BMW E36 Clock Spring Replacement (Grind/Squeak Noise Fix)

Clockspring replacement is a relatively quick job on a BMW E36. It should take no longer than 45 minutes.
Symptoms of a bad clockspring include: airbag horn not working, grinding/squeaking noise, and an illuminated air bag light.

To replace the clockspring you must remove the air bag (held on by two torx screws), remove the steering wheel (one 5/8 bolt), and then remove the clockspring itself (three torx screws and several wires).

**An important thing to remember is that you should not remove the steering wheel until you have marked its alignment with the shaft. I just drew a straight line with a sharpie. If you do not do this the steering wheel will not be correct when you reinstall it.

**Another thing to remember is that BMW made at least two different clocksprings for E36s. The early model clocksprings have fewer wires than the 98 and 99 E36s. I made this mistake when I first tried to replace the clockspring.