the older style airbag switch out of a 2004 Z4 can easily be tweaked to work with your own BMW key.
You have two options. First, open the unit and remove the key barrel.
refer to these pics to help you understand:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kp0Pj8xmMNybcg5v1
Take note of the position of things as you remove then to aid putting everything back together later.
unscrew the 2 screws on the rear of the unit. The Black rear cover will slide off( the 2 pins will stay in place - they will pull through the cover as you remove it) no force req.
carefully remove the green PCB, again easy. just take care with the 2 pins - don't bend them
then, the white plastic centre. the whole unit should come out in one piece. with a black o-ring on the end. and 2 spring loaded tabs on either side. just ease it out with a pair of long pillars ( i managed to remove mine with my fingers)
once you get to this point you can see the black tab (end of the key barrel) that moves the inner workings of the switch. Take a look at the pics in my link to see the pic where I show the 2 black retaining clips to remove the key barrel.
to remove the barrel you need to apply a little bit of downward pressure to the main center black tab, and then push one black tab outwards, you will feel the barrel move a little, while continuing to apply the pressure move the whole unit around and do the other tab and the barrel will fall out.
Again looking at the pics, you can see 2 pics of the barrel with my key installed. It is at this point you have 2 options.
the very last pin in the barrel was already a match for my key. I could have just left it with only one pin installed in the barrel and call it done. However, I tested the other pins and found one more that match the first pin positions for my key. The pins are removed from the larger holes with a small circle on one side to take the spring. Carefully apply pressure to the smaller side with a thin flat screwdriver and the pin with start to move or pop out the other side, then just slowly and carefully remove the pin and spring.
You could look for more of the pins in a kit to code the whole barrel to your key, however, this is not a lock for any security reasons.
Now if NONE of the pins work for your key, this is not an issue either, just remove all the pins and your key will turn the switch. This should not cause any problems, as when you rebuild the unit you will see the switch movement is based on a rather good spring loaded 2 place mechanism. so the switch would not be able to move from on to off without some VERY hard body movement of the car.
You have two options. First, open the unit and remove the key barrel.
refer to these pics to help you understand:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kp0Pj8xmMNybcg5v1
Take note of the position of things as you remove then to aid putting everything back together later.
unscrew the 2 screws on the rear of the unit. The Black rear cover will slide off( the 2 pins will stay in place - they will pull through the cover as you remove it) no force req.
carefully remove the green PCB, again easy. just take care with the 2 pins - don't bend them
then, the white plastic centre. the whole unit should come out in one piece. with a black o-ring on the end. and 2 spring loaded tabs on either side. just ease it out with a pair of long pillars ( i managed to remove mine with my fingers)
once you get to this point you can see the black tab (end of the key barrel) that moves the inner workings of the switch. Take a look at the pics in my link to see the pic where I show the 2 black retaining clips to remove the key barrel.
to remove the barrel you need to apply a little bit of downward pressure to the main center black tab, and then push one black tab outwards, you will feel the barrel move a little, while continuing to apply the pressure move the whole unit around and do the other tab and the barrel will fall out.
Again looking at the pics, you can see 2 pics of the barrel with my key installed. It is at this point you have 2 options.
the very last pin in the barrel was already a match for my key. I could have just left it with only one pin installed in the barrel and call it done. However, I tested the other pins and found one more that match the first pin positions for my key. The pins are removed from the larger holes with a small circle on one side to take the spring. Carefully apply pressure to the smaller side with a thin flat screwdriver and the pin with start to move or pop out the other side, then just slowly and carefully remove the pin and spring.
You could look for more of the pins in a kit to code the whole barrel to your key, however, this is not a lock for any security reasons.
Now if NONE of the pins work for your key, this is not an issue either, just remove all the pins and your key will turn the switch. This should not cause any problems, as when you rebuild the unit you will see the switch movement is based on a rather good spring loaded 2 place mechanism. so the switch would not be able to move from on to off without some VERY hard body movement of the car.
