airbag going off without collision!!!

kellso81 · 14-06-2011 9:50am #1

Driving to work this morning on a narrow enough road and met an oncoming truck. Doing about 40mph, more than enough room for both of us but we got close enough and just as he passed me my side airbag exploded. Came down from the top and hit my head, left me a bit dazed and also came out of the armrest and hit my arm which is pretty numb now. was just about able to keep control and lucky no-one else was coming behind or towards. Checked the car, no damage whatsoever so he didn't clip me. Anyone ever heard of this happening before? Can it be fixed? I think I heard once if the airbag goes the car is a write-off? Is this true? BTW it's a 2002 BMW 320d!
Cheers

johnos1984 · 14-06-2011 9:57am

I think you really need to contact the manufacturer (i.e. BMW Ireland) immediately

It *can* happen in cars from a quick internet search but I've never heard of it before

h3000 · 14-06-2011 10:03am

Have a read down through this http://www.anapolschwartz.com/practices/air-bag-failure/bmw.asp

anapolschwartz.com wrote:

Air bags:side/window

Description: Vehicle description: Passenger vehicles. These vehicles are built with a side air bag system consisting of door-mounted thorax air bags (rear door air bags are optional), a head protection system (hps) for front occupants, a central electronic sensor and diagnostic system, left and right satellite impact sensors, and associated wiring. This system is unduly sensitive to certain non-crash impacts, such as contacting large potholes or curbs at substantial speed.

Damage: This could cause the side air bag and hps to deploy without an actual side crash. In addition, the battery safety terminal (bst) would also activate, disconnecting the starter cable from the battery. In this case, vehicle electrical system would continue to operate and the engine would continue to run, but after stopping, could not be restarted.

Year: 1999

Vertakill · 14-06-2011 10:07am

Wow that sounded pretty scary.

The car isn't a write off, no. But you'll need to get them replaced and reset etc.

h3000 wrote: »

In this case, vehicle electrical system would continue to operate and the engine would continue to run, but after stopping, could not be restarted.

I wonder can the OP's car be started up now?

h3000 · 14-06-2011 10:19am

Vertakill wrote: »

I wonder can the OP's car be started up now?

There seems to be a few instances of potholes and airbag deployment :eek::eek:

http://www.google.ie/search?rlz=1C1PRFA_enIE407IE412&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=e46+airbag+deployment+pothole

Blazer · 14-06-2011 10:24am

Aren't they pretty expensive to reset? I've heard from a few hundred to a couple of thousand depending on how many airbags deploy.

kellso81 · 14-06-2011 10:48am

Hi,
OP here, thanks for the responses, no problem with the car. Was able to drive on and the car started again no problem. It's not covered on my insurance but I'm trying to contact dealer to see what can be done! Keep u posted

mickdw · 14-06-2011 10:57am

kellso81 wrote: »

Hi,
OP here, thanks for the responses, no problem with the car. Was able to drive on and the car started again no problem. It's not covered on my insurance but I'm trying to contact dealer to see what can be done! Keep u posted

OP, this is a major issue. Surely BMW Ireland will have to take that car away for investigation as to how this could happen - in their own interests as much as yours.
I wouldnt ever be comfortable to drive that car again and regardless of the age of the car, this cannot happen according to the manufacturers.
If your car has had some botching done to it, fair enough but in any other circumstances, BMW will have to be good to you I would hope.

Tea drinker · 14-06-2011 11:29am

Was this covered by a recall that BMW ireland did not honour? It would not surpise me based on my experience of manufacturer attitude to Ireland.

I know for VW in Ireland they did not recall cars with leaking fuel lines (like they did for exact same fault and and part in USA). I had to pay for it myself after petrol spewed all over my turbo.

Good news that you are ok anyway - an *extemely* serious problem.

Not encouraging you to be "sue happy" but you should go to your GP and get fully checked out as per their recommendation. You never know when something could come back to haunt you.

Row · 14-06-2011 11:41am

I have seen this happen before and the car manufacture covered the full repairs cost even though the car was well out of warranty.
Bmw will want this kept quite so get onto them and demand them to
repair it foc..;)
They will need to check out the car before they go covering the cost.
Best of luck with it.

Anan1 · 14-06-2011 12:38pm

Way back when I worked for a Dublin VAG dealership we had a new Audi A8 come in with all the bags out on one side. The car looked unmarked, until we put it up on a lift..

mondeo · 14-06-2011 12:43pm

That's a big fear of mine, airbag just going off like that for no reason. Imagine sitting in Friday afternoon traffic in a daze gawking at the window at nothing and BOOM! Jaysus.

