Among other projects I have been retrofitting steering wheel paddles to my 3.0i auto, but not without some issues!
There are a number of YouTube videos that make this look like an easy retrofit, and it is, but you need to make sure you have access to the right parts.
Very simply you need some paddles (can be fitted to a standard wheel, but easier to get steering wheel with paddles already fitted), two strands of wire and a two pin plug. The paddles plug into the front of the slip ring, your two pin plug with wires attaches into the rear of the slip ring, and the other end of the two wires gets spliced into pin 2 and 3 of the plug that is clipped to the side of the gear lever. Simples.
However . . .
The slip ring on early cars does not have pins for the paddles. I think that the slip ring on later cars did have pins for the paddles but I was unable to find one. Fortunately there is a good Chinese copy available for not much money.
SMG paddles do not work. The later auto paddles are a simple switch - ground one wire for up and the other wire for down, however the SMG paddles rely on electrickery to send a variable signal to the transmission, which the standard autobox does not recognise.
If I had done my research I would have found [ref]Midhurstman[/ref]’s post on the subject where he fabricated new PCBs to make his SMG paddles work, but this is beyond my ability. Accordingly, I am on the lookout for a set of post face-lift auto paddles part number 61316979876 or 61319173460, or a way to modify the SMG paddles so that they work which does not involve fabricating new PCBs.
Pics of the SMG paddles showing the PCB, for reference.
There are a number of YouTube videos that make this look like an easy retrofit, and it is, but you need to make sure you have access to the right parts.
Very simply you need some paddles (can be fitted to a standard wheel, but easier to get steering wheel with paddles already fitted), two strands of wire and a two pin plug. The paddles plug into the front of the slip ring, your two pin plug with wires attaches into the rear of the slip ring, and the other end of the two wires gets spliced into pin 2 and 3 of the plug that is clipped to the side of the gear lever. Simples.
However . . .
The slip ring on early cars does not have pins for the paddles. I think that the slip ring on later cars did have pins for the paddles but I was unable to find one. Fortunately there is a good Chinese copy available for not much money.
SMG paddles do not work. The later auto paddles are a simple switch - ground one wire for up and the other wire for down, however the SMG paddles rely on electrickery to send a variable signal to the transmission, which the standard autobox does not recognise.
If I had done my research I would have found [ref]Midhurstman[/ref]’s post on the subject where he fabricated new PCBs to make his SMG paddles work, but this is beyond my ability. Accordingly, I am on the lookout for a set of post face-lift auto paddles part number 61316979876 or 61319173460, or a way to modify the SMG paddles so that they work which does not involve fabricating new PCBs.
Pics of the SMG paddles showing the PCB, for reference.