Paddle Shift (diy Install)
 

Just installed the E46 M3 SMG Steering wheel today. I purchased the wheel new from BMW and put the wiring together myself. It was such a simple job. All I done was buy from BMW, 2 lengths of wire similar in size to speaker wire, 2male and 2 female pins, small connector for the SMG slip ring, and a roll of original BMW wire wraping tape, again a few pennies. The install took me all of 30mins with no special tools or cutting of any original wiring. The overall result is excellent!! The M3 wheel is much better, alot thicker, smaller and the leather quality is also far superior!! It came with the M color stitching, titanium trim and M logo embossed in the wheel. But changing gear on the wheel is amazing, your breaking is improved with being able to shift gear when you want, and also it feels more sporty with gear control on the wheel. I'll get some photos posted shortly.

I'm right there with ya, I love my M3 SMG wheel...have fun and keep her on your side of the road through the twisties.

Your right!! Plenty of twisties here in Ireland!!! But such a great wheel and feel to the whole thing. It give the X5 a whole new charactere when driving and not just the paddle shift but the wheel itself. I have a friend with a 4.8is who is looking for me to do the install on it, as he just thought the new shape wheel on his 4.8 is undefined unlike the SMG M3 wheel on mine and wants the same.

Where are those pics of the install/wheel?

I have read that some say the SMG M3 wheel is too small for the X. I should be getting an X soon.

Curtis

Sudesh, do you know if the M3 SMG wheel can be heated, as I have the heated wheel at present and love the feature.

Don

I dont think the wheel can be heated Don! I used to have an M3 with all the options and that wasnt one. But I'll check the brochure and BMW parts system to see.

Sounds like a great upgrade! Did you install an airbag with the new steering wheel?

No I just swapped my old airbag over as they are the same fitment.

Cheers Sudesh, another question for you, do you know if the gear change in the 4.6 is faster than in the rest of the range, as I find when using the Tiptonic mode, that the changes can be very slow. Just to confirm, the gear change it's self is okay but the car seems to take ages from when I select a different gear to when it performs the change.

Don

The steptronic gear box is self learning and adapts to your style of driving. Now I dont really drive fast but I'm very pleased with my shift as, when I change gear manually, whether through the gear box or paddles, it shifts almost instantly!