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      05-14-2013, 10:09 PM   #1
SfValley335i
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DIY: Installing F10 M5 shift knob on 135i

I read a few posts that people were looking for a DIY on the F10 M5 shift knob. I decided to make the purchase. I have a 08 135i Mtech, and prem package, nothing else.

Step 1)
Put car into 2nd gear and using both hands pull upwards to remove the oem knob. Once the knob is off the shifter, you'll want to remove the shift boot. The boot is removed by pulling up on any corner, theres 4 tabs one on each corner.


Step 2)
You will now see the bare shifter, there is a 5x4x2 foam square piece you'll remove. Just lift up at the corners and it'll come out.




Step 3)
Get your M5 shifter, turn the boot inside out, you will see a white ring. Tug and pull on the leather boot and it will slowly come apart where its glued. Then you'll want to use a small screw driver or something to break the two oval tabs on the white ring. Theres no way of removing the white ring without breaking these 2 tabs.







Step 4)
Right around 4th gear, you should see an electrical connection. I'm not sure where it leads to/from, but its connected to the headlights/interior lights. I noticed its live when the headlights are on and turns off when car door is opened.


Step 5)
Disconnect the connector by pressing the two tabs on the side. There are 3 wires on the connector, brown (ground), green/yellow (unsure), red/purple (power). You'll want to tap into the Brown wire and the red/purple wire to power the led light on the M5 shift knob. Its pretty simple since the shift knob has the same color wires, brown, red/purple. Use whatever method you're comfortable with tapping the wires. (Soldering/wire tap/strip and electrical tape)




Step 6)
Once you've made the electrical connections for the M5 knob, you'll want to take the white ring you removed in Step 3. You'll take it and push it into your oem shift boot. Push it up from the bottom side... DO NOT push it all the way through, you want to place the white ring 1cm below the very top of the leather boot opening. Hold the ring in place and use glue to secure it in place, I used super glue. (Make sure the ring is pointed straight, the broken taps should be pointed towards 4th gear)

Now you'll want to install the foam square, then the leather boot, and then the shift knob, finally the interior trim piece.



Final
As I said, the knob will turn on if the headlights are on, and it will turn off if you turn off the car and open the door... The M5 knob feels different in the hand, but after driving for a day, I'm really starting to love how it feels, shifting feels much better too.


Here is the Purchase Link $123 shipped



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      05-15-2013, 12:06 AM   #2
Adam135
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Great write up, I see this being a popular mod! How much is the knob?
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      05-15-2013, 09:17 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Adam135 View Post
Great write up, I see this being a popular mod! How much is the knob?
Thanks, the price and link where to purchase is listed above in the "Final" paragraph
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      05-15-2013, 11:13 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SfValley335i View Post
Thanks, the price and link where to purchase is listed above in the "Final" paragraph
Sorry totally missed that!!

Last edited by Adam135; 05-16-2013 at 08:12 PM..
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      05-16-2013, 12:21 PM   #5
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Make sure you disconnect the battery before tapping into the wires. I didn't and it triggered airbag light (not sure how..), which I had to live with for weeks before I had it cleared.
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      05-16-2013, 04:36 PM   #6
SfValley335i
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Quote:
Originally Posted by e82m_van View Post
Make sure you disconnect the battery before tapping into the wires. I didn't and it triggered airbag light (not sure how..), which I had to live with for weeks before I had it cleared.

I didnt disconnect the battery and didnt receive an airbag light.... but it is advised to disconnect the battery when doing electrical work...

this shifter feels so much better than oem, I swear the gearbox feels smoother!!!
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      05-16-2013, 07:29 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SfValley335i View Post
I didnt disconnect the battery and didnt receive an airbag light.... but it is advised to disconnect the battery when doing electrical work...

this shifter feels so much better than oem, I swear the gearbox feels smoother!!!
So our cars are pre-wired for this? I wonder why? I don't recall seeing a wiring harness when I changed out my shift boot (but that was a few years ago...) - is it hidden under the "5x4x2 foam square" you talk about?
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      05-16-2013, 08:02 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bimmer-Bob View Post
So our cars are pre-wired for this? I wonder why? I don't recall seeing a wiring harness when I changed out my shift boot (but that was a few years ago...) - is it hidden under the "5x4x2 foam square" you talk about?

