DIY M3 Steering Wheel Install

Originally Posted by Paul180

I haven't seen a good DIY for installing a M3 steering wheel so I thought I'd write one up as I installed mine. Hopefully it will help some of you out.

http://www.bmw330ci.net/projects/m3wheel.php

Enjoy! - Paul

Love your write -ups. Keep it up

so basically you re-use/fit your old airbag to the new wheel?

If you disconnect the battery and wait for a couple of minutes before starting work, you will not get an airbag light.

If you have the sport steering wheel with the round airbag, then you can just reuse your old one since they are exactly the same for a sport package as with the M3.

Damn, i want one now

Damn you guys cost me money!

I had hands-on feel of an M3 steering wheel last weekend that finally decided it for me.

Just won an M3 steering wheel in excellent condition on ebay for £138 (~$220) incl postage so I think I got a bargain.

Can't wait for it to arrive and fit it. Thanks for the excellent DIY.

Just wondering if anyone knows if it's possible to get the sport button on the CSL, alcantera steering wheel to work with a non CSL E46 m3. I just received my CSL wheel and am looking to install it ASAP.
If someone has done this and could let me know how, i'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks.

My M3 wheel arrived, it's on, buttons checked and working, feels so much chunkier, great.

Can't wait to do some serious driving at the weekend to try it out. Got a 300 mile round trip and several hours driving planned.

one of my favorite mods to date.. and that says a decent big.

Regarding airbag codes, mine was thrown but i had to swap out the airbag and wheel... after resetting the airbag light, it hasn't come back on

Originally Posted by tony325ci_51

My M3 wheel arrived, it's on, buttons checked and working, feels so much chunkier, great.

Can't wait to do some serious driving at the weekend to try it out. Got a 300 mile round trip and several hours driving planned.

Wow, just wow!!!
What a revelation! It transforms the whole feel of the car, very tactile, sensational, you "feel" so much more, control, unbelievable difference. I regret not doing it as soon as I got the car, to think I've been missing out on this for years. Makes the "ultimate driving machine" feel even more of a driver's car. Best mod ever. Once again thanks for the great DIY which made everything simple.

If you're going to do just one mod to your car, it has to be this. Upgrade to an M3 steering wheel asap.

When taking off the old airbag clips, how exactly do you do that step? I am afraid I'm going to break something important....

Oh, and I attempted to do this DIY today and could not for the LIFE of me get the stupid airbag to come off the original steering wheel. How do you know you are hitting the clips? Do you push IN on them? Or are we pulling them towards us? What exactly is it that we are supposed to DO to the clips, it just says "put a standard screwdriver into the airbag release slots"...Sorry, I am lost...

Originally Posted by WilkesE46

Oh, and I attempted to do this DIY today and could not for the LIFE of me get the stupid airbag to come off the original steering wheel. How do you know you are hitting the clips? Do you push IN on them? Or are we pulling them towards us? What exactly is it that we are supposed to DO to the clips, it just says "put a standard screwdriver into the airbag release slots"...Sorry, I am lost...

First of all a standard screwdriver is just simply one that doesn't have a phillips head. It has one blade on the end. The airbag release slots are the two small ovals on either side of the steering wheel.

If you have a new steering wheel you can test it out on the new one to learn how to properly compress the clips. Look at the pictures to determine the proper angle (while looking at the steering wheel) and then carefully push in. You will encounter some resistance but eventually you will depress the clips and the airbag will come out. The proper angle is everything and your clips may be a little stiff. You will notice when the airbag starts to unclip and then its just going back and forth from one side to the other until its out. Give it a try or two on the new steering wheel so you know you have the right technique and then give it another try.

Amazing DIY Write up!

I want an M3 steering wheel so bad now!
Add that to the wish list.

Originally Posted by WilkesE46

How do you know you are hitting the clips? Do you push IN on them? Or are we pulling them towards us? What exactly is it that we are supposed to DO to the clips

Ok I hope Paul doesn't mind me using his excellent photo for this diagram (credit to Bmw330ci.net). Many Thanks once again Paul for the great DIY which I followed to install my own M3 wheel. Here's a quick scribble to help you out.

Insert a normal flat-headed medium screwdriver into the slot (BEHIND the steering wheel, screwdriver positions shown in front for diagram clarity), holding the screwdriver slightly towards you (as you would an indicator stalk to flash main beams). You will be guiding the screwdriver into the steering wheel BEHIND the metal plate that you see in the diagram.

