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      02-16-2011, 07:39 PM   #1
bluesmachine
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Seat Belt Chime - is there a way to turn OFF?

I test drove an X3 35 a few days ago and wanted to ask current owners a question:

I took off my seat belt and parked for a few minutes with the car running at a parking lot to check out all the goodies like the stereo, heated steering wheel, etc...

The seat belt chime came on - again the car was parked and running and my seat belt was off - and kept on going.

There are many times I am in the car waiting for kids, etc... and just wanted to know if this is something you can set up (i.e. turn off!!) in the idrive.

Thanks in advance
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      02-16-2011, 08:10 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesmachine View Post
I test drove an X3 35 a few days ago and wanted to ask current owners a question:

I took off my seat belt and parked for a few minutes with the car running at a parking lot to check out all the goodies like the stereo, heated steering wheel, etc...

The seat belt chime came on - again the car was parked and running and my seat belt was off - and kept on going.

There are many times I am in the car waiting for kids, etc... and just wanted to know if this is something you can set up (i.e. turn off!!) in the idrive.

Thanks in advance
Sorry, don't believe that there is any iDrive option to turn off the seat belt chime.
Did you have the actual parking brake on (not just the transmission park button)?
I haven't timed it, but I know I've disconnected the seat belt while sitting in the running car and have not heard the chime.

What I'm finding much more irritating is that if you try to engage reverse without first pressing the gear lever interlock button, in addition to the chime, the LCD screen displays a warning message reminding you to "press the [expletive deleted] button stupid”. The really irritating part is the display stays on for about 10 seconds after you’ve pressed the *#$#@ button and during that time it prevents the screen from displaying the rear view camera. If you need the camera you have to wait for what seems an eternity.
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      02-16-2011, 08:19 PM   #3
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No i didnt have the parking break on. weird.

but I DID remember that last item you mentioned about not hitting the button when you should have. That message came on and yeah, no back up camera at all.

i hope the seat belt chime was an anomoly, but ...

I know at the Tour de France when team directors drive their cars with the seat belt off then have a 'dummy' piece of metal that they insert to trick the car into thinking it does have the seatbelt in it.

Not a solution at all but just a random thought.

But I wonder what made my belt chime over and over again?
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      02-16-2011, 08:46 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesmachine View Post
No i didnt have the parking break on. weird.

but I DID remember that last item you mentioned about not hitting the button when you should have. That message came on and yeah, no back up camera at all.

i hope the seat belt chime was an anomoly, but ...

I know at the Tour de France when team directors drive their cars with the seat belt off then have a 'dummy' piece of metal that they insert to trick the car into thinking it does have the seatbelt in it.

Not a solution at all but just a random thought.

But I wonder what made my belt chime over and over again?
The reason I asked about the parking brake is that the belt chime may (I'm not sure) be disabled when the brake is ON and the belt is disconnected. I'll try to remember to try it and report back. Obviously, if the parking brake is on, you can't move the car, so the seat belt is not really necessary.

The interesting thing about the gear lever interlock is that you can go from Reverse to Drive without pressing the interlock button with no chimes or warnings, but trying to go the other way is not allowed.
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      02-17-2011, 12:45 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lotus7 View Post
Sorry, don't believe that there is any iDrive option to turn off the seat belt chime.
Did you have the actual parking brake on (not just the transmission park button)?
I haven't timed it, but I know I've disconnected the seat belt while sitting in the running car and have not heard the chime.

What I'm finding much more irritating is that if you try to engage reverse without first pressing the gear lever interlock button, in addition to the chime, the LCD screen displays a warning message reminding you to "press the [expletive deleted] button stupid”. The really irritating part is the display stays on for about 10 seconds after you’ve pressed the *#$#@ button and during that time it prevents the screen from displaying the rear view camera. If you need the camera you have to wait for what seems an eternity.
That message staying on screen after you have corrected the fault is a concern (as well as annoying!). It suggests that some of the programming wasn't properly thought through and tested. Hopefully it's a one-off.

