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Thread: that was unexpected - passenger door airbag deployed while driving

  1. #1
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    that was unexpected - passenger door airbag deployed while driving

    I was driving to work this morning in my M, on mountain roads going probably 45-50mph around a left hand corner when there was a loud bang, the emergency flashers came on. The noise was so loud that for a second I couldn't even tell if the engine was running because my ears were ringing. I then realized the bag had deployed (the door one above arm rest), so I pulled off the road to see what the damage was. I couldn't find any evidence of impact or issue. Flashers reset just by cycling the switch. Dash airbag light is now on obviously.

    Once I got to work, the sun was up and I could better see under the car. I see a couple scuffs of the undercoat that could have been an impact site for a rock either tall enough to hit it, or was thrown by the front tire. I do recall a double sound when it happened though the second was an order of magnitude louder than the first. Don't know if that's what happened (rock hit) but I certainly didn't see it. Road surface in that area is pretty good so I don't think it was a pothole. I don't recall feeling any steering wheel impact but in the trauma of the moment it's possible. Once I get it home tonight I'll get it up in the air so I can see if there is any evidence of a rock hit.

    I think, an hour after the fact, that my heart rate and blood pressure are now down to normal.

    I don't suppose there is any sort of long term warranty on the air bags as safety equipment like there are for seat belts. . .

    fj..

    photo by Gary Glades

  2. #2
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    I got a spare if you need it.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by mpire View Post
    I got a spare if you need it.
    Spare boxer shorts?

    OP, glad there was no one sitting in that seat.


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  4. #4
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    Wow. That'd certainly wake you up. Glad you're ok.
    jeremy [AT] coupecartel [DOT] com

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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jeremy View Post
    Wow. That'd certainly wake you up. Glad you're ok.
    Yeah, it was rather rude at 6:15am.

    mpire: thanks, I'll send you a pm shortly.
    fj..

    photo by Gary Glades

  6. #6
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    The hard part won't be replacing the air bag, but rebuilding the door panel. Things get broken when the door air bag goes off.

  7. #7
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    I would think BMW north America would be interested in seeing the car. I would offer it to them for inspection. This is the first I've heard of something like this. If there is a possible long term flaw, this could really hurt people. Thank God you did not have a small or yong person in the seat. Glad you were not hurt.
    Dan "PbFut" Rose

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by PbFut View Post
    I would think BMW north America would be interested in seeing the car. I would offer it to them for inspection. This is the first I've heard of something like this. If there is a possible long term flaw, this could really hurt people. Thank God you did not have a small or yong person in the seat. Glad you were not hurt.
    I was thinking along the same lines. I'm planning on calling the dealer I bought it from and get their assessment/reaction.

    fj..

    Quote Originally Posted by Wertles View Post
    The hard part won't be replacing the air bag, but rebuilding the door panel. Things get broken when the door air bag goes off.
    Actually it doesn't look that bad. There was some form of attachment on the top of the panel where the leather pulled loose (designed that way it looks like) that is tucked up under the upper door panel piece. It hinged from below, and the cover is backed with a plastic panel that has a couple snap in connectors that look like they would go back together (not broken). Will require disassembly of the door panel at the least. I need to grease/rebuild the window tracks anyway.

    [update] I just talked to the dealer I bought it from. They are checking with the Factory rep to see if there is some special inspection they want to do, and or anything they should be looking at. The service desk had never heard of this happening. There is no extended warranty on airbags, they are covered under normal long-ago expired factory 3yr warranty.

    fj..
    Last edited by grat; 11-18-2011 at 12:28 PM. Reason: more info

    photo by Gary Glades

  9. #9
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    Glad nothing bad happened so you can joke about it now.

    On a positive note... you can grease the window rail pretty easy now :P

  10. #10
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    Glad you are OK. That had to be very unnerving.

    I have black pasenger door panel if you need one. PM me.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mpyre View Post
    Glad you are OK. That had to be very unnerving.

    I have black pasenger door panel if you need one. PM me.
    thanks. I just dropped off at the dealer to let them do their inspection. they indicated that BMW may pick up the repair bill depending on what they find, or don't find. More to follow later today.

    They gave me a 2011 black 335i x-drive sedan as a loaner.
    fj..

    Quote Originally Posted by Achtung Baby View Post
    Glad nothing bad happened so you can joke about it now.

    On a positive note... you can grease the window rail pretty easy now :P
    yeah, not sure what the outcome would have been if it was driver's door bag that had gone off. Rock wall to the left, ~20 embankment to the right, though I believe there is a guardrail there. It may not have had a pretty ending...

    fj..
    Last edited by grat; 11-18-2011 at 02:28 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

    photo by Gary Glades

  12. #12
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    see the thread about Gary's airbag going off when he revved with an open exhaust. Z3's seem to have sensistive airbag sensors.



