Airbag question...

[bertiejaffa]

Morning all....

So I’m finally getting round to fitting the z4 steering wheel to my z3m... I’ve got the adapter plate etc however, as I suspected the steering wheel wiring ring is different to the z4 airbag...

The back of the airbag has 2 connections but the wiring ring only has 1 adaptor - is it as simple as I need a different ring with dual connections?

 

[bertiejaffa]

@spurs fan in a coupe - do you have anything in your shed?

 

[spurs fan in a coupe]

I’m sure I will

 

[bertiejaffa]

I’m sure I will

top man...

If you can let me know thatll be great - Ill droip you a message

 

[bertiejaffa]

@Southernboy - Barry, can you remember if this is all you needed to do when you did this conversion?

 

[Southernboy]

Hi Guys.
If you have only one connector, your system is a single bag system - not dual.
To remedy the issue, you need to remove the 4 bolts on the rear of the Z4 airbag and remove the actual detonator device part only.
You then need to remove the same detonator device from your Z3 airbag and fit it to the Z4 airbag.
There is an alternative of fitting a resistor to the 2nd connector on the Z4 airbag, which "fools" the airbag into thinking it's connected.
There is a write up on Z/R . net on that subject if you want to consider that route.
BTW. All these explosive devices are 100% safe unless triggered by an electrical current which sets it off.
You can use it for baseball practice and it will not explode. A static electrical spark may trigger it, so don't use it on a nylon carpet for bowling practice...
Glad to see you're getting around to the task... as you will have seen on the info I sent you, I had to cut a "shaped" hole to get the Z3 connector to pass through the Z4 wheel...

 

[bertiejaffa]

Cheers Barry - I’ll have a look at that and see how I get on... it’s only been 2 years at least so about time I pulled my finger out ha ha !!!

No doubt I might need a little more info though.... I hope you’re well pal

Thanks as always

 

[Southernboy]

Hi Lee
I'm good thanks buddy. A little older, a little less wise - I forget if that's as the saying goes...

 

[Southernboy]

Hi Lee.
Just read through the previous posts you made above. You have to use the Z3 slip ring in the conversion. It matches the wiring system of the airbags in your car. You cant fit a Z3 dual system slip ring into your car - it isn't set up for that.
B

 

[bertiejaffa]

Hi Lee.
Just read through the previous posts you made above. You have to use the Z3 slip ring in the conversion. It matches the wiring system of the airbags in your car. You cant fit a Z3 dual system slip ring into your car - it isn't set up for that.
B

Hi - yeah I assume so - so my problem then is that my slip ring only has 1 connector...

So what’s the deal with the dual connections on the back of the z4 airbag... what do they do? Something special or something simple?

I.e. can I simply tap into th single connector on my slip ring and put another connector in parallel?

I’ve looked at the detonation devices and they are all different shapes or much larger on the z3 so changing the detonation device out isn’t an option - I don’t suppose the z4 ever came with a single detonation device did it?

 

[bertiejaffa]

As always Barry... I’m praying to the Zed gods that you have the answer

 

[bertiejaffa]

 

[Southernboy]

When I did mine, I contacted a company in the UK. I seem to recall they were called "Airbags r us" or something like that.
They were in the business of "refurbishing air bags. I told the fella what I needed, and he posted me a single connector detonator to fit the Z4 airbag. So all I had to do was remove 4 nuts, remove the dual detonator and replace it with the single connector device.
From what I hear, it is now illegal in the UK to do refurbishing of airbags, so if that's true, the guys I spoke to will be out of business now.
There is a post on .net in which Robert explained how to to fit a resistor to the 2nd connector on the Z4 airbag. That would essentially compensate for it not being connected to any impact triggering device.
The 2 connectors are for a dual stage airbag - low impact detonator, and high impact detonator. There is only one airbag though. The 2 options mean that they provide a different response in the two possible circumstances - low or high impact speeds.
So, your options here are, read up on .net and discuss in detail with Robert. He's more of an electronics buff than I am. Or - look for a detonator with one connector but with the same bolt configuration as the Z4.
Airbags are mostly very similar. The steering pods on the steering wheels may vary in design / shape though.
Perhaps, check if the airbag refurb businesses are still around and if so, go see one with the Z4 airbag pod. If they are still around, you will sort the issue out easily for around £50, which is what it cost me at the time.
I'll check with a buddy here in Jhb who I'll be seeing tomorrow afternoon. He has recently been through the airbag / resistor issue and might well be able to give me the specs on the resistor required, and how it should be fitted.
You might need to find the little connector to fit the low impact slot though, but that will be easy - all exploded airbagas in cars at the breakers will have the little connector still in the wreck. You may need the connector and an inch or two of the wiring to attach to the resistor.
I'll let you know tomorrow what my buddy has to say.

 

[bertiejaffa]

Thanks Barry - I have contacted them and awaiting their response - fingers crossed

 

[Southernboy]

Cool!! - Alternately, it's a 2.2 ohm resistor required.