E46 alcantara/suede steering wheel

[kyleN20]

found this one ebay, looks nice, and cheap, 2 hours left, i would like you guys to leave it alone if it stays under 115 cause that what i can spend, but im figuring it may go over, in which case i invite you to take a crack at a awsome steering wheel. if you happen to see jln727 as a top bidder please LEAVE IT ALONE! other wise if its over 115 its all you.

thanks

Kyle

[angrypancake]

link, por favor?

[kyleN20]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1,1&item=8020051720&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT

sorry, knew i was forgeting somthing, or maybe i secertly wanted to!??

[angrypancake]

damn thats pretty nice. with 8 bids already methinks someone is gonna snipe it. I watched a non suede m-tech II go from 48 dollars to 246 in under 45 seconds once. Crazy stuff, that final minute...

[kyleN20]

yeah i fugured

[Alexlind123]

It looks very nice, i think i will do my headliner in alcantara in the summertime if it seems like a reasonable endeavor in the coming months. I would be a little worried about a suede steering wheel though, because i have always had the impression of suede being a bit more delicate than other leathers or materials. I would be afraid that it would wear out quickly. It may well be fine though, and it would feel very nice when driving with it.

Edit: P.s. good luck

[TheDuke]

How about the airbag isn't that the most expensive part?

[Incantation]

what about all those buttons.. are u gonna hook em up somehow?

[Alan_525i]

People that have the alcantara wheel in the 330i ZHP complain that the alcantara wears VERY quickly. Be careful.

[kyleN20]

id try n figur it out
i was tihnking maybe wire them to my remote for my head unit

[RobPatt]

pls advise, thanks.
Rob.

[kyleN20]

ask jok k

[Jon K]

id try n figur it out
i was tihnking maybe wire them to my remote for my head unit

contorls cannot be used, they're I-Bus, can only be used to work with a computer (with a serial adapter)

The airbag is about $400 alone.

[kyleN20]

wheel went for 202, doesent seem bad, what didi you pay for yours, with or without airbag? and my thought on the controls was to have my small remote for my sont headunit where the airbag goes, then take it apart and basicly make the connection of a steering wheel button hand have a small wire soldered to that connection on the remote, osunds very jeanky, but in theroy i think it might work.

[Jon K]

wheel went for 202, doesent seem bad, what didi you pay for yours, with or without airbag? and my thought on the controls was to have my small remote for my sont headunit where the airbag goes, then take it apart and basicly make the connection of a steering wheel button hand have a small wire soldered to that connection on the remote, osunds very jeanky, but in theroy i think it might work.

$50 for mine.

The buttons on the weel are contact switches, basically, think of a laptop keyboard. They are built on to circuit boards and are not actual switches... i had the same idea. Won't work.

[kyleN20]

wow, how did you get it for 50 bucks? wanna hook me up?

[Jon K]

was a one-time deal. My friend with s/c 330i got an M3 wheel, in truth it cost menothing because he paid me $50 for putting in his M3 wheel.

I lucked out.

it sat in my garage for a year before i decided to make it fit. people said it wouldn't fit.

[TWISM]

With a bit of work it is possible to let the buttons actualy work.
I have a PDF file how to do it.
I have to say, that that PDF file is based on a E31.

When all things go as I planned, this time next year it will be in my car.. :D

If someone wants the file, just PM me with your e-mail.
The file is about 6Mb.
BUT!! It is in German!!

[casurfer911]

here's a write up on how to do this if...,http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=54282, if of course you have a computer in your car. I was about to do this, but i didn't want to destroy my m3 wheel to make it fit, i might try it with a cheaper e46 wheel, when i get the time and the moneys.

[Jon K]

here's a write up on how to do this if...,http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=54282, if of course you have a computer in your car. I was about to do this, but i didn't want to destroy my m3 wheel to make it fit, i might try it with a cheaper e46 wheel, when i get the time and the moneys.


Yeah, I mean cmon, who has a computer in their car?!

[Alan_525i]

Jon, are all the steering wheel controls I-Bus? Because I know of an E36 M3 with the wheel controls off the same M-Wheel in E39s that works with an aftermarket head. It seems that even if it is a circuit board inside, converting the switches with simple radio shack parts shouldn't be that hard.

[Jon K]

Jon, are all the steering wheel controls I-Bus? Because I know of an E36 M3 with the wheel controls off the same M-Wheel in E39s that works with an aftermarket head. It seems that even if it is a circuit board inside, converting the switches with simple radio shack parts shouldn't be that hard.

I wish i had a picture from when I took it apart. The way it works is similar to like a tv remote control, the "buttons" on the wheel are nothing more than rockers that when pushed, come down and press rubber contacts embedded on the I-bus circuit board. Because the rockers rely on the circuit board to "rock", I thought about rigging some simple momentary buttons from radioshack or the like in there but it'd be a considerable feat.

Another problem which a lot of you are overlooking is that I have no confirmed the E34 contact slip ring to fit in the E46 wheel, and the whole package fitting on the E34 steering column, yet. I will be doing this over my winter break. The contact ring is what allows wiring to transfer from the wheel past thehub without getting tangled. I don't have the E46 slip ring, so this may be another issue.

[kyleN20]

thats where the idea of putting the remote in there is handy, because a airbag wont work i assume, you have the wires going to a small remote that you place inside the wheel, then you have wires running to the little romote. but im not sure f my remote needs to "see" the HU or not, its all a little hairbrained in my mind so whatever

[TWISM]

I've put the PDF file on my webspace.

Maybe you can find something out with it?

MFL Steeringwheel in a E31. Text in German!! (http://home.casema.nl/f.r.khouw/MFL_Multimedia.pdf)

The file is about 6Mb