I have sympathy for you op, that's just a frightening situation to be in.

sentient_6 · 14-06-2011 12:50pm

I tell ya i thought i got a fright when my drivers side window exploded in my face from a stone chip last week.

If something like this happened id end up looking like i just watched that video out of The Ring.

-Corkie- · 14-06-2011 1:15pm

Wow hope you are OK. I never heard of this before I hope BMW look after you.

kellso81 · 14-06-2011 1:28pm

Anan1 wrote: »

Way back when I worked for a Dublin VAG dealership we had a new Audi A8 come in with all the bags out on one side. The car looked unmarked, until we put it up on a lift..

don't leave me hanging!?! ...

mickdw · 14-06-2011 1:43pm

Anan1 wrote: »

Way back when I worked for a Dublin VAG dealership we had a new Audi A8 come in with all the bags out on one side. The car looked unmarked, until we put it up on a lift..

I assume something had ripped the buttom out of it, causing massive deceleration and the airbags functioned as required.

Hardly the case in the OP

ShiresV2 · 14-06-2011 1:44pm

Sc@recrow wrote: »

Aren't they pretty expensive to reset? I've heard from a few hundred to a couple of thousand depending on how many airbags deploy.

If no other damage may only be an economic write off due to cost of replacing airbag and door card etc.

Don't know about the specific car under discussion but for BMWs of that era I think the airbag control unit (the brains) in the car can fire for 3 minor incidents before it will refuse to work and need replacing. Or if it knows the car has had one big shunt it will also refuse to work again and need replacing. With any luck it will just need a bag and door card or whatever (again assuming no other damage).

CiniO · 14-06-2011 11:36pm

This thread reminds me that video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPwcmCjMI-M

Daegerty · 15-06-2011 12:03am

If they were deploying with no crash I wouldn't bother getting them replaced. Just get it so the car works, no lights for the NCT and forget about putting in new airbags

Esel · 15-06-2011 1:32am

Daegerty wrote: »

If they were deploying with no crash I wouldn't bother getting them replaced. Just get it so the car works, no lights for the NCT and forget about putting in new airbags

:rolleyes:

Senna · 15-06-2011 1:55am

Go to the dealer, demand you want everything fixed or joe duffy etc will be hearing about the un-safe BMW's, that'll frighten them.

Zubeneschamali · 15-06-2011 7:53am

Senna wrote: »

demand you want everything fixed or joe duffy etc will be hearing about the un-safe BMW's, that'll frighten them.

Contact the dealer, chances are they'll sort it all out without any bother. If you must threaten them (in the unlikely event that they don't jump to fix everything), a solicitor is a better bet than threatening them with Joe Feckin Duffy.

TestTransmission · 15-06-2011 7:56am

Daegerty wrote: »

If they were deploying with no crash I wouldn't bother getting them replaced. Just get it so the car works, no lights for the NCT and forget about putting in new airbags

Great idea.

Senna wrote: »

Go to the dealer, demand you want everything fixed or joe duffy etc will be hearing about the un-safe BMW's, that'll frighten them.

Thanks, I needed that

EPM · 15-06-2011 8:01am

Daegerty wrote: »

If they were deploying with no crash I wouldn't bother getting them replaced. Just get it so the car works, no lights for the NCT and forget about putting in new airbags

And I presume you'd also tell your insurance company that you have modified the vehicle in this way?

OP, the above is the silliest thing you could do. I would definitely approach BMW on this and see if they are willing to investigate it. Scary situation and good that you're safe after it.

DublinDilbert · 15-06-2011 8:21am

I would think about replacing the control unit and side impact sensors too, if you believe it was an electronic glitch that fired the last set off...

anthony4335 · 15-06-2011 9:58am

Seen this happen to a Renault Megane a few years ago. I was at a roundabout when I heard what could be described as a shotgun been fired, directly ahead was a Megane full of smoke. Driver opened the door ,you could see that the airbag had deployed. He was not hit nor did he drive into anyone.

Wheelnut · 15-06-2011 12:35pm

The car is NOT a write-off because the air bags blew, however they are expensive to replace so if the cost of the air bags is more than 60% of the value of the car it could be a technical write-off.

But there may be good news, it seems there were airbag problems on this model and the dealer might replace them for free or at least give a good concession. Here's a thread on the subject:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=763401

...and a few posts down they give this link on a recall on the 323i:
http://www.allworldauto.com/recalls/NHTSA_02V223000_2000_BMW_323I_recall_44494.html

airbag going off without collision!!!

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