Its not pre-wired for it, because the m5 knob has a small connector on the end of the wires, which you cut off and then use the wires to tape into the wire harness I showed in the DIY.

Yes I believe ALL 1 series have this white connector, which we tap into for power, I even saw it on an Automatic 1 series...

Once you remove the boot, you should see a loom of wires running to the right of the shifter, if you follow those wires, you'll have to remove the big foam piece then you'll see the white connector...


Here is a picture I found online of the foam piece...
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      08-09-2013, 01:02 AM   #9
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Just as an update, if you have a 2010 at least the wiring is nothing like this. It looks like I need to run one from the fusebox to the center stack. I'll post an update when I do.
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      08-09-2013, 09:20 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSt|G View Post
Just as an update, if you have a 2010 at least the wiring is nothing like this. It looks like I need to run one from the fusebox to the center stack. I'll post an update when I do.
Post a picture of your wiring. Maybe my diy only works for cars with a cigarette lighter, I believe some 1 series dont have an ash tray.
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      08-09-2013, 11:37 PM   #11
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I don't have an ashtray, but I do have a 12v outlet under the armrest.

I'll get pictures up when I work it out. I would really like to have it on night time switched power.
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      08-12-2013, 12:05 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SfValley335i View Post
Post a picture of your wiring.
So I did a bit of digging and Red/Grey wires are universally interior lighting(what you want for auto dim and night on off). You have one because the ash tray has interior lighting. Figuring there would be one for the radio and climate control, I pulled off the center stack trim and looked around inside.

Bingo, hiding in the wiring harness. I tapped it with a vampire clip as there was no room to solder and ran a a lead back up the center console to the shifter.





Soldered it together at the knob and then tapped the ground that was in the center console already.






Perfect function with dimming to the OBC controls. Functions as if stock.

Last edited by TheSt|G; 05-22-2014 at 12:40 PM..
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      08-12-2013, 12:10 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSt|G View Post


Perfect function with dimming to the OBC controls. Functions as if stock.

Awesome! Glad you figured it out and updated the thread.
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      05-22-2014, 11:13 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSt|G View Post
So I did a bit of digging and Red/Grey wires are universally interior lighting(what you want for auto dim and night on off). You have one because the ash tray has interior lighting. Figuring there would be one for the radio and climate control, I pulled off the center stack trim and looked around inside.

Bingo, hiding in the wiring harness. I tapped it with a vampire clip as there was no room to solder and ran a a lead back up the center console to the shifter.





Soldered it together at the knob and then tapped the ground that was in the center console already.






Perfect function with dimming to the OBC controls. Functions as if stock.
Sorry to bring an old thread back but I was thinking of doing this. TheST|G, can you please re-post your pictures. They have been deleted. Which part of the center stack trim did you remove? Where the radio controls are?

Thanks,
CM
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      05-22-2014, 12:43 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CM View Post
Sorry to bring an old thread back but I was thinking of doing this. TheST|G, can you please re-post your pictures. They have been deleted. Which part of the center stack trim did you remove? Where the radio controls are?

Thanks,
CM
No worries, rehosted it.

The trim I removed was the climate control piece that extends down and wraps under the center stack. Expect to break/bend it on the way out, it's a flimsy hunk of junk. I replaced it with a new one.
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      05-22-2014, 02:55 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheSt|G View Post
No worries, rehosted it.

The trim I removed was the climate control piece that extends down and wraps under the center stack. Expect to break/bend it on the way out, it's a flimsy hunk of junk. I replaced it with a new one.
Awesome. Thanks Bro!
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      04-11-2017, 06:14 PM   #17
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Interested in doing this, anyone know where to get the knob inexpensive?
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      04-11-2017, 06:22 PM   #18
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https://www.getbmwparts.com/partloca...catalogid=4462

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...FZWCaQodKj0KFQ

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...m5-25112284205

First result has a few other OEM options.
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