Adding paddle shifters to your BMW E70 steering wheel can significantly enhance your driving experience, offering greater control over gear changes for passing, towing, and engine braking. This comprehensive guide outlines the steps required to retrofit paddle shifters to your E70, specifically focusing on diesel models (M57) that weren’t factory-equipped with this feature. This guide assumes basic mechanical skills and the ability to research online resources.
Choosing the Right Steering Wheel
There are three primary steering wheel options compatible with the E70:
- Pre-LCI (SSG): Features push/pull paddles, allowing up and down shifts with a single paddle. These operate as a simple on/off switch.
- LCI (M-Sport): Found on LCI M-Sport E70s. Often available in Nappa leather, these wheels have resistance-based pull/pull paddles, similar to the X5M wheel but without the tri-color stitching.
- X5M: Features pull/pull resistance-based paddles and a padded Nappa leather wheel with distinctive tri-color stitching.
The choice ultimately depends on personal preference. The LCI M-Sport wheel offers a balance of luxury and performance without the aggressive styling of the X5M.
Retrofit Process: LCI Paddles
1. Preparation: Disconnect the battery to prevent accidental airbag deployment before removing the steering wheel.
2. Paddle Modification: LCI paddles use resistors. These need to be removed and one replaced with a wire to function as a simple switch. Disassemble the paddle assembly to access the resistors.
3. Wiring:
- Run wiring from connector X1880 (behind the SZL steering column switch) to connector X8532 (transmission mechatronics unit).
- Route the wiring through the firewall near the dead pedal, along the brake booster, and into the driver’s side wheel well, then over the transmission to X8532.
4. Pin Installation:
- Use BMW part number 61130005197 for SZL pins and a suitable equivalent for the transmission side (e.g., TE Connectivity 1-1418306-1). Two of each are required, but extras are recommended.
- Install pins into the appropriate slots in both connectors (refer to wiring diagrams for specific pin locations).
5. Testing: Reconnect the battery and test paddle functionality. If the paddles don’t work, try swapping the up and down shift wires at X1880.
(Detailed instructions for X5M steering wheel retrofit are included in the original article.)
Conclusion
Retrofitting Paddles Steering Wheel to your BMW E70 is a rewarding modification that enhances driving enjoyment and control. This guide provides a clear path to success, but referencing additional resources like NewTIS (https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/) and Burger Motorsports’ guide (https://www.n54tech.com/instructions…dification.pdf) is recommended for a complete understanding of the process. Careful planning and execution will result in a seamless integration of this valuable feature.
