Driver BMW 318i 1992 E36 Repair Manual

640-2



HEATING
AND
AIR
CONDITIONING

3
.
Remove
wiring
harness
retaining
clip
at
bulkhead
.
Re-

move
screws
retaining
wiring
harness
cover
and
pull

cover
forward
.
See
Fig
.
2
.

0012529

Fig
.
2
.
Ming
harness
cover
screws
at
base
ofwindshield
(arrows)
.

4
.
On
passenger
side,
push
aside
wiring
harness
and
re-

move
two
screws
retaining
plenum
housing
.
See
Fig
.
3
.

Fig
.
3
.



Ríghtside
plenum
retaining
screws
(arrows)
.

VU1L535

5
.
On
driverside,
push
aside
wiring
harness
and
remove

screw
retaining
plenum
.
Pull
plenum
up
and
remove
from
engine
bay
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

6
.
Unclip
blower
motor
housing
cover,
disconnect
control

cable,
and
turn
center
retainer
1
/4
turn
to
remove
cover
.
See
Fig
.
5
.

7
.
Disconnect
electrical
connectors
from
blower
motor
.

8
.
Remove
left
upper
section
of
blower
housingby
detach-
ing
spring
clipsat
edge
of
housing
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

HEATER
AND
CONTROLS

Fig
.
4
.



Remove
screw
at
A
and
pull
air
plenumupward
.

0012534

0012636

Fig
.
5
.



Blower
motor
housing
clips
(A)
;
control
cable
(B)
;
and
center
retainer(C)
.

i
[u6,

Fig
.
6
.



Spring
clips
(arrows)
on
driver
sideof
blower
housing
.

9
.
Release
blower
motor
retaining
strap
andremove
blow-
er
motor
and
fans
fromcowl
opening
.

NOTE-

Twist
and
rotate
blowermotor
assembly
to
facilítate
re-
moval
from
opening
.
If
the
blower
motor
is
to
be
rein-stafled,
use
care
not
to
damage
fan
wheels
during
removal
.
ff
the
blower
motor
fs
to
be
replaced,
cut
offfan
wheels
at
center
to
aid
in
removal
.

10
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
When
installing
a
re-
placement
blower
motor,
instan
motor
into
cowlarea
before
installing
fan
wheels
.
Blower
motor
test
specifi-

cations
are
listed
in
Table
a
.

NOTE
-

On
replacementblowermotors
from
BMW,
thefan
wheels
come
unattached
to
aid
in
installation
.
Locatearrow
on
blower
motor
and
instan
fan
wheels
atthis
po-
sition
.
Be
sure
color
coolng
matches
.
Retain
fan
wheels
using
the
new
clips
.
See
an
authorized
BMW
parts
de-
partment
for
the
latest
parts
information
.

Table
a
.
Blower
Motor
Test
Values

Testingvoltage



13
VDC

Operating
voltage



9-15
VDC

Max
.
current
consumption
(approx
.)



12
amps

Maximum
speed



3,600-4,000rpm

Axialplay
(max
.
allowable)



1
.0
mm
(0
.04
in
.)

Blower
motor
resistor
pack,
replacing

The
blower
resistor
pack
is
clipped
into
the
upper
left
side
of
theheater
box
.

1
.
Remove
lower
left
dash
trim
panel
.
See513
Interior

Trim
.

2
.
Working
under
left
(driver's)
side
of
dash,
unclip
and

pulí
out
resistor
pack
from
sideof
heater
box
.
Remove

harness
connector
from
resistor
pack
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

3
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

Heater
valve,
replacing

The
two-way
heater
valve
is
located
in
the
rear
of
the
engine

compartment
on
the
driver
side
.
The
solenoid
operated
valves

control
the
coolant
flow
through
the
dual-chamber
heater

core
.

1
.
Drain
engine
coolant
.
See
170
Radiator
and
Cooling

System
.

HEATING
AND
AIR
CONDITIONING



640-
3

uuiGO4I

Fig
.
7
.



