Driver-Side Air Bag Module
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 9 other vehicles, including the 2000 BMW Z3, 2000 BMW 328i, 2000 BMW 323i, 1999 BMW Z3, and 1999 BMW M3. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
Driver-side air bag module consists of an inflatable air bag, gas generator and ignitor. The gas generator and ignitor make up the inflator unit, which is mounted permanently to back of air bag module.
A 2-wire connector with gold-plated terminals is mounted inside inflator unit, at rear of air bag module. When 2-wire connector is disconnected, a safety shorting spring inside inflator connector spreads open, touching both terminals. This prevents air bag module from inflating if voltage is accidentally applied across terminals.