03-12-2018 07:26 AM
Hello all! Have to write here because I did buy a reconditioned BMW M steering wheel with an Airbag from Romania. Seemd like a really trusworthy seller with ~1500 feedbacks and 99.8%. The steering wheel was really nice quality job, but the airbag is totally different thing. I got suspicious when I saw small cracks on the airbag cover, so I took the cover off(small clips, no need to break anything) and the bag istelf was like an old potato sack. It was squeeze in under the cover, not nicely folded like from factory, it was dirty, and on the inside was debris and trash an from explosion.
There is two thing that can have been done, maybe they has added a new explosion charge from another airbag(same item in many steering wheel models), or they have soldered an resistor to fool the airbag light in the car. I don't wan't to test if it works. Either way, this kind of recondition would not be leagal in my country, either would I trust such an ghetto mod.
Anyway the seller would not accept any kind of refund or return, and now ebay has also solved this case for the sellers benefit. They say I can not return the item as it's not in same shape as recieved. I can pack everything back under the cover no problem, but trash is trash. I can't make it be a new airbag, because this is what I recieved.
What is your thought on this? Is this kind of action acceptable? What to do?
03-12-2018 06:19 PM - edited 03-12-2018 06:22 PM
Actually, I just went back and looked at the listing you purchased, and the cracks in the airbag cover were visible in the picture, if you enlarged it. Most visible at the top left. But, this cover has definitely not had a bag deploy through it. It isn't possible to repair the grained surface this well, afterwards.
My best guess at this point is that the inflator was replaced for some reason, probably because it was under recall. But the cover was damaged, and the module was probably supposed to be destroyed because this is not acceptable for use. But somehow it slipped through the cracks.
The tear seam can crack like this if the module is handled too roughly.
03-12-2018 08:00 PM
The guy in the video was clearly not using that airbag in the manner for which it was designed! It's supposed to go off in your FACE (Although, I guess with him, it's kinda ambiguous)...no wonder he got hurt!
Sorry, but you'll have to top this. I think Elmwood sent it to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyW6zzRCOVg
03-12-2018 08:20 PM
I would fix it right. I don't know what policies are where you live but if you're in a bad accident and suffer injuries even though the accident was not your fault, the insurance company could use that faulty steering wheel as an excuse to tell you to hit the road and don't come back.
03-12-2018 09:45 PM
@ripsmcwrote:I would fix it right. I don't know what policies are where you live but if you're in a bad accident and suffer injuries even though the accident was not your fault, the insurance company could use that faulty steering wheel as an excuse to tell you to hit the road and don't come back.
Exactly! But a bad injury or even death would be a lot worse.
03-12-2018 09:59 PM
@lacemaker3wrote:
Actually, I just went back and looked at the listing you purchased, and the cracks in the airbag cover were visible in the picture, if you enlarged it. Most visible at the top left. But, this cover has definitely not had a bag deploy through it. It isn't possible to repair the grained surface this well, afterwards.
My best guess at this point is that the inflator was replaced for some reason, probably because it was under recall. But the cover was damaged, and the module was probably supposed to be destroyed because this is not acceptable for use. But somehow it slipped through the cracks.
The tear seam can crack like this if the module is handled too roughly.
I don't know how the BMW racall has been done, but I think the airbags has been changed as whole units with the cover included. Would be quite a hassle if they was tearing the all the bags in pieces.
I think a child could se that the bag has been deployed especially if you would feel the smell of it. But the fact that the bag is dirty on the outside, the red strings/threads are broken, it was squeezed in without folding, inside is clearly visible a gray area and debris of the blast, tells this is a deployed airbag.
And seller has admitted it is reconditioned, so my best guess is that the inflator(charge) has been replaced from a less expencive airbag(same two stage inflator is used in many bmw steering wheels). Worst case scenario is that they has soldered a resistor inside the blown inflator to fool the airbag light.
Exact same pictures with same marks has been used in his listings before mine and also in the new listing. So I guess all of his airbags are done the same style.
03-13-2018 03:13 PM
An airbag through the mail. I looked at selling these as I could get them cheap enough. They go airmail. It is illegal to send explosives airmail. Never mind all the various recalls. What were you thinking?
03-13-2018 03:27 PM
They can't go airmail, only ground, at least in the U.S., and need a special box and extra handling charges. Many sellers here just ship regular ground and say nothing when dropping it off.
03-13-2018 05:05 PM
03-13-2018 09:08 PM
03-14-2018 06:41 AM
I have no problem with used airbags... "used" as in second-hand...but not as in "already deployed".....
03-14-2018 10:54 AM
Up Here, airbags are not considered a safety item. A car goes through the insurance auction as "salvageable", with deployed airbags, airbags do not have to be replaced for a new safety. Sun visors have to work, but, not the airbag. Car can fail on a cracked bumper cover, but, not on missing or deployed airbags.
So, doesn't matter if you crash and the airbag does not work, or is missing. So, for us, a cosmetically "reconditioned" steering wheel cover qualifies for a new safety.
03-14-2018 11:35 AM
But you got free health insurance. No wonder.
03-14-2018 02:15 PM
It is crazy. I have seen dashboards, steering wheel covers, duct taped in place and that is okay. Seat doesn't slide properly? Fail. Trunk strut is a little soft? Fail. One burnt out bulb? Fail.
03-18-2018 08:50 AM
eBAY and Paypal use robots to handle most INAD and INR cases,so if Ebay closed the dispute quickly,it could have used robot.so you can either appeal and a human will look into it and if within 30 days of purchase,he has to pay return shipping,but you are in Finland and the seller is in Eastern Europe,so you would have to pay return shipping with tracking.
After 30 days,you can file with Paypal and win and pay return shipping yourself or file with your cc issuer,not familiar with FINland,in USA,you may not even have to return the airbag.
Your seller may not even know it has a faulty airbag,may be he never open it and look at it.
03-18-2018 09:56 AM
@mr.elmwoodIt should be like that here, Elmsy!
I knew a guy [Now deceased], -a Jew who survived the Nazi invasion of Hungary by hiding in an out-house- At 86 years old, in NY, he brings a rebuilt salvage car to the state inspection...and they arrest him and take him away IN HANDCUFFS....because he had a used (but non-deployed) airbag on the car!