This week BMW announced plans to recall over 116,000 older 3 Series models to have their airbags replaced, as they could potentially be dangerous in case they are deployed. The announcement came on. Just want to share my experience. I got the recall letter about a year and a half ago. Booked appointment. BMW takes the car to look at, says the air bags are fine. Fast forward a year and a bit, I hydroplane and crash at high speed and my airbag deploys. It was a Takata airbag.
E46 - Another Airbag Recall! Reply Reply Author. Original Poster. Saturday 9th September 2017. A couple of years ago I had a recall to check / replace.
BMW recalls the older vehicles of the Series 3 (E46 – pictured) and 5 (E39) which were not affected by the Takata recall in 2017 (recall code: “0032480200” – see here).
- Our BMW Recall Service Center will perform a free multi-point inspection to determine if anything else may require repair on your vehicle. Our mission is to ensure that your vehicle is returned to you in the best condition possible so that you can safely get back on the roads with peace of mind.
- The fix: BMW dealers will replace the faulty airbags or airbag inflators, free of charge. How to contact the manufacturer: The recalls are expected to begin March 6, 2020. Owners can contact BMW.
It is possible that a former steering wheel or airbag exchange was carried out on vehicles built from 7 April 1999 to 10 December 2003.
According to the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), there is a risk that due to a fault in the front airbag inflator, uncontrolled deployment and detachment of metal fragments may occur, which may injure occupants.
BMW assumes that only a small part of the affected vehicles will need to replace the driver’s airbag, a maximum of 20 percent, as said a company spokesperson to autoservicepraxis.de website.
According to KBA information, the recall includes 66 229 vehicles worldwide, of which 22 553 are registered in Germany.
The examination of the vehicles or a possible replacement of the airbag can take up to half an hour.
The recall under the internal code “0032930200” is active since the calendar week 41 of this year.
-rb-
Update 20. 12. 2019 – Both recalls were published in the Rapex system:
Where now?
E46 Airbag Removal
In this article you can find 13 of the most common problems on BMW E46 models. Like any other vehicle BMW’s also have problems, the only difference is, they’re something more expensive to fix.
If getting ready to buy one, or have one and want to know what might be some of the common problems to expect in the future, this list could be useful.
Burning Oil Smell and Oil drips
Because the valve cover or the valve cover gasket on E46s will go bad around 60k miles, you’ll find this is the #1 repair on these vehicles. The most common repair on these vehicles by all means.
Failed Window Regulator
This is not a quick repair, but it’s not a difficult one. With a couple of searches online you can find some useful forum posts like this one.
Loss of Coolant
In this video you see some of the common problem areas as far as coolant leaks. It’s a quick and dirty video, but it shows you some good places to look for. Common on a leaking expansion tank.
Blower Motor Final Stage Fan Resistor Failure
If you start noticing the heater fan speed varies regardless of the setting, the fan will not turn off when the car is switched off, or the fan will not switch on at all, these are all the symptoms of the Final Stage Resistor failure.
Jolt Feeling in the Steering
This video explains how you can determine if a BMW E30, E36, or E46 3-series is experiencing control arm bushing failure. This is a common symptom of worn out thrust rod bushings in the front suspension.
Power Steering Fluid Loss
There are two commonly replaced P/S hoses on E46s. They are commonly replaced between 50k-200k miles.
Water Pump May Develop Coolant Leak
E46 Airbag Recall
One of two things usually will happen: either it will become noisy, or it will start leaking coolant. This can cause your drive and timing belts to go bad.
Some of the common threads I found mentioned that they noticed their water pump went bad after one of the following components in their cooling system also failed; thermostat, radiator, or head gasket.
If find the same results be sure to check these items to prevent future repairs.
Bmw E46 Airbag Recall
Noise from Top Front/Rear Doors
This is commonly hear when the windows are completely closed. The problem is caused from worn door seals. Rubber wears out and specially if you have a vehicle that’s 10-15 years old. There are all kinds of hacks out there to repair this issue, but the right thing to do is to get a new set of BMW door seals. Here are the links to the OE parts from realOEM.com:
Front (51728194682) – Back (51728194684)
Coolant Leak from Radiator
It is not uncommon for the to develop a coolant leak. A leaking radiator will require replacement. When a leaking radiator is replaced the entire cooling system should be inspected and if any additional leaks are found they should be repaired also.
Overheating can cause severe engine damage. If the engine begins to overheat it is recommended to stop at the first available location and have your vehicle towed to a repair shop.
Failure of Taillight Bulb housing assembly
E46 Airbag Recall 2019
If replacing the bulb doesn’t solve the problem, the most common repair is to do a complete rear left bulb socket replacement. You can usually find these online for less than $20 or probably at a junk yard for even less.
E46 Airbag Recall 2020
Rear left (63217165843), Rear right (63217165844)
Bmw E46 Airbag Recall Check
Faulty Hydraulic Lifters
Bmw E46 Airbag Recall
This is a very technical repair to do, and I couldn’t find any good videos that describe the problem and solve it. If you’re looking to learn more about it, I would recommend reading this article on troubleshooting BMW hydraulic bucket tappets. This video is a simple procedure you can try, but it’s not guaranteed to remove the check engine light.