OK all you professional BMW technicians out there...I have a question/problem that beckons your help. I am interested in swapping out my steering wheel like this guy did: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3401619&postcount=12 But my question (and i'm sure he would be interested too) is if there is a way to trick the car into thinking there is a fully-functional airbad in the wheel so as to get the dash light to go away. If not, so be it. It will be a good reminder that I need to replace the airbag when the cash flow is right. Just curious. Cheers! Glendon
Wish I could tell you more about E46 specifics, but to speculate - it seems like there must be a sensor, that might well amount to being an electronic switch - one way, (either a electrical circuit closed or open) and it means you get a dash light; another way, no dash light. If that's the way it is (I don't know if it is, however), if you can find the circuit and set it or the contact or whatever to what normal operation is, presumably you might lose the light. IF the dash uses replaceable light bulbs like older BMW's (might well be LED's for all I know) pulling the instrument cluster and corresponding light might be an option. Sorry can't help you more specifically, I know more about 80's era bimmers than the later ones.
Here's a link to an article on replacing the wheel on an e36: http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/tec...ring-Wheel/101-Projects-65-Steering-Wheel.htm It mentions that a 3 ohm resistor is needed to trick the system.
