Confused on BMW Performance Steering wheel

[m7ammed]

Well my M-Sport wheel is used well, leather is discolored ..etc served me wheel for 113k KMs. So I'm looking to upgrade the steering wheel. Now I'm looking at the non electric version, as I don't track the car and won't use those features. What I'm confused about is that there seem to be one with a blue strip and one with yellow on. What is the difference?

My car is AT Steptronic BTW.

Edit:
Also how do you go about taking care of it, so id doesn't degrade over time?

[Adam135]

I would skip it because it's alcantara. My last car had an alcantara steering wheel and it doesn't wear as nicely, or feel as good (IMO), as leather. I installed the OEM M3 wheel recently and love it! You can also upgrade to the M3 paddles if you choose. The Napa leather feels great, and the wheel is just a tad thicker (maybe due to the material?).

[zamboni]

I would go with the M wheel as Adam135 described it's a much better upgrade IMHO.

[Dackelone]

Here are some pics for you. BMW makes a special cleaner for suede aka alcantera coverings. The Performance steering wheels look pretty sweet in person. I really like the non electronic ones the best. Pure sex in your hands.























135i different factory steering wheels...
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=562602


Personally... I went for the M3 tri stitched steering wheel for my 135i. I reallt like it. But the Alcantera Perfomance wheel was a close 2nd choice for me.

[FazerBoy]

That M3 wheel looks great!

Is it exactly the same size as the standard wheel? I ask because I have Hartge carbon fibre trim on my standard wheel and would want to transfer this across to the M3 wheel if I went for that. (I have a 6MT if it makes any difference).

Cheers

Jack

[Adam135]

Originally Posted by FazerBoy

That M3 wheel looks great!

Is it exactly the same size as the standard wheel? I ask because I have Hartge carbon fibre trim on my standard wheel and would want to transfer this across to the M3 wheel if I went for that. (I have a 6MT if it makes any difference).

Cheers

Jack

Yep, I replaced M-Sport with a used OEM M3 wheel. Used my existing trim, all plug and play. Check out the for sale section of M3Post, a lot of guys there are going with the electronic performance wheel. You can get a nice one for around $300.

[FazerBoy]

Originally Posted by Adam135

Yep, I replaced M-Sport with a used OEM M3 wheel. Used my existing trim, all plug and play.

Thanks Adam!

I assume that is an E90/E92 version....

[Adam135]

Originally Posted by FazerBoy

Thanks Adam!

I assume that is an E90/E92 version....

Here it is installed

[FazerBoy]

Great pics!

My car is a manual. Does the replacement M3 wheel need to come from a manual too?

[TheBurro]

Can you use the steptronic paddles with a M3 wheel, or do you have to get the DCT or M3 style paddles?

[Trptguy]

Just have your current wheel rewrapped and make it a little thicker

[Adam135]

Originally Posted by TheBurro

Can you use the steptronic paddles with a M3 wheel, or do you have to get the DCT or M3 style paddles?

I remember reading a for sale post where someone was selling a M3 wheel that had been "retrofitted" for the steptronic paddles. I believe the steptronics ones are slightly larger, so they will fit but may require a little wheel modification.

Originally Posted by FazerBoy

Great pics?

My car is a manual. Does the replacement M3 wheel need to come from a manual too?

You would want to buy a wheel that came from a manual transmission car so that it doesn't have holes in the back for paddles.

[FazerBoy]

Thanks Adam.

(Just noticed a typo in my previous post - I meant to say 'Great pics!' not 'Great pics?'...lol).

[Bmwbreed]

Yes go with the m3 wheel. I swapped out my stock wheel first night I owned the car after only 10 miles and the m3 wheel is great. So much thicker and better grip and the smoothness of the napa leather is amazing. Will probobly show less wear also sense it's smooth leather and dosent have creases in it. Here's a befor and after pic of when I swapped them last week. Ps you can use a wheel from a dct car if you have 6mt. My car is 6mt and there are small holes behind it but you can't even see then from the outside looking in and it's still plug and play. It's hard to find non dct cars these days and I got this wheel for a great deal it was brand new and never used as the guy I bought it from bought it for a m3 paddle retrofit project then sold his 135.

[Adam135]

Originally Posted by Bmwbreed

Yes go with the m3 wheel. I swapped out my stock wheel first night I owned the car after only 10 miles and the m3 wheel is great. So much thicker and better grip and the smoothness of the napa leather is amazing.

I thought 2013s came with M steering wheels minus the tri-color stitching? Your stock one looks thicker than M-sport and it doesn't have perforated leather.

Originally Posted by Bmwbreed

. Ps you can use a wheel from a dct car if you have 6mt. My car is 6mt and there are small holes behind it but you can't even see then from the outside looking in and it's still plug and play.

Good point!

[Bmwbreed]

Originally Posted by Adam135

I thought 2013s came with M steering wheels minus the tri-color stitching? Your stock one looks thicker than M-sport and it doesn't have perforated leather.



Good point!

Ummm I think it was just a sport wheel (thats what vin decoder classifies it as) and that's why it had the thumb rests on it but its not an m wheel minus tri stitching. It may be as thick as an msport wheel I can't really say sense I didn't have one nor did I want an msport wheel. Didn't like the perforated leather. And the leather on my wheel wasn't napa. I guess it was Boston like the seats cuz it wasn't as soft or smooth. And I wasn't saying you were wrong about not using a dct wheel. Just that if you do the holes are hardly visible inside or out unless u stick ur head around looking for them lol. And most cars are dct so if you come accross a good deal dct wheel scoop it up. Thanks on pics comment

[m7ammed]

Still nobody answered what the difference is between the blue strip non electric and yellow strip non electric

Forgot to add that I already have BMW performance autoshifter, handbrake, suspension, and suspension so tit would be an edition to my performance theme.

Originally Posted by Adam135

How did you get the DTC paddles to work in place of the steptronic ones? Does Napa were less than regular M-Sport one?

[Adam135]

Originally Posted by m7ammed

How did you get the DTC paddles to work in place of the steptronic ones?

Plug and play for Steptronic cars!

[m7ammed]

Originally Posted by Adam135

Plug and play for Steptronic cars!

So now you don't have push for down shift and just + on right and - on left? Sorry for dumb the questions, I'm just surprised that its plug & play since functionality is different

[Adam135]

Originally Posted by m7ammed

Still nobody answered what the difference is between the blue strip non electric and yellow strip non electric

Yellow also seems to have white stitching while Blue has the ///M stitching.

[Adam135]

Originally Posted by m7ammed

So now you don't have push for down shift and just + on right and - on left? Sorry for dumb the questions, I'm just surprised that its plug & play since functionality is different

Correct, pull right side to upshift and pull left side to downshift. Besides the DCT paddles looking better, I also prefer how they function. I hated how the original paddles worked. I was also surprised they are plug and play!

[m7ammed]

Originally Posted by Adam135

Only thing I noticed below. Yellow also seems to have white stitching while Blue has the ///M stitching.

Ok read the description on getBMWParts Blue is for DTC/manual, Yellow one is for Steptronic/Manual.

Originally Posted by Adam135

Correct, pull right side to upshift and pull left side to downshift. Besides the DCT paddles looking better, I also prefer how they function. I hated how the original paddles worked. I was also surprised they are plug and play!

DTC paddles don't come with M3 steering or the Blue strip Performance one, and the cost 495 USD as much as the wheel it self. Seems like yellow strip is the cheaper option for Steptronic cars.

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462
http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...catalogid=4462


I was thinking as I was typing, if DCT paddles are plug and play would that mean I could get the M3 or Blue Pref steering and just put my old peddles in place?