Paddles not working?

[Panta Rhei]

Hello. I have never in my life driven a car with paddle shifters. What I know is that you have to pull a shift knob from D position to the left and then you can use your paddle shifters? Am I correct? Then my shifters don't work. I 'use' them when the knob is on the left position and nothing changes, There is only 'SD' on speed-o-meter. PLS HALP.

 

[csl1973]

Paddles can be used in full auto or in manual mode. If in auto press or push one or other paddle to go up or down a gear. If you push the stick over it goes into sport auto mode, you have to push the stick forward or back or press the paddle together it to change gear.

 

[mr.tourette]

Should be able to use them whether stick os left or right

 

[Panta Rhei]

Nothing happens when I push one or another. What is possible solution to my problem?
Are paddle shifters included in VIN decode?

 

[csl1973]

What year is your z?

 

[Panta Rhei]

USA make. 2004-11-02 by VIN number
205 Automatic Transmission

 

[csl1973]

Mmmmmm. Now starting to think has the wheel been put on by someone who wanted to do this originally but never connected it up. Or has the wiring come loose in the wheel which prevents the signal from paddle to box.

 

[mr.tourette]

Mmmmmm. Now starting to think has the wheel been put on by someone who wanted to do this originally but never connected it up. Or has the wiring come loose in the wheel which prevents the signal from paddle to box.

You may be right, I was under the impression paddles weren't an option till the facelift (I could be wrong though) Never seen them on pre facelift

 

[Bing]

They can be added to a prefacelift, ranski has definitely done it... But it probably required a loom, which may not have been installed ? Wouldn't have been there from build anyway. The OP should contact ranski

As said, the paddles should change the gears irrespective of where the gear lever is. Up a gear is pull, push is down.

 

[Panta Rhei]

Let's assume that previous owner changed steering wheel for that with paddle shifters to my pre face lift 3.0i.
Is it a hard and long way for me to make it be working?

 

[Midhurstman]

Sounds as though this may be a retrofit steering wheel that was never wired up or a problem in the wiring/paddles somewhere. If this is a standard tiptronic type auto box the gear shifting is achieved by a simple earth grounding of the wiring on each shift of the paddle. This is what happens when the auto box gear lever is operated in the tiptronic mode so the the paddles are just a simple extension of this, as a make and break switch.
cj10jeeper produced a fantastic write up, with photos, on this some years ago which I followed to retrofit my own paddle shift. I also wrote this up as the paddle shift steering wheel that I bought on eBay did not work and I subsequently found out that SMG paddles are not simple switches but very much more complex(early E85's need SSG type paddles). I had to take mine apart and completely modify them to work. Several searches on this forum, using different headings, will find lots of postings on this subject. There is also a USA company who specialise in this conversion, [email protected]

 

[Jasey]

Nothing happens when I push one or another. What is possible solution to my problem?
Are paddle shifters included in VIN decode?

You pull the paddles towards you not push them away from you.

It might be this

 

[Panta Rhei]

Nothing happens when I push one or another. What is possible solution to my problem?
Are paddle shifters included in VIN decode?

You pull the paddles towards you not push them away from you.

Trust me, I tried everything

 

[Panta Rhei]

Sounds as though this may be a retrofit steering wheel that was never wired up or a problem in the wiring/paddles somewhere. If this is a standard tiptronic type auto box the gear shifting is achieved by a simple earth grounding of the wiring on each shift of the paddle. This is what happens when the auto box gear lever is operated in the tiptronic mode so the the paddles are just a simple extension of this, as a make and break switch.
cj10jeeper produced a fantastic write up, with photos, on this some years ago which I followed to retrofit my own paddle shift. I also wrote this up as the paddle shift steering wheel that I bought on eBay did not work and I subsequently found out that SMG paddles are not simple switches but very much more complex(early E85's need SSG type paddles). I had to take mine apart and completely modify them to work. Several searches on this forum, using different headings, will find lots of postings on this subject. There is also a USA company who specialise in this conversion, [email protected]

You mean this one?
http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3111&hilit=paddle

 

[Midhurstman]

Yep, that's the one. Tie it up with one or two others and it will all make sense.

BTW the standard wiring on the paddles (not down at the autobox shifter) is for both paddles to be the same, ie pull to upshift, push to downshift. It is very easy to wire the paddles to operate in the more modern way ie only pull operates the change with the right paddle pull + upshifting and the left paddle pull downshifting - The 4 strand wiring from the autobox shifter up to the slip ring is still the same as in cj10jeeper's article and pictures, it is just the link wiring between the paddles that is different.

I think my paddles only work with the auto gearshift lever across to the left, ie in tiptronic mode.

 

[Bing]

That's the one

 

[Alemito]

Sounds as though this may be a retrofit steering wheel that was never wired up or a problem in the wiring/paddles somewhere. If this is a standard tiptronic type auto box the gear shifting is achieved by a simple earth grounding of the wiring on each shift of the paddle. This is what happens when the auto box gear lever is operated in the tiptronic mode so the the paddles are just a simple extension of this, as a make and break switch.
cj10jeeper produced a fantastic write up, with photos, on this some years ago which I followed to retrofit my own paddle shift. I also wrote this up as the paddle shift steering wheel that I bought on eBay did not work and I subsequently found out that SMG paddles are not simple switches but very much more complex(early E85's need SSG type paddles). I had to take mine apart and completely modify them to work. Several searches on this forum, using different headings, will find lots of postings on this subject. There is also a USA company who specialise in this conversion, [email protected]

I know this is a very old post but I’m in your same situation. Could you provide more info on how to modify SMG paddles to make them work with steptronic?

 

[Midhurstman]

Sorry, I have only just seen this post. If you want to give me an email address, I will send the instructions and some photos to you.