Blower
fan
resistor
pack
(black
arrow)
and
resistor
pack
re-
ceptacle
(white
arrow)
below
left
sideof
dash
.

WARNING
-

Allow
the
cooling
system
to
cool
before
opening
ordraining
the
cooling
system
.

2
.
Disconnect
hoses
and
harness
connector
at
heater
valve
.
See
Fig
.
8
.

001[ó38b

Fig
.
S
.



Hoses
(A)
and
harnessconnector
(B)
at
heatervalve
.

3
.
Carefully
pull
heater
valve
out
of
rubber
mounting
and

pull
up
and
out
of
engine
compartment
.

4
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Use
new
hose

clamps
.
Inspect
hoses
and
replace
asnecessary
.

HEATER
AND
CONTROLS

640-4



HEATING
AND
AIR
CONDITIONING

Heater
box,
removing
and
installing

The
heater
box,
located
underneath
thecenter
of
the
dash-

board,
houses
theheater
core,
the
A/C
evaporator,
and
asso-

ciated
sensors
and
actuators
.
Removal
of
theheater
box

requires
that
the
A/C
refrigerant
be
discharged
.

CAUTION-

"
Removing
the
heater
box
requires
evacuating
the
AIC
system
.
DO
NOT
attempt
this
procedure
without
proper
tools
and
training
.

"
Any
person
who
services
a
motor
vehicle
air
con-

ditioner
must,
by
law,
be
properly
trained
and
cer-
tified,
and
use
approved
refrigerant
recycling
equipment
.
Technicians
must
complete
an
EPA-
approved
recycling
course
to
be
certified
UU12639

Fig
.
10
.
Heater
core
mounting
nuts
at
left
sideof
bulkhead
(arrow)
.

1
.
Drain
engine
coolant
.
See
170
Radiator
and
Cooling



wiper
assembly
shown
removed
for
clarity
.

System
.

2
.
Remove
complete
dashboard
.
See513
Interior
Trim
.

3
.
Remove
blower
motoras
described
earlier
.

4
.
Remove
nut
retaining
water
hose
flange
to
rear
bulk-
head
.
I'ush
flange
to
one
side
.
See
Fig
.
9
.

Fig
.
9
.



Nut
retaining
coolant
hose
flangeat
bulkhead
(arrow)
.

NOTE-

Clear
any
remaining
coolant
from
the
heater
core
by
blowing
compressed
air
finto
the
coolant
feed
hose
.

HEATER
AND
CONTROLS

0012638b

6
.
Cut
wire
tie
holding
wire
harness
to
heater
box
and
dis-

connect
cable
harness
connector
from
heater
box
.
See

Fig
.
11
.

0012647

Fig
.
11
.
Harness
connectors
(A)
and
cable
tie
(B)
at
heaterbox,
under
driver
side
dash
.

7
.
Followingmanufacturer's
instructions,
connect
ap-

proved
refrigerant
recovery/recycling/recharging
unitto

A/C
system
and
discharge
system
.

8
.
Unbolt
A/C
refrigerantlines
flange
from
engine
bay
bulkhead
.
See
Fig
.
12
.

9
.
On
models
with
rotary-knob
A/C
control
head
:
Discon-
5
.
Remove
nuts
from
heater
box
retaining
bracket
on
en-



nect
wiring
harness
connectors
to
A/C
control
module
gine
bulkhead
left
side
.
See
Fig
.
10
.
Repeat
procedure



in
center
console
and
remove
module
.
See
Fig
.
13
.
for
right
side
nuts
.

640-6



HEATING
AND
AIRCONDITIONING

Heater
core,replacing

1.
Drain
engíne
coolant
.
See170
Radiator
and
Cooling

System
.

WARNING
-

Allow
the
cooling
system
to
cool
before
opening
or
drainíng
the
cooling
system
.

2
.
Remove
center
console
.
See
513
Interior
Trim
.

3
.
Remove
Multi-Information
Display
(MID)
module
.
See

620
Instruments
.

4
.
Remove
lower
dash
panel
and
knee
bolster
on
driver

side
.
See
513
Interior
Trim
.

