expensive now, but it's probably the smarter long-term solution. When I just had the loose connection fixed, I ended up having to go back twice before finally getting everything sorted properly. Really wish I'd just done the complete replacement from the start, would've saved me both time and money in the long run. I totally get the hesitation about the cost, though. If you want, I can share what specific tests my mechanic ran before deciding on the full repair. It might help you feel more confident about whether the complete harness replacement is really necessary in your case. Just let me know if you'd find that helpful! Thanks for the advice about the battery disconnect too. In my case, it actually helped temporarily, but the problem came back after a few days, which was another sign pointing to the wiring being the real culprit.