Quote:
Originally Posted by giodog2000
...whats a ... clockspring? Sry not familiar with electrical stuff.
|
In BMW "speak"...a clock spring is called the "
slipring"...and in the e53 and many BMWs since 3/99-up build date...the "
steering column switch" (which contains the slipring). It is a device that allows the air bag & buttons on the MFL (multi-functional) steering wheel to be powered yet allows for unfettered steering wheel rotation.
Back before the debut of the dual stage airbags (around 3/99)...the slip ring used to be mounted to the back of the steering wheel (see pic below)...then both would be mounted to the steering column:
(this is the slipring on the back of my single stage 3-spoke steering wheel installed in my 97 740iL)
BMW changed the design and now the
slipring (aka clockspring) is incorporated into the
steering column switch and is physically mounted to the steering column itself...with the steering column stalks plugging into the switch (see images below):
Steering Column Switch w/incorporated Slip ring (aka clockspring)
ySf0JBQfd3T(!YQ~~60_58.JPG)