Fig
.
17
.
Wire
harness
retaining
clips
and
wire
ties
at
heater
box
cover
5
.
Working
under
driver
side
of
dash,
remove
coolant



(arrows)
.
flange
from
heater
core
.
See
Fig
.
16
.

0012651

Fig
.
16
.
Bolts
at
3-way
coolant
flange
under
driver's
side
of
dash
(ar-
rows)
.

NOTE-

Residual
coolant
in
heater
core
will
spill
.
Protect
thecarpet
.

6
.
Working
at
front
of
driveshaft
tunnel,
unclip
wire
har-

nesses
and
move
to
one
side
in
front
of
heater
box
.
See
Fig
.
17
.

7
.
Remove
heatercore
temperature
sensorsas
described

later
in
this
repair
group
.

8
.
Remove
front
heater
box
cover
.
See
Fig
.
18
.

9
.
On
right
side
of
heater
box,
unclip
heater
air
duct
actu-
ating
lever
.
Remove
cross-rod
(with
flaps)
from
frontof
heater
core
.
See
Fig
.
19
.

HEATER
AND
CONTROLS

0012662

Fig
.
18
.
Screws
retaining
front
heater
box
cover
(shown
removed)
to
heater
box
(arrows)
.

0012661
Fig
.
19
.
Pry
heater
flap
actuating
lever
in
direction
A
.
Pull
offair
flap
cross-rod
in
direction
B
.

640-10



HEATING
AND
AIR
CONDITIONING

i

El
Radio

Antenna

Rear



.
,



si,-
Left
side



I
d

1
.
Rear
vents
2
.
Fresh
air
3
.
Face-level
vents
4
.
Recirculation
5
.
Footwell
vents
0013017

Fig
.
28
.
Location
oflate
production
air
distribution
motors
in
heater
box(shown
in
rear,
side
and
top
views)
.

Heater
andA/C
air
distribution
motor,

replacing
(rotary-knob)

1
.
Toaccess
left
side
motors
(dash
vent
mixing
or
recircu-

lation
flap),
remove
lower
dash
panel
and
knee
bolster

on
driver
side
.
See
513
Interior
Trim
.

2
.
To
access
right
side
motor
(fresh
air
flap),
remove
glove

compartment
.
See513
Interior
Trim
.

3
.
Each
motor
can
be
removed
after
its
electrical
wiring

harness
connector
has
been
removed
.
Squeeze
plastic

clip
to
release
motor
.
See
Fig
.
29
.

Fig
.
29
.
A/
C
air
distribution
motor
plastic
retaíning
clip
(arrow)
.
Re-
lease
clip
and
tilt
motor
out
of
housing
.

Rear
Window
Defogger

0011877

The
rear
window
defogger
switch
is
integrated
with
the
heating
andA/C
control
head
.

HEATER
AND
CONTROLS

Fig
.
30
.
Wiring
diagram
of
rear
window
defogger
and
radio
antenna
.

Rear
Window
Blower
(Convertible
Models)

A
blower
fan,
fitted
into
the
rear
seatback,
defogs
therear

window
.
It
will
only
operate
with
the
engine
nunning
and
the

top
raised
.
A
microswitch
behindthe
rear
seats
provides
the

signal
that
thetop
is
raised
.

To
access
the
blower
fan
motor,
it
is
necessary
to
remove

four
screwsfrom
the
center
seat
back
.
Remove
the
wiring
har-

ness
connector
and
motor
mounting
boits,
then
remove
motor

by
pulling
it
down
and
forward
.
See
Fig
.
31
.

ri

Suppressor
filter

1
0013005

Fig
.
31
.
Rear
window
blower
in
center
of
rear
seat
back
(arrow)
.

The
electric
rear
window
defogger
is
integrated
with
the
ra-

dio
antenna
.
See
Fig
.
30
.



y



/f



0013014

CAUTION
-

Always
replace
O-rings
when
reconnecting
refrig-
erant
fines
.

