BMW 120d Sport (54 plate) - steering wheel change?

[dhansak79]

I currently drive a BMW 120d M Sport (56 plate) but am changing my car to a 54 plate 120d Sport as a result of having to free up money to buy a second car. I'm currently saving for an M5 and didn't want to increas my monthly outgoings at the moment by too much so that I can continue to save!

I test drove the older car yesterday and found it to be quite good but just not quite as good as my current car, which is understandable given it's additional age I presume. I'm going to go with the car but have one thing that I really don't like about it - the steering wheel. I really like the steering wheel in my M Sport and found the one in the Sport to be inferior.

The garage are going to call me today to see if I want to go ahead with the car and I am planning to ask if they can change the steering wheel in the car for one of the newer M Tech ones - the thing is I don't know if that's even possible. Can anyone help?

I am buying a Mini at the same time from the same garage so was going to ask that they put the M Tech wheel in my BM and the multifunction sports Mini one in the Mini - the steering wheel in the Mini at the moment is huge and plastic.

Can they theoretically do this quite easily? Does anyone know what these steering wheels retail at? Googling hasn't revealed much apart from a Hartge steering wheel I liked before I realised it was about a grand!!

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Daniel Webb

[dhansak79]

I might suggest that as an option. They probably won't want to put an older steering wheel in my car (I'm trading it in) but that's not my problem I guess!

I am buying two cars from them and have also done photography work for the company / have a mate who works for them in marketing / and am on first name terms with the MD and his wife though so hopeful they'll do it for me.

It's getting close to the end of the month so I think I will be able to get them to do it. Any idea what this normally costs to do?

[gizlaroc]

Yeah you can do it, as long as the airbag is the same shape, which I am sure it is on all 1ers, then it is a straight swap, however.......a new wheel from BMW is £460+vat from memory, but they come up all the time on ebay for about £90.
So I would just look out for one on there mate, definitely don't let it stop you buying the car.

[dhansak79]

The garage have quoted me £800 to change the steering wheels on each car. Ouch!

I got them down to £600 per car but still way too high. My hope was that they would do the wheel at cost price and the labour for free given that I am buying two cars from them.

I have a friend who works for the company in the marketing department so have e-mailed him to see what he can do. Will keep you all updated.

[gizlaroc]

Did you read my post above, they are on ebay for less than £100 all the time, and it takes 10 minutes to change.

[gizlaroc]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bmw-steering-wheel_W0QQitemZ...


Any for the 1 or 3 series will fit, and if you look on ebay.de you will see loads too.

[gizlaroc]

Oh, worth searching for "lenkrad" on ebay.de.....

http://search.ebay.de/search/search.dll?from=R40&a...

[Methane Bloke]

I picked up mine from ebay for around £70. Much nicer feel than the original sport wheel that came on the one. It was advertised as a three series wheel but had an E87 sticker on the back. Kept the old wheel to go back on when I change cars. Easy to change as well.

Regards

Chris

[dhansak79]

Thanks guys for the responses. In the end we went to a Merc garage on Friday night and got my girlfriend a Smart instead - which means I get to keep my car! :-)