1997 BMW 328 indicator lights that stay on

1997 BMW 328

THEHAGMAN

MEMBER
1 POST

Electrical problem
1997 BMW 328 6 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic

I have 2 indicator lights that stay on. The air bag light has been on for about 7 months. The ast+20 light just came on last night. I was in the automotive field for about 20 years and I now repair and maintain industrial equipment so I feel that I have a good chance of doing the repairs. My draw back is very limited exposure with BMWs. Can you lead me on items to check?
Thank you for your time.

Jan 12, 2009 at 8:01 PM

DOCHAGERTY

✓ASE Certified Mechanic
9,606 POSTS

The air bag lamp is lit for what could be several reasons. The seat belt buckle switch or the belt pre-tensioner pyrotechnics are/have faulted, the battery was not disconnected during a repair attempt, the airbag control module has an internal fault, a gas generator has failed or is disconnected,..... you get the idea. Scan the fault in the SRS control module and see what it is first, then we can go from there. There are some good proprietary grade hand held scanning devices available. Both of the faults you have will require this scanning to both expose the fault as well as reset the warning lamp after the successful completion of the repairs. The "service engine" light is on for what could be something as simple as a loose or missing fuel cap, again the scanning tool will allow the fault to be revealed from the memory(isn't ODBII great!)

Jan 12, 2009 at 8:45 PM

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