9
.
Before
recharging,
evacuate
system
for
at
least
30
min
.
Recharge
system
following
equipment
manufacturer's
instructions
.
See
Table
d
.
A/C
System
Refrigerant

Capacities
.

A/C
evaporator,
removing
and
installing

1
.
Followingmanufacturer's
instructions,
connectanap-proved
refrigerant
recovery/recycling/recharging
unit
to
A/C
system
and
discharge
system
.

2
.
Remove
complete
heater
boxas
described
earlier
.

3
.
Remove
expansion
valve
as
described
earlier
.

4
.
Unfasten
evaporator
sensor
electrical
harness
connec-
tor
and
puli
out
sensor
from
ieft
side
of
heater
box
.
See
Fig
.
50
.

Fig
.
49
.
Pull
out
evaporator
sensor
from
housing
in
direction
of
arrow
.

5
.
Remove
rear
heater
box
cover
.

6
.
Remove
clips
retaining
lower
evaporator
housingcover
.
Tilt
outheater
core,
then
pull
evaporator
out
of
housing
.

7
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

CAUTION
-

Always
reptace
O-rings
when
reconnecting
refrtg-
erant
fines
.

8
.
Before
recharging,
evacuate
system
for
at
least
30
min
.

Recharge
system
following
equipment
manufacturer's
instructions
.
See
Table
d
.
A/C
System
Refrigerant

Capacities
.

HEATING
AND
AIR
CONDITIONING



640-17

8
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.



A/C
evaporator
temperature
sensor,

replacing

ou12b46

The
evaporator
temperature
sensor
is
mounted
in
the
left
(driver)
side
of
theheater
box
behind
thecenter
console
.

1
.
Remove
lower
dash
panel
and
knee
boister
on
driver
side
.
See
513
Interior
Trim
.

2
.
Remove
left
footwell
ventilation
duct
byremoving
re-
taining
rivet
in
bottom
of
duct
.
Pull
it
down
and
away
from
heater
box
.
See
Fig
.
50
.

Fig
.
50
.
Left
footwellventilatíon
duct
(arrow)
.

0o1300ba

3
.
Disconnect
sensor
electrical
connector
from
heater
box
.
Pull
sensor
straight
out
of
heater
box
.
Refer
to
Fig
.
49
.

4
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.
Table
c
.
lists
evapo-

rator
temperature
sensor
test
values
.

Tablec
.
Evaporator
Temperature
Sensor

Test
Values

Test
temp
.



Resistance

23°F
(-5°C)



11
.4
-11
.9
k
ohms

32°F
(0°C)



8
.8
-
9
.2
k
ohms

41
°F
(5°C)



6
.8
-
7
.2
k
ohms

50°F
(10°C)



5
.3-5
.6
k
ohms

59
°
F
(15°C)



4
.2
-4
.5
k
ohms

68°F
(20°C)



3
.3
-
3
.6
k
ohms

77°F
(25°C)



2
.6-2
.9
k
ohms

86°F
(30°C)



2
.1
-
2
.3
k
ohms

95°F
(35°C)



1
.7
-1
.9
k
ohms

AIR
CONDITIONING

2
.
Using
special
hex
key,
turn
radio
mountingscrews

counterclockwise
to
loosen
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

0011845

Fig
.
4
.



Use
special
hexkey
or
Torx
driver
to
loosen/tighten
radio
mountingscrews
.

3
.
Pul¡
radio
out
of
instrument
panel
opening
.

4
.
Remove
connector(s)
from
rearof
radio
.
See
Fig
.
5
.

Fig
.
5
.



Radio
connector
being
removed
.

5
.
Installation
is
reverse
of
removal
.

0011846

Left
footweil
speaker,

removing
and
installing

Fig
.
6
.



Hood
release
lever
retaining
screw
(arrow)
.

RADIO
650-
3

1
.
Remove
screw
from
center
of
hood
latch
release
lever
.

Remove
lever
.
See
Fig
.
6
.

