BMW Steering Wheel & Airbag Replacement

Need to replace the steering wheel and airbag of your BMW? By following the procedures below, learn how to remove and change a BMW airbag and steering wheel.

What you will need

• BMW Airbag or Airbag
• Mechanic Toolset Metric
• Torx Socket Set
• Torque Wrench

Procedure

1. Park the BMW and apply the parking brakes. Center the BMW steering wheel. Ensure the front wheels are pointed straight. 
2. Disconnect the Battery. Access the BMW battery and disconnect the negative cable.
3. Wait five minutes before you disconnect any airbag component.
4. Remove the Airbag. Remove the BMW driver’s airbag by inserting a flathead screwdriver or Torx 27 in the access holes on the side of the airbag.
5. Press the spring to release the airbag from the BMW airbag.
6. Disconnect the wires going to the airbag. You will need to use a small flathead screwdriver to unlock the airbag harness. Once the airbag connectors are unlocked, you can remove the wires from the airbag. If you forget to unlock the connector, you won’t be able to remove the airbag wires. 
7. Once the airbag is released, handle it with care. Place the airbag in a safe location facing up.  Watch a video on how to remove a BMW airbag on a BMW 5-Series E60.
8. The following video shows you how to remove a BMW airbag found on BMW 3-Series E46.
9. Remove the Steering Wheel. Disconnect the airbag and steering button wires.
10. Remove the15mm bolt in the center of the BMW steering wheel. This will allow you to remove the steering wheel. Always counter-hold the steering wheel to avoid damaging the steering column locking mechanism.  Watch this video showing how to remove a BMW steering wheel.

11. Install the new steering wheel in reverse order. Tighten the steering wheel center bolt to 40Nm (30 ft-lb). Verify torque requirements by calling your BMW dealer. 
12. Install the driver airbag. Connect the wiring harness first. Then, secure the airbag on the steering wheel.
13. Tighten the bolt in the center of the steering wheel to OEM specifications. Typical: 40Nm.
14. If your BMW uses bolts to hold the airbag in place, torque the bolts to 9 Nm.
15. Connect the negative terminal. Start the BMW to ensure the airbag light is off.
16. If the light is still on, use a BMW scanner to read and clear the codes.

There are endless reasons why someone may want to remove a BMW airbag and steering wheel. For example:

• Blown BMW Driver Airbag
• Worn BMW Steering Wheel
• Fix scraping /rubbing noise from BMW steering wheel
• Replace the BMW clock spring to fix the airbag light
• Replace BMW steering column bearing
• Upgrade BMW steering wheel to M Sport steering wheel

Before removing the airbag, make sure to have the correct airbag for your BMW. BMW makes single-stage and dual-stage airbags, and the two are not interchangeable.

We hope you find the BMW Steering Wheel & Airbag Replacement guide helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your BMW.