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  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shoe Coupe View Post
    see the thread about Gary's airbag going off when he revved with an open exhaust. Z3's seem to have sensistive airbag sensors.
    I didn't find that thread (just searched)

    I did find this one this morning that relates an incident similar to mine a ways into this thread. http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=895485

    So it sounds like it has happened before.

    fj..

    photo by Gary Glades

  14. #14
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    Thats a heck of a thing! it would have (literally) scared the crap out of me!!!

  15. #15
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    That really sucks to hear. Hopefully the dealer takes care of the issue for you.

    I know that there have been revisions to the SRS module/computer over the years. Would be interesting to know what "issues" they were addressing.

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by grat View Post
    [update] I just talked to the dealer I bought it from. They are checking with the Factory rep to see if there is some special inspection they want to do, and or anything they should be looking at.
    I've read in owner's manual, of other cars, that recommend replacement every 10 years.

    Quote Originally Posted by grat View Post
    The service desk had never heard of this happening.
    It's the first thing they teach them.


    Quote Originally Posted by grat View Post
    There is no extended warranty on airbags, they are covered under normal long-ago expired factory 3yr warranty.
    Could it be that an old sensor just fired because it's no longer in spec? Electronics eventually fail.

  17. #17
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    I'm just stoked for you that it wasn't the driver's side door, and that you didn't have a dog or something in the passenger seat.

    It would be awesome if you had a go-pro between the seats that caught the moment you nearly crapped yourself in 1080p HD.

    (edited of course with multiple slow-mo, slower-mo, slowest-mo retakes of your head spinning toward the door & your scream.)

    Glad you're okay and didn't have any further incident.

  18. #18
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    My understanding is the passenger bags are not supposed to go off unless there is weight in the seat, no? Thus either way it is a systems failure that has NHTSA and DOT ramifications. *THIS* is the type of stuff they look at seriously, not differential mounts cracking.


    /.randy

  19. #19
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    BMW kept the car for the afternoon. There was a factory rep that happened to be at the dealership for different reasons and was able to look at the car and file a report on it.

    Upshot: "cause unknown at this time" they could not find any impact evidence that could be blamed for the fault.

    A report will be submitted to "Special product investigations" for further action. They are saying that it will require; a right side door panel, right side airbag and MRS control module to repair.

    more to follow.

    Quote Originally Posted by rf900rkw View Post
    My understanding is the passenger bags are not supposed to go off unless there is weight in the seat, no? Thus either way it is a systems failure that has NHTSA and DOT ramifications. *THIS* is the type of stuff they look at seriously, not differential mounts cracking.
    I wondered about that as well, I can see an argument that the front bag should be disabled, because of its size and impact, but I wonder if the door and seat bags are included in that. I'll ask next chance I get.

    fj..
    Last edited by grat; 11-18-2011 at 11:43 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost

    photo by Gary Glades

  20. #20
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    So, DTR if you sell that car - does it come up on Carfax as AIRBAG DEPLOYED?

  21. #21
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    no idea.

    fj..

    photo by Gary Glades

  22. #22
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    FJ, that sucks man. Did you take it to Gebhart? I bet it will show history of the dealer inspection / deployment on the car fax. Dealer stuff usually shows. I wouldn't sweat it though. I would take pics and document it all thoroughly. You really have BMW by the balls in this situation. They should fully cover the repair and replacement. I would fight it all the way to the top and if Gebhart isn't cooperative, go to Murry or Schomp.
    Cloudbase aka Alex
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  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cloudbase View Post
    FJ, that sucks man. Did you take it to Gebhart? I bet it will show history of the dealer inspection / deployment on the car fax. Dealer stuff usually shows. I wouldn't sweat it though. I would take pics and document it all thoroughly. You really have BMW by the balls in this situation. They should fully cover the repair and replacement. I would fight it all the way to the top and if Gebhart isn't cooperative, go to Murry or Schomp.
    Yeah, Gebhardt. I have no complaint on how they have handled it thus far. I'm also not too concerned about the carfax report, with just what they gave me yesterday, should cover it. I've got time to wait them out, it's snowing again at my house.


    fj..
    Last edited by grat; 11-19-2011 at 11:43 AM.

    photo by Gary Glades

  24. #24
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    update: I hadn't heard from the dealership so I contacted them today as a month had past. I haven't been driving the car because of weather so I wasn't overly concerned about it.

    Upshot: BMW is going to pay for the repair.

    They were questioning some "body work" done to the car, and wanted to know when that was done. My response was that there was no damage to the car since I've owned it (10 months), and they (the dealership) sold it to me with a clean repair history. So I would be very interested in details of any previous unknown repaired damage. This changed the tone of the conversation a bit...

    anyway, they are ordering door panel, air bag, MRS control module. repairs loosely scheduled for first week of January all on BMW's nickel.

    fj..

    photo by Gary Glades

  25. #25
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    Congrats.

    Glad to see BMW stepping up on this one.

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