0012578

2
.
Rotate
plastic
trim
panel
retainer
1
/4
turn
.
Pul¡
off
door

sea¡
from
edge
of
speaker
cover
and
pull
speaker
trim

panel
back
toward
rear
of
car
.
See
Fig
.
7
.

0012579

Fig
.
7
.



Rotate
plastic
retainer
(black
arrow)
andremove
panel
in
di-

rection
shown
(white
arrows)
.

RADIO
AND
SPEAKER
SERVICE

721
Airbag
System
(SRS)

Airbag
Systems
.......
.
...
.
.
.
.
.
....
.
.
.
.
721-1

AIRBAG
SENSORS
AND
ELECTRONICS
721-2

SRS
Warning
Light
and
Fault
Display
.
.
.
.
.
..
721-2

Airbagcontact
ring,
replacing
........
.
.
.
.
.
721-3

Airbag
crash
sensor,replacing
..
.
....
.
...
.
721-4

ZAE
control
module,
replacing
.
.
.
.........
721-5

GENERAL

This
repair
group
covers
only
removal
and
installation
of
air-
bag
components
.
Airbag
system
repair
and
fault
diagnosis
is
not
covered
here
.
Diagnostics,
component
testing,
and
airbag
system
repair
should
be
carried
out
by
trained
BMW
service
technicians
.

NOTE-

Special
test
equipment
is
required
to
retrieve
SRS
fault
codes,
diagnose
system
faults,
and
resetltum
off
the
SRS
indicator
light
.
The
SRS
indicator
light
will
remain
on
until
any
problem
has
been
corrected
and
the
fault
memory
has
been
cleared
.

When
servicing
cars
equipped
with
SRS,
the
precautions

on
this
page
mustbeobserved
to
prevent
personal
injury
.

Airbag
Systems

The
airbag
system
installed
on
E36
cars
through
the
1993
model
year
consisted
of
a
single
airbag
in
the
steering
wheel
.
This
systemcan
be
identified
by
the
orange
crash
sensors
lo-
cated
on
the
front
wheel
wells
and
the
absence
of
a
passenger
side
airbag
.

The
ZAE
airbag
system,
starting
in
model
year
1994
(pro-
duction
date9/93
and
later),
provides
both
a
driver
side
and
a
passenger
sideairbag
.
On
ZAE
vehicles,
the
crash
sensorsare
integrated
into
the
airbag
control
module,
located
under
thecenter
of
the
rear
seat
.
The
ZAE
control
module
triggers

deployment
of
the
airbags
When
it
sensos
the
vehicle
deceler-
ating
at
a
rate
equivalent
to
a
head-on
collisionof
at
least
13
mph
(18
km/h)
.

In
some
1997
4-door
models
and
all
1998
models,
side-impact
airbags
were
installed
in
the
front
doors
.
The
airbag
units
are

mounted
behindthe
door
trim
panels
.
Caution
mustbeused

when
working
on
vehicle
systems
in
the
proximity
of
air
bags,
such
as
the
steering
column,
the
dashboard,
or
the
doors
.

AIRBAG
SYSTEM
(SRS)



721-1

GENERAL
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.......
.
......
.
.
.
.
721-1



Front
side-impact
airbag
crash
sensor,
removing
and
installing
....
.
.....
.
.....
.
721-5

AIRBAGS



..............
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
721-5

Driver
side
airbag,
removing
and
installing
.
.
.
721-5

Passenger
side
airbag,

removing
and
installing
..............
.
.
.721-6

Front
side-impact
airbag,
removing
and
installing
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
......
.721-7

WARNING
-

"
Airbag(s)
are
inflated
byan
explosive
device
.
Handled
improperly
or
without
adequate
safe-
guards,
the
System
can
be
very
dangerous
.
Spe-
cial
precautions
must
be
observed
prior
to
any
work
ator
near
the
driverside
airbag,
the
passen-
ger
side
airbag
(where
applicable)
or
the
side-im-
pact
airbags
(where
applicable)
.

