2002 BMW 7 Series Air Bags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 745I. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO CHECKED ALL CONNECTIONS TO THE AIR BAGS, SCANNED THE COMPUTER, AND THE LIGHT DIMMED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER TWO WEEKS AND THE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. A FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED WITH THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.

AIRBAG AND SEATBELT RESTRAINT FAULT LIGHT IS ON. *TR

GOT ON FREEWAY DROVE 10 MILES GOT OFF FREEWAY. STOPPED AT LIGHTS IN NORMAL TRAFFIC, GOING 35MPH. THAN ALL OF A SUDDEN LIGHT AND WARNING COMES ON SAYING PASS-RESTRAINT AIR BAG MALFUNCTION. WONT READ MY SEATBELT WHEN I BUCKLE UP NOR WHEN SITTING IN PASSENGER IS SITTING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 745I. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SAFETY INFORMATION MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 85,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 BMW 745LI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR MAT WAS CRACKED, WHICH IN TURN DEACTIVATED THE AIR BAG AND MADE THE LIGHT ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 81,500.

MY VEHICLE IS A 2002 BMW 745I THAT HAS AN DRIVE SYSTEM AND THE LATEST WARNING NOTE CAME UP ON THE IDRIVE SCREEN THAT SAYS, "FAULT IN PASS.-RESTRAINT SYSTEM AFFECTING AIRBAG, BELT TENSIONER OR BELT-FORCE LIMITER. FASTEN AND CONTINUE TO WEAR BELTS. PLEASE CONTACT THE NEAREST BMW CENTER". MY RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT BMW INITIATED THAT COVERS THIS ISSUE FOR A 10 YEAR PERIOD. *TR

ON 8/9/02, MY CAR'S SEAT BELT AND AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. THE DEALER TOOK THE CAR ON 8/12/02, AND RETURNED IT 8/21/02. MR. MOODY OF LEITH REPORTED THAT THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED BUT AWAITED DELIVERY OF REVISED SOFTWARE IN "A COUPLE OF WEEKS". WHILE THE WARNING MESSAGE WAS NO LONGER POSTED (THEY SAID THEY HAD MERELY EMPTIED THE MEMORY), THEY COULD NOT ASSURE ME THAT THE SAFETY MECHANISMS WERE OPERATING PROPERLY. I HAD THEM PICK UP THE CAR AGAIN, AND THEY STILL COULD NOT ASSURE ME THAT THE EQUIPMENT WAS WORKING PROPERLY. I SPOKE WITH AN FIELD ENGINEER AT BMW (DAN) WHO ASSURRED ME THAT THE PROBLEM (ERROR CODE 9388) WAS A FALSE READING AND THAT THE SAFETY DEVICES WERE OPERATING CORRECTLY. I ASKED THAT THIS BE PUT IN WRITING, GIVEN THAT I HAD ALREADY REC'D SEVERAL DIFFERING INTERPRETATIONS. I HAVE NOW REQUESTED WRITTEN ASURANCE 3 TIMES (ONCE IN WRITING) AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED SUCH CONFIRMATION. HENCE, I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS SAFETY EQUIPMENT IS OPERATING. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED IN OTHER 2002 7.45I'S.