Flappy paddle steering wheel - easily installable?

[MJim]

I have learnt that the X5 40d will soon be coming with flappy paddle gear shifters fitted as standard to the steering wheel. I have since seen that such steering wheels are available on eBay, even with steering wheel heating on an M steering wheel (wasn't available when I bought mine).

Does anyone know if wiring this up is going to be easy i.e. just switch the wheels and wire linkages or whether it is likely to be a major electronics exercise. I'm guessing that the wiring isn't there on cars that didn't come with flappy paddles when bought, and it's therefore likely to be complex, but thought I'd ask.

[lezmtaylor]

I did this mod to my 02 4.4, it was not difficult the parts req'd are : e46 m stg wheel with the paddleshift (round air bag)' round airbag (if you have not got one on your car)' new slip ring a few connectors and some wire.
I cannot remember the wiring for it , but ''outpost'' has the set up.
A chap called Sudesdh did it first , but all info was lost when the old site went down.
Lez

[MJim]

Thanks for your response. Do you think it would be equally simple on the E70? I have an M sport steering wheel currently so have airbag in that which I could transfer over. One thing I've noticed is the flappy paddle steering wheel I've seen looks like it's for the X5 M, red and blue stitching and all, plus has an 'M' button, so not sure if that would work? May need to wait for the M Sport (rather than X5 M) wheel with paddles to be released in due course?

[lezmtaylor]

Sorry, have no idea, might be worth posting on the American site (outpost).
Lez

[davyk31]

I saw a wheel a while back on Ebay which had the heated feature. Was a BMW dealer who was selling and I asked was my M SPort pre wired for the heating feature. They investigated quite thoroughly and the answer was that the wiring was not there in my car therefore changing over would have been a big job.

[MJim]

@ davyk31 Thanks for the reponse - so I'm also guessing that enabling the flappy paddles would be a very big job too. Shame, it'd be great to have, and the steering wheek is only £250 on ebay, but the labour and fitting would presumably be considerably more ...

@lezmtaylor Thanks for the suggestion - but I'd rather find out here as there are differences in the spec of cars and also my model (40d) isn't even available over in the US.

[Turks]

I'm sure that there will be a way of doing this mod but like the E53 it won't be an X5 steering wheel and slip ring you need. Maybe need to investigate 3, 5, 6 and Z Series models to see if there is a MF Steering Wheel with Paddles. M5/M6 might be the one you need.

BMW said that it couldn't be done on the E53 so I wouldn't take what they say as gospel. Fingers crossed someone will work it out on the E70 soon.


Turks.

[lezmtaylor]

It can be done, new slip ring required, the problem is betting a heavy enough cable to take the extra current up to the steering wheel, do a google search, I read about it a couple of weeks ago.
There is one of these wheels on ebay for £250,you could always buy it for the paddleshift function and leave out the heated partof the mod.
Lez

[MJim]

Thanks for that. I'm assuming new wiring would also be required to enable the flappy paddles, albeit that the current would only be low. I wonder why the M sport isn't availble with heated steering wheel, whereas the SE is?

[X5Sport]

You could try looking for an X6 steering wheel. They are flappy paddle by default. You would still have to find the right wiring, but it might at least be a good starting place?

If the M-Sport is fitted with the 'Performance' steering wheel then that is a fatter wheel and is faced with soft suede/alcantara leather and the heating function is no longer available. That wheel is available for the X6 too, but clearly states that steering wheel heating has to be disabled if being retrofitted. I don't know if it's the leather that can't take it or what but you can't have it for some reason.

I looked at changing mine for this one - the official version....But s/w heating has to be disabled. Other than that it was a straight swap as I have the electronics in place.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do ... g=32&fg=95

[MJim]

@X5Sport - many thanks for your suggestions. I think I'll wait until the M Sport X5 comes out with flappy paddles and see what BMW offer / suggest re retrofitting, or at least wait until someone else has done it successfully. It's not something I need to have, but figured I'd use the gears more if on the steering wheel - I generally just leave it in auto mode ...