"
The
airbag
is
a
vehicle
safety
system
.
Serious
in-
jury
may
result
if
System
service
is
attempted
by
persons
unfamiliar
with
the
BMW
SRS
and
its
ap-
proved
service
procedures
.
BMW
advises
that
all
inspection
and
service
be
performed
by
an
autho-
rized
BMW
dealer
.

"
Always
disconnect
the
battery
and
cover
the
neg-
ative
()
battery
terminal
with
an
insulator
before
startingdiagnostic,
troubleshooting
or
service
worknot
associated
with
SRS,
and
before
doing
any
welding
on
the
car
.

"
If
an
airbag
has
been
activated
due
to
an
acci-dent,
BMW
specifies
that
SRS
components
be
replaced
.
For
more
information
on
post-collision
SRS
service,
see
an
authorized
BMW
dealer
.

"
Do
not
allow
the
airbag
unit
to
come
in
contact
with
cleaning
solutions
orgrease
.
Never
subject
an
airbag
unit
to
temperatures
aboye
212°F
(100°C)
.
When
reconnecting
the
battery,
no
per-
son
should
be
inside
the
vehicle
.

"
Always
place
an
airbag
unitthat
has
been
re-
moved
from
its
packaging
with
the
padded
sidefacing
upward
.
Do
not
leave
an
airbag
unlt
unat-
tended
.

"
!f
the
airbag
unit
or
airbag
control
modulehas
been
dropped
froma
height
of
!
1
2
meter
(1
Y2
ft.)
ormore,
theairbag
unit
should
not
be
installed
.

Aírbag
system
components
are
shown
in
Fig
.
1.

GENERAL

721-2



AIRBAG
SYSTEM
(SRS)

Fig
.
1
.



Airbag
system
components
.

AIRBAG
SENSORSAND
ELECTRONICS

CA
UTION-

"
If
an
airbag
is
activated,
the
following
compo-
nents
must
be
replaced
:
Airbag
with
contact
ring
;
-Pyrotechnic
seat
belt
tensioners
(if
fitted)
;
-SRS
Control
module
;
-Impact
sensors
;
All
airbags
which
did
not
deploy
.

"
Consult
your
BMW
dealer
for
parts
and
service
information
.

TheE36
airbag
system
consists
of
the
following
compo-

nents
:
crash
sensors
(in
earlycars,
through
1993),
an
elec-

tronic
control/monitoring
module
(with
integrated
crash

sensor
in
ZAE
systems),
an
indicator
light
in
the
instrument
panel,
and
inflatable
airbags
equipped
with
gas
generators
in

the
steering
wheel
and
in
the
passenger
side
of
the
instrument

panel
(ZAE
systems)
.

Some
1997
and
al¡
1998
carsalso
have
side-impact
airbags

in
the
front
doors
.

AIRBAG
SENSORS
AND
ELECTRONICS

1.
Crash
sensors
(through
1993)



wheel
2
.



SRS
control
module
in
front
of



5
.



Side-impact
airbags
(1997/98)
glove
compartment
(through



6
.
ZAE
control
module
under
rear
1993)



seat
(from
1994)
3
.



Passenger
side
airbag
unit
in



7
.
Side-impact
airbag
crash
sensors
dashboard
(ZAE
system)



in
door
silis
(1997/98)
4
.



Driver
side
airbag
unitin
steering



8
.



Knee
bolsters

In
addition
to
the
airbags,
the
vehicles
are
equipped
wíth

knee
bolsters
for
extra
protection
.

SRS
Warning
Light
and
Fault
Display

The
airbag
system
utilizes
a
self-diagnostic
control
module

to
detect
and
store
system
faults
.
If
a
fault
is
detected,
the

SRS
indicator
in
the
instrument
cluster
comes
on
and
stays

on
.

When
the
ignition
key
is
tumed
on,
the
indicator
light
will
illu-

minate
for
approximately
4-6
seconds
.
The
illuminated
light

indicates
the
self-testof
the
electronic
control/monitoring

module,
the
ignítors
and
crash-sensorcircuits,
and
the
system

wiring
.
The
airbag
system
should
be
inspected
byan
autho-

rized
BMW
dealer
if
the
indicator
light
does
not
come
on,
ifit

does
not
go
out
in
approximately
4-6
seconds
after
switching

onthe
ignition,
or
if
the
light
comes
on
during
driving
.
If
the

system
has
detected
a
fault,
the
light
will
come
on
and
stay
on
.

