Steering wheels - airbags
Discussion
Apologies for another numpty question.
My E36 snotter has always had the airbag light on, which I understand will mean that it will fail the MOT when it next has one under the new rules. As it's a track car, I'm going to fit an aftermarket wheel without an airbag as this is probably the easiest and cheapest way of getting around the problem.
What's the best way of doing this? Do I need a hub for an airbag car (with resistor wiring) or will this still need the airbag 'fixing' to turn the light off, or can I fit a hub designed for non-airbag cars and remove the airbag bits and pieces (and if so, how complicated is this)? Any suggestions?
Also, any suggestions on what wheel size people have found to work well - seems to be 300mm or 350/360mm are the most popular.
Thanks again.
My E36 snotter has always had the airbag light on, which I understand will mean that it will fail the MOT when it next has one under the new rules. As it's a track car, I'm going to fit an aftermarket wheel without an airbag as this is probably the easiest and cheapest way of getting around the problem.
What's the best way of doing this? Do I need a hub for an airbag car (with resistor wiring) or will this still need the airbag 'fixing' to turn the light off, or can I fit a hub designed for non-airbag cars and remove the airbag bits and pieces (and if so, how complicated is this)? Any suggestions?
Also, any suggestions on what wheel size people have found to work well - seems to be 300mm or 350/360mm are the most popular.
Thanks again.
Use a decent quality boss and then just take the dials apart and just paint or tape over the bulb/LED. Ive rewired entire cars for track use and taken airbag systems out and so on, but if its a car for fun the last thing you want to be doing is sorting out a flashing airbag light that makes its way back each year, so tape is the way forward!
I could be wrong with this, but I thought that if the car was built with an airbag system, it will have to have a working one for the new MOT rules.
It may be something as simple as a poor connection either at the wheel/column or the seat belt wiring can trigger it. You then need to reset it, but you can buy a £30 device on eBay that will reset the light (if you've been succesful in cleaning up the connections. Of course you could be unlucky and not fix it without having to replace the 'bag or seat belt parts. My eldest's Mini has this issue and was quoted £380 for a new airbag, so I'm going to buy the more involved USB/BMW connector kit with software for use with a laptop which can be used with all BMWs (and Minis) upto 2007.
It may be something as simple as a poor connection either at the wheel/column or the seat belt wiring can trigger it. You then need to reset it, but you can buy a £30 device on eBay that will reset the light (if you've been succesful in cleaning up the connections. Of course you could be unlucky and not fix it without having to replace the 'bag or seat belt parts. My eldest's Mini has this issue and was quoted £380 for a new airbag, so I'm going to buy the more involved USB/BMW connector kit with software for use with a laptop which can be used with all BMWs (and Minis) upto 2007.
No worries 
. The MOT rule is a fair concern, but they don't check diagnostics as part of the test so you wont have an issue. I expect they will have to in the future given the adoption of increasingly better electronic management and fault recording in new models, but as it is there arent the technological means for that to be realistic, so it'll be a fair while before its an issue.
Pretty much all airbag systems are a little unreliable once the car gets on a bit and BMW's certainly fall in to that, mines come on and off a few times since I've owned it and yet even with the light on it brought up no fault codes. Bloody things are more hassle than their worth most of the time! Worth fixing in most cases but the times used better working on more fun/useful areas on a track car!
. The MOT rule is a fair concern, but they don't check diagnostics as part of the test so you wont have an issue. I expect they will have to in the future given the adoption of increasingly better electronic management and fault recording in new models, but as it is there arent the technological means for that to be realistic, so it'll be a fair while before its an issue.Pretty much all airbag systems are a little unreliable once the car gets on a bit and BMW's certainly fall in to that, mines come on and off a few times since I've owned it and yet even with the light on it brought up no fault codes. Bloody things are more hassle than their worth most of the time! Worth fixing in most cases but the times used better working on more fun/useful areas on a track car!
Edited by Repent on Saturday 24th March 06:06
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