Paddle Shifts on my LS

[Quik LS]

Paddle Shifts



Well – I’ve wanted to do this for a while – and finally found a write-up by an M3 performance group that helped me get all the pieces together.

Here’s what you’ll need:
$108.67 - 32-34-7-833-040 – Assy ‘SMG’ Switch Set CLP
$130.82 - 32-34-7-891-004 – shift lever set ‘wide’ SMG - larger paddles

Two of - 2750241 SPDT 12V 1AMP Relay (RadioShack) $4.29 (I’ll explain why later).

The 32-34-7-833-040 – Assy ‘SMG’ Switch Set CLP comes with a set of paddles – but I ordered a set that had a longer reach. Great article on it : http://e46m3performance.com/installs/paddles/

 

[Quik LS]

First – get the steering wheel off – the hardest part of the entire job. Follow the steps in the service manual – disconnect the negative battery post (to disable the airbag) – and disassemble. You will need the $5 two-prong hub puller from AutoZone to get the wheel off.

Second – get the plastic shroud off the back of the wheel.

 

[Quik LS]

Third – spend some time lining up the paddles and using a dremel tool cut a hole so that the top part of the mechanism sticks through the plastic shroud. Looks a little ‘Borg-ish’ but it’s on the back of the steering wheel – so it will be hard to see.

 

[Quik LS]

Step four – mount the remaining hardware – and reassemble the steering wheel. Clip the yellow wires from the switches apart, leave the black ones together (with the eyelet) and ground them to the steering wheel frame using one of the screws the hold the plastic shroud in place.

 

[Quik LS]

Step 5 - Here is where the relays come in.

The BMW SMG paddles are typical switches that close a circuit when depressed – however – the LS SST signals the computer of a up-shift or down-shift by opening the circuit. So you have to create a small circuit that energizes the relay when the paddle is depressed, which open the circuit in the SST up-shift or down-shift link.

I wired mine into the console.
- Used +12V from the line running to lighter plug in the back of the console. I soldered this to one side of the relay coil on both relays.
- ran a line from the paddle switches (the yellow line) and soldered one to the other side of the relay coil (one for each relay). Now when you pull on the paddle you’ll hear a slight ‘click’ of the relay.
- you’ll see the plug under the SST shifter – the red and yellow make the up-shift circuit while the blue and black make the down-shift circuit. You need to cut into the red line and wire it across the ‘normally closed’ poles of one relay (the one the powers when you pull the up-shift paddle). Cut into the blue line and wire it across the ‘normally closed’ poles of the other relay (the one the powers when you pull the down-shift paddle).

Here’s a shot of the wiring before I cleaned it up:

 

[Quik LS]

Reassemble the console and enjoy!!!:Beer

They work just like in the SMG BMW - pull toward the steering wheel. Works pretty good - the LS ignores any input from the paddles unless the shifter is in SST mode so there is no chance of an accident getting use to the paddles on the wheel.

 

[GrayGhost1]

Sweet! :Beer

 

[ohioLS]

HOLY Toledo!
I cant believe you are doing this, thats awesome. I have driven one car w/ paddle shifters and it was wierd at first but one you get the hang of it, its great. Good luck I am sure you will give us a full report on it once its complete.

-Scott-

 

[eL eS]

WOW LOU! Great documentation on the poject. Hey do the lunch tongs reach the padles pretty well?

 

[eL eS]

I can only imagine how this would help promote better shift and steering in the s curves and such. I hate one handing the wheel and shifting when rounding a corner.

 

[MAllen82]

ok, now do these only work when my shifter is in the SST position, or are they always on? I'm figuring it's the former, but had to ask. Thanks, that was such a quick response, I appreciate it man!

 

[MAllen82]

scratch that, you posted that last one while I was typing mine.

 

[GrayGhost1]

ok, now do these only work when my shifter is in the SST position, or are they always on? I'm figuring it's the former, but had to ask. Thanks, that was such a quick response, I appreciate it man!

As QuikLS stated above, the LS ignores any input from the paddles when the car is not in SST mode. That is if you wire it up like Lou did.

 

[MAllen82]

where do you run the yellow wire from the paddles on the steering wheel to the center console?

 

[GrayGhost1]

Paddle Shifts



Well – I’ve wanted to do this for a while – and finally found a write-up by an M3 performance group that helped me get all the pieces together.

Here’s what you’ll need:
$108.67 - 32-34-7-833-040 – Assy ‘SMG’ Switch Set CLP
$130.82 - 32-34-7-891-004 – shift lever set ‘wide’ SMG - larger paddles

Two of - 2750241 SPDT 12V 1AMP Relay (RadioShack) $4.29 (I’ll explain why later).

The 32-34-7-833-040 – Assy ‘SMG’ Switch Set CLP comes with a set of paddles – but I ordered a set that had a longer reach. Great article on it : [url="http://e46m3performance.com/installs/paddles/"]http://e46m3performance.com/installs/paddles/[/url]

Just a clarification to the above part numbers. I ordered the SMG switch set (32-34-7-833-040) and they did NOT come with the paddles. They are sold separately so Lou got a deal on his. However, if you wanted to order the paddles with it you can and the part numbers are:

32-34-7-891-003 - Standard Size Paddles = ~$103
32-34-7-891-004 - Large Size Paddles = ~$105

I opted to get real fancy and ordered the SMG Paddles from www.smgpaddles.com. I got the black anodized. Pics below:

 

[HyeLifeLS]

I wanna a M3

 

[GrayGhost1]

Lou,

How do you have your wires inside the steering wheel and down the steering column now? Did you incorporate the wiring into the clock spring? Whenever I turn the steering wheel you can hear the wires moving around inside the steering wheel.

 

[BeamerBeater01]

PADDLE SHIFTERS ARE IN!!!! After many hours of wiring and talking with Lou, I got them wired up and went out for a test drive. They are AWSOME. I love driving with them. It is def. worth the money and time. Thanks alot Lou for all the help.

 

[Quik LS]

cool deal !!! :Beer

 

[BanginLS]

how do i know if my car has sst?

 

[SoonerLS]

how do i know if my car has sst?

Look at the shifter. If the shifter pattern looks like a flattened S, with a jog to the right from D5 with a 1-2-3-4, then you don't have an SST shifter. If D4 is directly under D5, and it shifts to the right of D5 into a space with a + and -, then you have the SST shifter.

If you have a V6 with a manual, then you don't have SST.

The only difference between the SST and non-SST auto cars is the shifter (and a tranny reflash, if you care about not having D4).

 

[Beamer]

How much of a PITA would it be to do this on a non-sst LS?

 

[Quik LS]

All LSes have the right transmisison for this - all you have to have a SST shifter in place. There is a seperate thread on how to add the shifter - I did - it's less than an hours worth of work.

Once the shifter is in - you have all the connections to tap.

 

[Quik LS]

:EDIT: double post

 

[gixxer]

can you post the link to the other thread with the sst shifter?