Illuminated steering wheel logo

[simon-york]

Hello everyone

I have just completed a little project to illuminate the steering wheel logo in the centre of an M tech 2 wheel. This idea was suggested by a member of this board to whom all credit is due. If like me you have an illuminated manual gear knob like the M5 and M3s, it matches rather well. I was going to try to attach a photo, but I can't see how to do it - can anyone help please?

If anyone is interested in how I went about it, I shall be happy to give a run-down.

Simon Daubeney
York, England. 530iSE 5 spd M30 engine. 153,000 miles on Alpina 17s.


In the daytime...

[SamB]

Sounds interesting!! Pics and write up please, do you also have pics of the illuminated shift knob??

Sam :)

[simon-york]

Sounds interesting!! Pics and write up please, do you also have pics of the illuminated shift knob??

Sam :)

No problem, but it is now just after midnight here in the UK so I am off to bed! I can post some pics tomorrow if someone can tell me how - I have clicked on the "insert image" button and nothing happens. I have tried copying and pasting an image and that also doesn't work.

Advice someone please!

Simon Daubeney,\ York, England

[simon-york]

Right, I have found how to do it - my ad blocker was closing the required window - I shall try to add one more and photograph the gearknob for you tomorrow. Followed by a description of thw work.

Regards
Simon

[netmgr]

Im presuming u sacrificed the horn buttons from working to deliver power to the light in the steering wheel?

or u have used external wires?

darren

[simon-york]

No, the horn still works exactly as it should. Here is the process:

1. The logo is removed and gives you acess to the 12 volt supply to the horn circuit.

2. You need to purchase a number of LEDs (light emitting diodes) in the colour of your choice - you may prefer orange, but since my existing M5 gearknob lights up red, I chose red LEDs to match that.

3. The next step is to work out which pin on the LED is poistive and which is negative, I used a 9 volt battery for this - no need to use the car's electrical system. If you get it wrong they won't light up. Once you know, solder some coloured wires on to the little terminals - remember you need to be able to continue to know which is which.

4. Now the fidly part. You will need to experiment a little with where you are going to place the lights in respect to to the BMW logo. The reason is the black border of the BMW logo - unless you find a clever way of doing it with alternative paint, the light won't shine through it. If you try to rub off any of the paint off, it will look rubbish during the day...

5. My solution was to look at the logo and realise that all the paint is applied to the base and the rest is thick, domed plastic. The solution was to try and get two of the LEDs to illuminate the SIDE of the logo - right up against the edge. This means that they cast light through the logo, illuminating the black border effectively from above, rather than trying to shine light through it. I placed on on either side plus a third LED right in the middle, shining through the less opaque roundel in blue and white.

6. To achieve this you will need to remove the logo and very carefully drill some holes through the soft plastic and rubber to place the LEDs at the edge of the logo. You must be careful and not go too far. Remember that you need to get the LED shining through the edge of your logo, but you must not damage anything which is not covered up when the logo is replaced. Don't worry though it is not as hard to do as write it all out!

7. You then pick out the all the positive wires from the LEDs and solder them to the horn positve terminal. In the same manner you solder all three negatives to the horn negative terminal. Now reconnect the horn push to the steering wheel and plug in your horn connections. The LEDs will light whenever the car is running - the current drain of three (I think mine are 3mm) LEDs is tiny so don't worry about it being on constantly. You could think about a way to wire it into the illumination from the gauges, switches etc. but remember the steering wheeel is constantly turning so unless you use the horn ring as a supply (as we are doing here) you will soon have some very twisted, broken cables.

8. Result: a BMW logo that lights up at night just to remind you of what you are driving - as if you needed to! I am not aware of many manufacturers who have done this in any form - but older readers from the UK will remember the illuminated 'Wolsley' badge which they placed in the centre of the radiator grill of all their cars - which came on with the sidelights.

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask either here or by e-mail to simon.d@ubeney.com I shall be pleased to return some of the help board members have given me.

Simon Daubeney, York, England
1989 530i SE 5 spd manual, 153,000 miles on Alpina 17s

[netmgr]

Im confused, my car is non airbag...so negative is sourced through the steering coloum...and when you press the horn button that connects this negative down the spring loaded copper brush to the horn and 'beep'...

I dont understand how you can have + and - in the steering wheel, without turning the horn circuit off and sending + up the spring loaded clip. Unless of course airbag equiped cars have more wires(which of course they do) but then id be very wary of tapping into this circuit for fear of the airbag malfunctioning...

darren

[simon-york]

Im confused, my car is non airbag...so negative is sourced through the steering coloum...and when you press the horn button that connects this negative down the spring loaded copper brush to the horn and 'beep'...

I dont understand how you can have + and - in the steering wheel, without turning the horn circuit off and sending + up the spring loaded clip. Unless of course airbag equiped cars have more wires(which of course they do) but then id be very wary of tapping into this circuit for fear of the airbag malfunctioning...

darren
Hi Darren
First of all, I should have said my steering wheel is non-air bag and cautioned board members about fiddling around with air bag equipped wheels - this can be very dangerous, so don't unless you really know what you are doing!

I don't know which wheel type you have Darren, but I could have done this on either of the ones I have - I chose to do this on my Mtech type 2 wheel - the other being the three spoke Sport type.

Both wheels have positive (black) and negative (brown) wires and associated terminals. As I understand it the positive is supplied to the horn ring, insulated from the rest of the column. Pressing the horn button completes the circuit, connecting that ring to earth and sounding the horns.

If you were to connect a wire across the brown and black connections, the horn would sound. Connecting the three LEDs does not do so - possibly because of their internal resistance, I don't know. I suspect when you press the horn button, the lights will go out as the electricity takes the path of least resistance and sounds the horns. Whatever the reason it works!

Hope that helps Darren

Best regards
Simon

[simon-york]

Sounds interesting!! Pics and write up please, do you also have pics of the illuminated shift knob??

Sam :)
Sam

Here you are:

[simon-york]

Hi Darren
First of all, I should have said my steering wheel is non-air bag and cautioned board members about fiddling around with air bag equipped wheels - this can be very dangerous, so don't unless you really know what you are doing!

I don't know which wheel type you have Darren, but I could have done this on either of the ones I have - I chose to do this on my Mtech type 2 wheel - the other being the three spoke Sport type.

Both wheels have positive (black) and negative (brown) wires and associated terminals. As I understand it the positive is supplied to the horn ring, insulated from the rest of the column. Pressing the horn button completes the circuit, connecting that ring to earth and sounding the horns.

If you were to connect a wire across the brown and black connections, the horn would sound. Connecting the three LEDs does not do so - possibly because of their internal resistance, I don't know. I suspect when you press the horn button, the lights will go out as the electricity takes the path of least resistance and sounds the horns. Whatever the reason it works!

Hope that helps Darren

Best regards
Simon

[netmgr]

Mines 4 spoke leather jobby, when you take the bmw logo off all you see is the nut for holding it on, no wires...

i havent seen in inside the others

darren

[SamB]

Sam

Here you are:

Cool, thanks Simon :)

[simon-york]

Mines 4 spoke leather jobby, when you take the bmw logo off all you see is the nut for holding it on, no wires...

i havent seen in inside the others

darren

You will need to take the wheel off (non-airbag only please!) before you find the wires and your 12v supply for the LEDs. But you are looking for the horn push conections. There is a positive 12v supply for the LEDs