Newbie’s first car Z4 2.5i 2003, but airbag control unit now broke

[aoff]

Hi, another newbie here!

During the covid pandemic I bought my first car ever, because international travel was out of the question, so I thought that I might just as well make road trips in my home country. I never needed a car as I live in the city centre in Helsinki, Finland, but I had dreamed of a red, convertible, two-seater BMW sports car for over a decade.

So, in the summer 2021 I bought a BMW Z4 2.5i E85, manufactured in Feb 2003. It’s been a dream come true in terms of the driving experience!

However, the car has had multiple problems. It has been quite an expensive hobby. :headbang:

The reason I joined the Z4 forum right now is that the airbag control unit is broken. Finding a replacement part seems very difficult, but I noticed that another user found one in these forums earlier this year. If I can’t find one, the car won’t pass the next inspection, and the joy will end there. (Though so will the costs…)

I continued an existing thread and posted about my problem:
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=37521&start=30

 

[Mr Tidy]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Sorry to hear of your issues but hopefully someone will be able to help out with your airbag control unit.

Feel free to post a photo or two of your car!

 

[aoff]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Here’s my precious! So much fun and so much trouble… :headbang:

 

[Mr Tidy]

That looks lovely - I don't know why but you don't see many red Z4s.

 

[aoff]

Well, this red beauty is actually metallic black sapphire under the vinyl wrap that a previous owner had installed. Good for me, because the red colour was a key criteria for the purchase. :lol:

 

[colb]

Take a look at the Real oem parts site for the airbag system fitted to your model, use your last seven letters and figures of your Vin number to ensure you get the correct parts listing. The diagram will show all airbag modules and if you click on the part number it will display a list of replacement modules that will fit to your car. Replacements will require coding to your car and the airbag system time will need to be reset using BMW software NCS Experty or DIS, higher end tablet diagnostics like Autel and Launch can code and reset as well.
Here is a 2.5 from 2003 left hand drive parts diagram link https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT31-EUR-07-2003-E85-BMW-Z4_25i&diagId=65_1212
You do need to start by scanning the car to see what fault codes are pointing to, either the main module, sattelite modules or seat system faults and the actual airbags themselves. Try clearing the fault codes and see if they come back before starting to replace modules. I can reccomend the Creator 310+ or their later models 410 and 510 are good for airbag faults and clearing codes. Creator available on ebay and Amazon around £50- £60. BMW INPA and other software for use on a laptop also available on ebay if you want to go down that route for diagnostics and coding.

 

[raymond.harper]

This is a German site but the prices make your hair curl! https://www.hubauer-shop.de/en/carparts/z-models-parts-catalog/z-roa/bt31-e85-m54/z4-2-5i-roadster-audio--navigation--electronic-systems-bt31/bt31-651212-elektri/

 

[MarkE85]

Hi, another newbie here!

During the covid pandemic I bought my first car ever, because international travel was out of the question, so I thought that I might just as well make road trips in my home country. I never needed a car as I live in the city centre in Helsinki, Finland, but I had dreamed of a red, convertible, two-seater BMW sports car for over a decade.

So, in the summer 2021 I bought a BMW Z4 2.5i E85, manufactured in Feb 2003. It’s been a dream come true in terms of the driving experience!

However, the car has had multiple problems. It has been quite an expensive hobby. :headbang:

The reason I joined the Z4 forum right now is that the airbag control unit is broken. Finding a replacement part seems very difficult, but I noticed that another user found one in these forums earlier this year. If I can’t find one, the car won’t pass the next inspection, and the joy will end there. (Though so will the costs…)

I continued an existing thread and posted about my problem:
https://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=37521&start=30

Hi

Put up a wanted ad with a picture of the unit that’s broken. Someone is often scrapping a car and selling parts. Also research what alternatives would also work. Pointless and uneconomical to buy a new one. Good luck.

 

[MikeyH]

Welcome to the forum, sorry to hear of your woes but you have a very nice looking z4

 

[paddy wright]

Lovely Z. You could try these guys- used a few times myself before with my wife’s old beetle cab.
https://www.crashdata.co.uk/bmw-65-77-6939811-airbag-module-repair-p/4751.htm

 

[aoff]

Thank you all for your advice!

Take a look at the Real oem parts site for the airbag system fitted to your model, use your last seven letters and figures of your Vin number to ensure you get the correct parts listing. The diagram will show all airbag modules and if you click on the part number it will display a list of replacement modules that will fit to your car.

