Buying and fitting an `M` Steering wheel

[coley20]

Ive got the massive coach style steering wheel on my e39. Is upgrading to an nicer bmw wheel an option, or is it simply too expensive?

[sjj84]

Has it got the round airbag or not? It's do-able either way, although obviously you'd need an airbag if your's isn't already the round one and they are pretty expensive.

[peaktorque]

I've got the MASSIVE type steering wheel on my e39, I hate it.

I have kept an eye on a few of the M sport wheels on ebay (used) but they tend to go for silly money.

You will need one complete with matching airbag though.

[Hammerhead]

What's 'silly money' then? Fancy changing mine too..

[sjj84]

Hammerhead said:

What's 'silly money' then? Fancy changing mine too..

I bought a brand new M3 steering wheel about 2 years ago for around £120ish. That was without the airbag as I already had the round one in my car. Airbags are about another £200 I think

[coley20]

I do it for £100 probably so ill keep a look out on eBay, I wonder how much a garage would charge for labour to do the job?

[coley20]

Does it have to be a new airbag, or if the old one comes with it will that be ok?

[Hammerhead]

sjj84 said:

Hammerhead said:

What's 'silly money' then? Fancy changing mine too..

I bought a brand new M3 steering wheel about 2 years ago for around £120ish. That was without the airbag as I already had the round one in my car. Airbags are about another £200 I think

Not too bad then

Are the plugs for the multi-function bits the same between wheels as well? Guess they must be!

[sjj84]

Hammerhead said:

sjj84 said:

Hammerhead said:

What's 'silly money' then? Fancy changing mine too..

I bought a brand new M3 steering wheel about 2 years ago for around £120ish. That was without the airbag as I already had the round one in my car. Airbags are about another £200 I think

Not too bad then

Are the plugs for the multi-function bits the same between wheels as well? Guess they must be!

I already had a sport steering wheel with the round airbag and multi function buttons and it all swapped over. No it wouldn't have to be a new airbag, as long as it's the right type. Have you a photo of your wheel? As for labour, it takes about 5 minutes to change over.

[Hammerhead]

Here's my current 'helm':


Swap over sounds nice and easy

[coley20]

If the airbag came with the new wheel for £130 id give it a go, but not paying that plus £200 for a new airbag, so looks like im stuck with the lorry wheel

[SJobson]

Do bear in mind that at some point, E39s went from single stage to two-stage airbags and I think you can only replace with the same type. So a late wheel won't work on an early E39. Cut-off was 1999 I think, not sure if that's 99 model year or cars registered from 99, i.e. 2000 model year.

[peaktorque]

This might be worth a shot

[coley20]

Yeh it does, will that fit my car then a 2000 e39 530d?

[peaktorque]

Mid 1999 they changed the boss on the wheel, so you will need the later type fitment.

Probably best to contact the seller directly and find out what age car it was from

[gizlaroc]

Be very careful here.

The E39 also changed from a single stage air bag to a dual stage air bag in 2001, I think this was also when the M-Sport wheel was released.
2002 saw the newer 2 stage round airbag similar to the E46 wheel.

You need to loon on www.bmw5.co.uk or similar as you don't want to mess around with airbags getting it wrong.

[SJobson]

gizlaroc said:

The E39 also changed from a single stage air bag to a dual stage air bag in 2001, I think this was also when the M-Sport wheel was released.
2002 saw the newer 2 stage round airbag similar to the E46 wheel.

I may have been wrong when I said 1999 for the dual-stage airbags, then. But I do know the sport steering wheel changed for the 2000 model year - it became an inch smaller in diameter and lost the multi-coloured M-stitching. That was then used up until the new-style wheel arrived for the 2002 model year. No idea which are compatible with which.

[Hammerhead]

Got my 'new' m-tech wheel fitted today and have to say I'm well chuffed with the result. Much, much nicer to hold and the m/f buttons are better placed for ease of use.


My car is a 9/00 produced car, ie the first of the facelift e39s. This wheel went on no problem (and has the dual stage airbag).

[Deano_BMW]

so much better. its on my list of things to do but i'm pre facelift

[SJobson]

How much pre-facelift? A 2000 model year car shares the steering wheel with the 2000-2001 post-facelift models, so it should just fit. Looks nice