Airbag recall: Which parts to remove?

[Bostonbruck]

Okay so... I have to get the airbag recall done. The tech will drive out to my house. Last time the dealer got a lot of dirt on the floor mats. I’ve also heard stories about how they have mistakingly bent interior trim or left scratches. I’m trying to avoid any issues, so I am wondering...

What parts can I remove ahead of time to make this get done as easy and clean as possible? From what I understand... remove passenger dash trim, and driver airbag. Anything else? Thanks.

[Bostonbruck]

Here’s a picture of last time at the dealer. The floor mats and pedals were CLEAN. Now look at all the dirt haha

[T.J.]

For me they broke some of those red trim clips plus this piece which keep the airbag cover tight https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...r/51458146760/
It’s probably somewhat unavoidable to break these but to give me the car back with floppy trim and airbag cover pissed me off.

[Grke46m3]

I’m looking to do the same thing. Is it just the trim and the airbag cover that needs to come off? Or does the glovebox need to come off as well?


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[mpower22]

You should also make sure you dash is warm so it has more flex. If you do this in the cold, there is more tendency for it to crack, especially with the age of these cars now. The first thing they'll do is put a screwdriver behind the dash trim on the far right side and the dash it what is what is used as the fulcrum. Some of the red clips may pop off, but that depends how often the trim has been removed and installed. The steering wheel airbag is very straight forward to replace and nothing to mar up there.

[timmo]

For me they broke some of those red trim clips plus this piece which keep the airbag cover tight https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...r/51458146760/
It’s probably somewhat unavoidable to break these but to give me the car back with floppy trim and airbag cover pissed me off.

Hmm now you have me thinking... I've never been too happy with the fitment of the airbag cover, it sits slightly lower than the dash near the curve

[mpower22]

If you really want to ensure you minimize damage, and you're good with working on cars, remove them yourself (just don't turn the car on afterwards or it will trigger the ABS light and I can't say if they'll reset the light for you for free).

-Remove RH dash trim as stated above
-Remove RH vent (phillips)
-Remove screws behind dash trim (phillips)
-If you're really careful, as I was you can spread the metal clip (shown in photo) to carefully remove the "non-reusable" retaining clip that breaks when the passenger airbag is deployed. I marked mine before I removed it so the airbag cover wouldn't sit too high or low in the dash upon reinstallation.

I did all this without removing the airbag prior to driving to the dealer. Then when I got there, I popped out the driver's side airbag to make it ready for removal since that's something you can do anywhere.

[WOLFN8TR]

Okay so... I have to get the airbag recall done. The tech will drive out to my house.

Will they be replacing both Airbags? Here in Las Vegas they will only replace the passenger side and not the drivers side airbag using their mobile service. 🙄

[Bostonbruck]

Thanks for the replies. I also read online somewhere that the dealer turned on the electricity to ensure the airbag light was not on. Can anyone confirm that this is needed? Or can I haven’t battery disconnected when they arrive? Thanks

[FBloggs]

Disconnect the battery for 30 mins before disconnecting the airbags.

[r4dr]

Will they be replacing both Airbags? Here in Las Vegas they will only replace the passenger side and not the drivers side airbag. 🙄

Local dealer did both of mine, but I had it done at their dealership not remotely.

They still won't stop mailing me shit about getting it done, I've even called their airbag recall team to tell them to take me off the damn list...

[mpower22]

Local dealer did both of mine, but I had it done at their dealership not remotely.

They still won't stop mailing me shit about getting it done, I've even called their airbag recall team to tell them to take me off the damn list...

Yep, they've been on a blitzing campaign as of late. Really trying to protect their azzes in case of another mishap now that the parts are available.

[Rhythim]

Just had mine done yesterday. They only replaced the passenger bag. It's on its 3rd one now.

As a side note, when I pulled into the service lane for my appointment, as the service writer was checking me in, she said "Do you have someone to pick you up, or can we give you a lift somewhere?" I gave her a quizzical look and asked why I'd need either of those. She replied that the job was going to take "5 or 6 hours because I know for a fact they have to take out the entire dash to replace it."

I kid you not.

At that point I kindly requested she hand my keys back, and I then walked them down to the next desk, handed them to the service writer there, who checked me in and said "We'll have you fixed up in about an hour."

I drove out one hour and 9 minutes later.

Just reinforces my position of there being an extremely short list of people (like 2) outside of myself who I would consider allowing to touch my car for anything that isn't a recall.



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[timmo]

Haha, took mine to the dealer for the 2nd passenger's side airbag recall. I've tried everything to contact and set up an appointment at the dealer by my house, but I guess since recall work doesn't pay the bills, they don't care. I sent a recall request to the dealer that did all the rust repair work on my car, and within 15 minutes someone called me and we set up an appointment.

I had to drive ~50 mins to get to that dealer, but I didn't mind as they have A+ customer service. I brought my own "do not wash" sign, but I guess they encounter enough fussy customers, so they were familiar with that and had their own signs ready. Only caveat was that they disconnected my dash cam so I have no footage at all, aside from when I pulled into the service entrance. It's a bit suspicious however I do trust that they didn't do anything to the car, as the mileage was unchanged when I got the car back.

I did feel a bit proud of my car during this visit though - the moment I pulled into the service entrance, a few guys came over and oggled the car. We had a small chat, one of them also had an E46. Turns out many of them are enthusiasts like us, and love the older models

[Rhythim]

I did feel a bit proud of my car during this visit though - the moment I pulled into the service entrance, a few guys came over and oggled the car. We had a small chat, one of them also had an E46. Turns out many of them are enthusiasts like us, and love the older models

I got a little bit of similar treatment when they got done with mine. Service writer said "I don't get to say this too often about an M car this old with this many miles, but your car is in exceptionally good condition."

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