The BLUE line on my diagram outlines the spring clip, the thick part of the blue line is the part of the spring you cannot see from the front, as it's behind the plate. It's this you have to push inwards with the screwdriver (until it reaches the red position).

After you've inserted the screwdriver a little, push the handle of the screwdriver gently towards the front of the car, away from you, pivoting it until you feel the tip of the screwdriver resting against the back of the metal plate.

Whilst keeping the side of the screwdriver tip lightly in contact with the back of the plate, insert the screwdriver slowly some more, towards the centre of the steering wheel until you feel the blade stop as you come into contact with the (thick blue part of the) spring. Hold the screwdriver so the blade is sideways-on to the spring for maximum contact.

Then, push the screwdriver firmly inwards to move the spring in the direction of the GREEN arrow (it shouldn't take much force at all). When the spring reaches the RED position one side of your airbag will be released.

Then do the other side, repeating as neccesary whilst pulling your airbag free. Don't pull your airbag too far or allow it to drop, there are still wires to disconnect.. Continue to follow Paul's DIY. (Paul, feel free to add this to the DIY if you wish).

ahhh thank you SO much, that is EXACTLY what i was confused about. Once again, many thanks!! I will attempt again this weekend (it's hard working on my car since it's I have to park in a parking garage and it is currently 23 degrees in Ohio )

And don't forget to disconnect your battery first for a minute or two, or you will get an airbag light come on which needs a special tool to reset.

lol I had the same problem trying to install my steering wheel... I pushed it straight through hope I didn't break anything. Will try again tomorrow!

When I did mine I got the Airbag code, that was even with the battery disconnected. Will my airbag not operate correctly now?

Originally Posted by tony325ci_51

And don't forget to disconnect your battery first for a minute or two, or you will get an airbag light come on which needs a special tool to reset.

Oh, don't worry, I took my timex out and timed 5 minutes before I even got started. All I have to say is, THANK YOU!! The install went much better yesterday than before (it also helped that we had 49 degree weather instead of 20 degree like normal). I will say, I have a few suggestions that can add to the install if anyone wants to post them:

7. In this direction is is CRUCIAL that you practice on your new wheel before hand. By practicing on it, I was able to not only feel what compressing the spring felt like, but SEE what was going on (thus knowing that I was touching the right part) since there is of course no airbag on your new wheel.

10. & 11. In these directions, when I got to this point and was sitting in my car, I was thinking "Oh crap, what the heck does he mean 'pry up the connectors?'" Here's a hint in case anyone got scared like me at first: When you are staring straight at the connectors, you will notice a small recess (sloped portion) that looks like it was perfectly made for your standard screwdriver to go down in there and start prying (fortunately, it is made for that!). Put your standard screwdriver down in there, and GENTLY pry straight upwards because the area where the head of your screwdriver is under is made to pop up, BUT ONLY SO FAR, that's why you have to be gentle. Once you have popped up that part of the connector, you can pull the connectors off by pulling straight upwards.

13. With the white connector, it only took me about 10 seconds to get off, and that is due to the fact that you do in fact have to use your standard screwdriver to sort of pry it off. What you do is hold on to the white connector and it's wires with your free hand (one without the screwdriver in it) so that you can constantly be pulling it out (GENTLY) while simultaneously placing the head of your screwdriver in-between the top of the white connector and the area holding the connector in. Seesaw up and down with the screwdriver to loosen it a bit while applying a pulling force with your other hand, and it should come out in no time!

14. Get a breaker bar because that damn bolt is on there VERY TIGHT, and yes, when it finally comes loose, it comes loose very surprisingly, so watch out.

21. When you are putting the airbag back in place into the new wheel, make sure that you look at how the black tabs on either side of the airbag line up to the new wheel. The black tabs should rest in between the two sides of the airbag springs that are visible when you look directly at the steering wheel. With that said, make sure it is definitely lined up, because you have to apply A LOT of force to snap the airbag back in. I was afraid at first, thinking "man I don't want to break anything, am I sure this is aligned right?" But it was, and I just had to push REAL HARD and pop, it popped into place! Steering wheel complete!


Hope these little hints help a bit, and thanks again for everyone's help!

Great write up Tony.

Althought it should be obvious that the standard screwdriver be inserted with its straight tip's edge in a horizontal position and kept in that orientation in order to push on the spring, it is quite easy to loose that orientation when feeling around for the spring.