Very helpful! It turns out that only three part numbers would fit my car: 65776928570, 65776935920 and 65776965147:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT31-EUR-02-2003-E85-BMW-Z4_25i&diagId=65_1212#65776928570
In my post that I linked to earlier, I was wondering if another part that's currently available on eBay would fit (65776962767), but apparently it doesn't.

You do need to start by scanning the car to see what fault codes are pointing to, either the main module, sattelite modules or seat system faults and the actual airbags themselves. Try clearing the fault codes and see if they come back before starting to replace modules.

I don't have proper facilities or skills to this on my own, so I have to rely on my repair shop to do this. The fault code is "0093DB - SIM Control unit undefined status". The software they were using is ISTA+, and the procedure it suggests is "Replace the following component: Safety Information Module. Encode/program new control unit."

This is a German site but the prices make your hair curl! https://www.hubauer-shop.de/en/carparts/z-models-parts-catalog/z-roa/bt31-e85-m54/z4-2-5i-roadster-audio--navigation--electronic-systems-bt31/bt31-651212-elektri/

Agreed!

Put up a wanted ad with a picture of the unit that’s broken. Someone is often scrapping a car and selling parts. Also research what alternatives would also work. Pointless and uneconomical to buy a new one. Good luck.

Thanks, good luck is probably needed. Research is now done, thanks to advice from colb. I'll put up a wanted ad.

Lovely Z. You could try these guys- used a few times myself before with my wife’s old beetle cab.
https://www.crashdata.co.uk/bmw-65-77-6939811-airbag-module-repair-p/4751.htm

I had spotted a Polish shop doing the same. But it seems to me that these guys are just resetting the module after the airbags have deployed. Mine haven't. The prime suspect for the cause of the problem is moisture damage to the unit. Water already destroyed the roof's motor (2 years ago) and the amplifier in the back (3 months ago)...

 

[colb]

Code 93DB relates to a fault in the main SRS module behind the handbrake under the tunnel, only way to resolve it is to replace the module with a compatable one as listed in the oem parts site. The replacement will require coding to your car so that it can speak to all the other modules in the system, they use the cars Vin Number to ID each other. The system time has to be reset as well, after all that is done clear any codes that are still present and the airbag light will be off, if it comes back there will still be a fault somewhere else in the system code reader again to see what it is. NCS Expert is the software that can do the coding.

 

[paddy wright]

Thank you all for your advice!

Take a look at the Real oem parts site for the airbag system fitted to your model, use your last seven letters and figures of your Vin number to ensure you get the correct parts listing. The diagram will show all airbag modules and if you click on the part number it will display a list of replacement modules that will fit to your car.

Very helpful! It turns out that only three part numbers would fit my car: 65776928570, 65776935920 and 65776965147:
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT31-EUR-02-2003-E85-BMW-Z4_25i&diagId=65_1212#65776928570
In my post that I linked to earlier, I was wondering if another part that's currently available on eBay would fit (65776962767), but apparently it doesn't.

You do need to start by scanning the car to see what fault codes are pointing to, either the main module, sattelite modules or seat system faults and the actual airbags themselves. Try clearing the fault codes and see if they come back before starting to replace modules.

I don't have proper facilities or skills to this on my own, so I have to rely on my repair shop to do this. The fault code is "0093DB - SIM Control unit undefined status". The software they were using is ISTA+, and the procedure it suggests is "Replace the following component: Safety Information Module. Encode/program new control unit."

This is a German site but the prices make your hair curl! https://www.hubauer-shop.de/en/carparts/z-models-parts-catalog/z-roa/bt31-e85-m54/z4-2-5i-roadster-audio--navigation--electronic-systems-bt31/bt31-651212-elektri/

Agreed!

Put up a wanted ad with a picture of the unit that’s broken. Someone is often scrapping a car and selling parts. Also research what alternatives would also work. Pointless and uneconomical to buy a new one. Good luck.

Thanks, good luck is probably needed. Research is now done, thanks to advice from colb. I'll put up a wanted ad.

Lovely Z. You could try these guys- used a few times myself before with my wife’s old beetle cab.
https://www.crashdata.co.uk/bmw-65-77-6939811-airbag-module-repair-p/4751.htm

I had spotted a Polish shop doing the same. But it seems to me that these guys are just resetting the module after the airbags have deployed. Mine haven't. The prime suspect for the cause of the problem is moisture damage to the unit. Water already destroyed the roof's motor (2 years ago) and the amplifier in the back (3 months ago)...

The website I referenced I used with my wife’s old car- the airbags never deployed- the module just corrupted itself.