Re. the seat belt, on a VW it stops after chiming for about 2 mins and you can just drive without a seatbelt. It also only starts above speeds of about 5 mph. I can't see why it should ever come on when the car is stationary??
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      02-17-2011, 09:27 AM   #6
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That seatbelt issue has got to be a one-time error or something. I'm sure they haven't changed this function from the previous model whereas the alarm doesn't engage until you've traveled a short distance (approx. half city block in my case). One way to turn it off while at rest is to briefly put the car in reverse, then back to park once it turns off. I actually like the setup assuming they haven't messed with it in the F25. Unlike other makes where you get an earful the second you put the car in motion without your belt fastened, at least BMW gives you some time to get settled in and moving. Immediate alarms are like honking at the person in front of you the second the light turns green. Immediate road rage!
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      02-17-2011, 01:34 PM   #7
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Seems like the seatbelt warning you experienced is not typical. I tried our F25 car today. After starting the car with the belt fastened, I removed the belt and waited a couple of minutes, the chime never rang. the engine was running with the transmission in “park” all the time. The additional rear wheel parking brake made no difference. Moving the gear lever with your foot off the brake pedal will ring the chime.
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      02-17-2011, 03:38 PM   #8
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not sure about the X3
but on my M3
you only get the seat belt warning chime if you were driving your car
then come to a stop and disengage the seatbelt
if you start the car and never click the seatbelt, you don't get it
it normally starts to chime after you start driving and you have to be over 25 mph or something like that, its not as soon as you start moving
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      02-17-2011, 03:43 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kmarei View Post
not sure about the X3
but on my M3
you only get the seat belt warning chime if you were driving your car
then come to a stop and disengage the seatbelt
if you start the car and never click the seatbelt, you don't get it
it normally starts to chime after you start driving and you have to be over 25 mph or something like that, its not as soon as you start moving
over 25 mph! That's the M3 for you! On a normal car it would be over about 5 or 10 mph
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      02-17-2011, 09:41 PM   #10
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Maybe I didn't set something correctly but my in my 35i the seatbelt chime comes on immediately when I push the start button - this is driving me crazy. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong or what I need to set to make it wait till I start driving to start chiming. thanks
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      02-17-2011, 11:37 PM   #11
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You're not doing anything "wrong" except not fastening the seat belt first. It's not reprogrammable under the iDrive user interface. Fasten your seat belt before pressing the Start Button. The car is trying to tell you something for your own good. Don't accept candy from strangers, dress warm and always listen to your mother.
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      02-17-2011, 11:59 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesmachine View Post
I test drove an X3 35 a few days ago and wanted to ask current owners a question:

I took off my seat belt and parked for a few minutes with the car running at a parking lot to check out all the goodies like the stereo, heated steering wheel, etc...

The seat belt chime came on - again the car was parked and running and my seat belt was off - and kept on going.

There are many times I am in the car waiting for kids, etc... and just wanted to know if this is something you can set up (i.e. turn off!!) in the idrive.

Thanks in advance
If you go into Settings > Tone > Volume Settings, you should find a volume adjuster for "Bong" (lol). The volume of the "Bong" noise you hear when your seat belt has yet to be fastened or your parking brake is on or a door is open (etc), is adjustable via this setting.
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      02-18-2011, 08:45 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by juddholland View Post
If you go into Settings > Tone > Volume Settings, you should find a volume adjuster for "Bong" (lol). The volume of the "Bong" noise you hear when your seat belt has yet to be fastened or your parking brake is on or a door is open (etc), is adjustable via this setting.
Interesting. Can you mute bong altogether?!
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      02-18-2011, 12:14 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sfax View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by juddholland View Post
If you go into Settings > Tone > Volume Settings, you should find a volume adjuster for "Bong" (lol). The volume of the "Bong" noise you hear when your seat belt has yet to be fastened or your parking brake is on or a door is open (etc), is adjustable via this setting.
Interesting. Can you mute bong altogether?!
Not entirely sure. When I get in my car later I'll check it out.

I'm confused as to why the car is bonging if it's in park with your seat belt unfastened. I've never experienced that in any of the three bmws I've owned.
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      02-18-2011, 12:27 PM   #15
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I have a MY11 Z4 and you cannot turn off the 'bong', only drop the volume as pointed out previously (via iDrive settings).

Only way to mute it altogether would be to get a software change uploaded via the ODBII port, like I did for my convertible roof change & folding mirrors with my CA key fob, with this: www.prochip.de

Dave
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      02-19-2011, 12:27 PM   #16
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even the lowest "bong" setting is still pretty loud.
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