Buying an M3; airbag light on ?

[torque124]

Hi all

I am almost shaking hands for a 1999 M3 cabrio Manual with 132,000 kays... I can see the only problem with the car is the airbag light is on... Any guides on how to diagnose or repair this ? Is this going to be expensive ( I think so if I take it to dealership ) ?

I had BMW's before, but not this model ...
The car is in very good nick otherwise, and the engine has been replaced all together 40,000 kays ago, so it pulls very nicely

Many thanks

[f1ran1ky]

the air bag light being on could be a number of different things.

it may be a faulty senor (i think there is a senor under the drivers seat, but not 100% sure)

or if the instrument cluster has been taken out, this will cause the air bag light to come on. (this was the issue with me anyway)

does it come on when you turn the car on and then after 5 minutes or so it goes away?

i know that if the cause is because of the cluster been unplugged and plugged back in that bmw can reset it and the light wont come on anymore. i didnt get charged extra to have this done.

hope this helps
good luck with the purchase!!

[davodinkum]

any error lights are generally a bad thing with bmws due to their complicated electrical system.... i would suggest maybe getting it checked out by a dealer or an authorised bmw mechanic such as bmtech or bm autowerks.

in my personal opinion, i wouldnt risk driving with an airbag light on as it could be an air bag failure. double check it has not been in any accidents either

[Raj]

from memory, i think BMW quoted me around $700 odd to fix the problem.
But they need to run it through their diagnostic unit to work out the exact problem (which will also cost around $100 or so LOL)

As others have said, it could be anything and the best thing to do is have it checked out with the rest of the pre purchase inspection, which i HOPE you are doing

[torque124]

Thanks, the seller has agreed on fixing it before selling the car...

I saw the inspection report done on this car only 6000 kays ago, seller did not drive it much... It is pretty much perfect... Not sure if spending another 350 or so for another inspection is worth it..

Done a revs check, no accidents either .

[Raj]

6,000kms is a long time IMO.

But this sounds like a goer! Goodluck

[torque124]

thanks, it is this one here:

1999 BMW M3 E36 Private Cars For Sale in VIC - carsales.com.au

Should I do another inspection you think? ... Tyres are like new, engine sounds great, no oil leaks, no damage at all on any panels, disk breaks are good, so are pads... coolant seems fresh, oil looks allright for 8K what ever has now.... Engine is pretty fresh as it has 40,000 kays only.

Only downside is a collapsed driver seat right bolster... seems a common fault/problem due to low height on the car and fat ass drivers

I paid deposit for it and pending repair on the airbag issue I need to decide if I take it or not.

[Raj]

Originally Posted by torque124

Should I do another inspection you think? ... Tyres are like new, engine sounds great, no oil leaks, no damage at all on any panels, disk breaks are good, so are pads... coolant seems fresh, oil looks allright for 8K what ever has now.... Engine is pretty fresh as it has 40,000 kays only.

Only downside is a collapsed driver seat right bolster... seems a common fault/problem due to low height on the car and fat ass drivers

I paid deposit for it and pending repair on the airbag issue I need to decide if I take it or not.

Bolster is a common problem. I can assure you 99% of them are like that. And if they aren't, they've probably been re done

Now, from what you are saying it all sounds good, but if you want to be anal, you can get BMW to run the diagnostics equip on the car, check for any faults. Just to be completely sure Best to spend 270-300 now rather than spending 2700-3000 when u could've avoided it!

[davodinkum]

Originally Posted by Raj

Best to spend 270-300 now rather than spending 2700-3000 when u could've avoided it!

couldn't have said it any better myself...

[Raj]

the overall condition of the car seems good (from the pics), but you should still check things out to be sure.

if the engine was replaced, what else could have been replaced? (or NEEDS replacing?? )
132,000kms is NOTHING for an S50 engine. obviously wasn't maintained well, oil changes, etc...

[torque124]

It has a service stamp every 10,000 kays since new ( one extra at 2000 at start and another one at 2000 after engine swap) .

BMW changed the whole engine ( said courtesy of BMW Australia , as main drive shaft bearings failed on first engine and they decided to swap it all ).

So service record is there, and all looks ok... also mature and trustworthy owner , but will do the check either way as it a good insurance as you said.

Car drives very well and to be honest feels the quickest of all I have driven lately ( about 4 of them you can see in VIC on carsales.com.au ), engine pulls really nice, and there's no drivetrain slack , gearbox works perfectly and I achieved very quick shifts very quick after getting in the car ; so I got used to it very quickly ... This got me hooked to the car And there's the noise at 6000 RPM's

Thanks guys.

[Raj]

sounds good mate! and yes, you are doing all the right things!!
you're going to have so much fun with this car! i can guarantee that

[torque124]

Where would you do an inspection 2 on these without getting ripped off ?

I mean I can do it myself but I would like to have the stamp in the book

Thanks

[davodinkum]

what area are you in?

[torque124]

I work in the city but live in Moorabbin... I thought of Euroclass in Richmond as they are good guys and serviced my Audi as well... What others you know ?

Thanks