1
.
Disconnect
negative
(-)
cable
from
battery
and
cover

negative
terminal
with
insulating
material
.

CA
UTION-

Prior
to
disconnectiog
the
battery,
read
the
battery
disconnection
cautions
given
at
the
front
of
this
manual
on
page
viii
.

2
.
Remove
driver
sideairbag
from
steering
wheel
.
See

Driver
side
airbag,
removing
and
installing
in
this

repair
group
.

3
.
With
wheels
facing
straight
ahead
and
steering
wheel

centered,
remove
steering
wheel
.
See320
Steering
and
Wheel
Alignment
.

4
.
Remove
contact
ring
cover
(flat
plastic
ring
containing

warning
text)
from
steering
wheel,
íf
applicable
.

5
.
Disconnect
ground
wire,
if
applicable

6
.
Lift
out
plastic
lock
from
steering
wheel,
if
applicable
.

See
Fig
.
2
.

0011903

Fig
.
2
.



Airbag
contact
ring
lock(arrow)
.
Pry
out
lock
and
remove
spríng
from
behind
lock
.
Some
airbag
steering
wheels
are
not
equipped
with
contact
ring
lock
.

WARNING
-

"
The
contact
ring
lock
holds
the
contact
ring
in
the
centered
position
.
Once
the
lock
is
removed,
the
contact
ring
is
free
to
rotate
.
Do
not
allow
the
con-

tact
ring
to
rotate
once
the
lock
is
removed
.

"
If
the
contact
ring
is
accidentally
rotated
outof
center,
turn
the
ring
either
fully
clockwise
orcoun-
terclockwise,
then
turn
in
the
opposite
direction
3
complete
revolutions
until
the
alignment
arrow
canbe
seen
through
the
lock
opening
.

AIRBAG
SYSTEM
(SRS)



721-
3

Airbagcontact
ring,
replacing



7
.
Remove
mounting
nutsor
screws
from
contact
ring
.

See
Fig
.
3
.
Disconnect
wire
lead(s)
andremove
contact

The
airbag
contact
ring
is
mounted
to
the
rear
of
the
steer-



ring
from
rear
of
steering
wheel
.

ing
wheel
and
is
made
up
of
a
wireribbon
that
cofs
and
un-

coils
as
the
steering
wheel
is
tumed
.
The
contact
ring
assures
continuous
electrical
contact
to
the
driver
side
airbag
unit
.

Fig
.
3
.



Airbag
contact
ring
mounting
fasteners(arrows)
.

8
.
Installation
is
reverse
ofremoval,noting
the
following
:

"
Coat
horn
slip
ring
(electrical
contact
ring)
with
CRC
®
copper
paste
before
installing
steering
wheel
.

"
Press
on
lower
lock
until
it
ís
fully
engaged
.

"
When
installing
contact
ringlock,
make
sure
lock

spring
engages
pins
on
lock
and
lock
cover
.

"
Special
instructions
apply
when
installing
airbag

equipped
steering
wheel
.
See320
Steering
and

Wheel
Alignment
.

Early
cars
(through
1993)
:

"
Route
wiring
lead
for
horn
through
squareopening
in

steering
wheel
.

"
When
installing
a
new
contact
ring
from
BMW,
remove

locking
screw
after
installing
the
contact
ringto
steer-

ing
wheel
.
See
Fig
.
4
.

"
Lock
contact
ring
mounting
fasteners
in
place
using

lacquer
paint
or
varnish
.

0011904

Fig
.
4
.



Airbag
contact
ring
locking
screw
(arrow),
as
installed
on
new

replacement
part
from
BMW
(early
production
cars)
.

AIRBAG
SENSORS
AND
ELECTRONICS