Really weird airbag issue

theosinc930

theosinc930

Member
Hi guys, maybe you could help me diagnose a weird issue I've had. Got into my 2003 Z4 2.5i today and the steering wheel didn't want to turn all the way to the left. So I pushed the wheel a bit harder to the left (not very, just medium pressure) and I suddenly heard a weird click and then the wheel went all the way to the left normally. And at the same time as the click, my airbag warning light suddenly went on. Any idea what happened? Thanks.
 
Sounds like the terminals inside the clockspring have bent and broken where they run on the internal contact plate, breakage here would indeed bring on the airbag light as the ECU would have seen the loss of communication with the steering wheel airbag. Replacement clock spring sounds the likely way forward. Can't see the part on real oem apart from the steering angle sensor that is lower down on the shaft.
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT32-EUR-07-2003-E85-BMW-Z4_25i&diagId=32_1384
and
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT32-EUR-07-2003-E85-BMW-Z4_25i&diagId=32_1385

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394438078792?epid=1909529269&hash=item5bd6577148:g:17kAAOSwy9xj1q3R&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4EyFl%2FIOwQVtdCYpA48kYgno6r7V1lJNgAV%2BOVoGE7aRZZ3Pl4fhGNl7VbUCcdHXIZaoKL52I4Dqxveo0AYm%2FSHsUEGscP5m90KEpvwdGYi4VplgxbyR49oZcNMGSPjVorMy69xLXXV1OT4YUVgdJxr%2B35UhK6FS3O1VlrHI4qKSzRdNdwL1%2FrWIo%2FJAFMcj45%2B14W8c8QddlY0D95f%2FvDmYBv9Qse6wmcxbaOdSgIQVAIh7TFFNPPMV7scLDxOp7wUx4de0lkznRhl56WvGzmspMb9sykGm%2Bk1sQCedFcaj%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6q9_pHoYQ
 
Alright, but I don't really understand how it just broke like that all of a sudden. It was working perfectly yesterday evening and when I took it out of the garagw this morning, the wheel wouldn't turn all the way. Can't understand why that happened.
 
Why does any part fail?! It’s called planned obsolescence.
Replace the squib. Very easy to do. Loads of eBay if you want to save yourself some money
 
I'll take it to my mechanic. After I replace the part, I don't have the OBD scanner to reset the airbag light anyway.
 
j3nks79 said:
Why does any part fail?! It’s called planned obsolescence.
Click to expand...

?!?! Think about that for a minute. A rarely seen failure of a 20 year old part is almost completely the opposite of planned obsolescence.

Anyway, planned obsolescence is mostly[1] a myth. Part of any product design cycle is cost reduction. Make something lighter, simpler, or thinner and save money; that's just good business. Nothing *needs* to last forever, just to be good enough for a reasonable lifespan. Marketing can have far more impact on repeat sales than things breaking.

In fact, where companies have tried to make things have a finite life by design, they've usually come a cropper.

Cars, if anything, have been way over-engineered for years, otherwise I'd not have 2 cars knocking on the door of 20 years old with 460,000 miles between them!
 
colb said:
Sounds like the terminals inside the clockspring have bent and broken where they run on the internal contact plate, breakage here would indeed bring on the airbag light as the ECU would have seen the loss of communication with the steering wheel airbag. Replacement clock spring sounds the likely way forward. Can't see the part on real oem apart from the steering angle sensor that is lower down on the shaft.
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT32-EUR-07-2003-E85-BMW-Z4_25i&diagId=32_1384
and
https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT32-EUR-07-2003-E85-BMW-Z4_25i&diagId=32_1385

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/394438078792?epid=1909529269&hash=item5bd6577148:g:17kAAOSwy9xj1q3R&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4EyFl%2FIOwQVtdCYpA48kYgno6r7V1lJNgAV%2BOVoGE7aRZZ3Pl4fhGNl7VbUCcdHXIZaoKL52I4Dqxveo0AYm%2FSHsUEGscP5m90KEpvwdGYi4VplgxbyR49oZcNMGSPjVorMy69xLXXV1OT4YUVgdJxr%2B35UhK6FS3O1VlrHI4qKSzRdNdwL1%2FrWIo%2FJAFMcj45%2B14W8c8QddlY0D95f%2FvDmYBv9Qse6wmcxbaOdSgIQVAIh7TFFNPPMV7scLDxOp7wUx4de0lkznRhl56WvGzmspMb9sykGm%2Bk1sQCedFcaj%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6q9_pHoYQ
Click to expand...

Are you looking for part number 3 in this image?

https://www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/showparts?id=BT31-EUR-09-2003-E85-BMW-Z4_25i&diagId=61_1619
 
Yes thats the one No 3 in the diagram
Part No 61318379091
New available on Auto Doc here
https://www.autodoc.co.uk/spares-search?keyword=61318379091
Ebay used items a lot cheaper
 
smorris_12 said:
j3nks79 said:
Why does any part fail?! It’s called planned obsolescence.
Click to expand...

?!?! Think about that for a minute. A rarely seen failure of a 20 year old part is almost completely the opposite of planned obsolescence.

Anyway, planned obsolescence is mostly[1] a myth. Part of any product design cycle is cost reduction. Make something lighter, simpler, or thinner and save money; that's just good business. Nothing *needs* to last forever, just to be good enough for a reasonable lifespan. Marketing can have far more impact on repeat sales than things breaking.

In fact, where companies have tried to make things have a finite life by design, they've usually come a cropper.

Cars, if anything, have been way over-engineered for years, otherwise I'd not have 2 cars knocking on the door of 20 years old with 460,000 miles between them!
Click to expand...

How do you know it’s an original part?
I’ve worked in the Motortrade for over 20 years and manage a Garage. So I see what parts fail and how they are designed to last for a warranty period. The parts market is a massive % of profit for Manufacturers.
If you don’t believe in planned obsolescence that’s ok we are all entitled to out our opinions
 
colb said:
Yes thats the one No 3 in the diagram
Part No 61318379091
New available on Auto Doc here
https://www.autodoc.co.uk/spares-search?keyword=61318379091
Ebay used items a lot cheaper
Click to expand...

Forgot to update the thread. My mechanic replaced the clockspring and it solved the issue, thanks.
 
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