BMW 8 Airbag Warning Light Issue, Causes & Solutions

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2019 BMW 7 Series Diesel last year. I've got some experience working on cars, but nothing too advanced. The airbag warning light was constantly on in my dashboard too. Took it to my regular workshop, and they found it was just a loose connection in the wiring harness under the driver's seat. They had to reconnect and secure the plug properly, turned out the cable had worked itself loose over time. The fix was pretty straightforward and cost me 95 Euro. The warning light went away immediately after they fixed it, and everything's been working fine since then. Before I share more specific details, could you tell me if you're getting any error codes? Also, have you noticed this issue after any recent work was done on the car? This might help pinpoint if it's the same problem I had with my 7 Series. If you have a BMW 8 Series, we might be dealing with similar systems. Let me know these details and I'll try to help further!

Thanks for sharing your experience! Mine is showing similar symptoms, currently at 108295 KM and just had the service done last month. Haven't noticed any error codes other than the airbag warning light. No recent work was done around the driver's seat area, so your suggestion about the loose connection is quite helpful. I'll have my mechanic check the wiring harness under the seat, seems like a good starting point given what you found with yours. The straightforward fix and reasonable cost in your case is encouraging. Did you need any special diagnostic tools to confirm it was just the connection?

Hey again! Thanks for those details about your 8 Series. Actually, when my workshop worked on my 7 Series, they did use their diagnostic scanner to pinpoint the exact location of the fault. But here's the interesting part, even with the scanner, it initially showed a general "airbag system fault" code, which wasn't super helpful on its own. The real breakthrough came when they did a physical inspection of the wiring. Since my car had about 95,000 KM at the time (pretty close to your mileage), they mentioned these connection issues are somewhat common in our BMW models as they age. One thing I forgot to mention in my first reply, before taking it to the workshop, I did try disconnecting my car battery for about 15 minutes to reset the system. It didn't solve the problem, but the workshop said it was a good troubleshooting step anyway. Given your car just had service last month, maybe check if they moved anything around under the seat? Sometimes these connectors can get knocked loose during routine maintenance. My mechanic showed me the connector after fixing it, it's a yellow plug that needs to be properly clicked in place. Let me know how it goes with your mechanic. If it turns out to be something different, I'm curious to know what they find!

Thanks so much for all this detailed information! I really appreciate you mentioning the diagnostic scanner and the yellow plug detail, that's super helpful. I actually tried the battery disconnect trick this morning before seeing your reply, and like in your case, it didn't solve the issue. Guess great minds think alike! I just called my mechanic and booked an appointment for tomorrow. I mentioned the loose connection possibility and the yellow plug you described, and he seemed to think it's a very likely cause. He also said they did move the seat during the last service while checking something else, so that could explain why this started happening. I'll definitely update this thread once I get it fixed, in case someone else runs into the same problem. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, it's given me a much clearer idea of what to expect. Really hoping it'll be the same straightforward fix you had!