# New Member with Questions



## 740i_want1 (Oct 22, 2006)

I have just bought a rough condition 1997 740i that is in excellent mechanical shape. The interior needs restoration, seats, headliner, various trim etc.

I've been lurking in this forum for a few days and I must say, it has been very informative and a great resource for how-to's and fixes.

I have just a couple of questions hoping someone can help.

The following are issues that I need to address ASAP;
- Both driver's and passenger seat controls do not work, I did check the fuses and they seem ok, any suggestion?

- The airbag light remains on after starting the vehicle, and not sure which one is causing the fault or what it will take to correct.

- Steering column adjustment (tilt/telescopic) controls not working, again checked the fuse and seems ok.

- Looking for a instrument/speedo cluster and radio control cluster, so many pixels are bad can't read either. Ebay has some but not sure if there are any other sites selling them. The ones on Ebay scare me as most do not indicate if they are 100% functioning, no guarantees

Otherwise, it seems everything works fine. The trim, carpet etc, needs a good cleaning and both front seats are trashed. The car drives great and has great power. No rattles etc. This will be my 3rd Bimmer as I've had (both new) 1997 Z3, and a 2002 325ci coupe, and loved both cars with a passion. I bought this car as a project car seeing the price was right. It has over 145,000 miles and the body exterior on it is like perfect. Just the interior needs some TLC. I look forward to being a contributing member of this forum...

Thanks to all that have any comments or suggestions regarding my issues above.

Have a great day,
Mike


----------



## DanT (Apr 14, 2003)

Seats and steering column memory are related. Check the drivers seat switch. It is also the control module for the system. A common problem is that the plastic outer seat trim breaks and then the seat switch isnt secure and can be damaged. The connector is often dislodged or physically damaged on the seat switch/module. Id check that 1st.

Airbag lamp can be caused by several different things. Some common things are your model would eb a faulty passenger's seat occupancy detector or a failed seatbelt receptacle. Best bet is to pay to have the fault read out or buy yourself a scantool if you plan on doing a lot of repairs yourself.

be careful buying used clusters, you never know what you're going to get. Also your odometer will be effected by installing a used cluster.

good luck,
DT


----------

