135i DCT - KMP Steering Wheel

[mKilgore]

Cross-post from "Cosmetic Modifications"

Thought you all would enjoy and appreciate this as well.

I recently installed a KMP steering wheel in my 2013 135i DCT track car. KMP offers a plug'n'play solution for steering wheels with no need for coding off the airbag. Additionally, they offer buttons that can be programmed to control parts of the car like headlights, horn, wipers, sport-mode, etc.

The wheel is advertised as an e9X/e8X steering wheel, but the information for the DCT transmission paddle shifters was inconsistent on whether it would work with the 135i. The wheel was originally made for the e9X M3 with the DCT. I contacted KMP to confirm fitment, and they said they had not been able to adapt the M3 wheel to the 135i yet. So I sent them my stock wheel, they adapted the electronics, and then sent me an e8X DCT-specific wheel. It took about 1 hour to install. The wheel is based on an OMP Targa steering wheel, which is 330 mm. It is smaller than I was expecting, but I really like it. It does block the view of the top portion of the gauges for my positioning, but it isn't that bad and definitely something I can adjust as needed.

I have not yet wired any of the buttons as I am not sure yet what I want to use them for. TBD.

[amg6975]

Pictures don't work but these are nice units. I made my own a couple years ago that replaced the shifter, did data logging, live display data, lap timing, etc. I took it off when I swapped my car and haven't had time to make a rev 2.0 and clean it up.

[mKilgore]

Amg6975, that is a ridiculous wheel. And the fact you did it yourself is truly humbling!

I tried fixing the photos, hopefully they work now.

[amg6975]

Originally Posted by mKilgore

Amg6975, that is a ridiculous wheel. And the fact you did it yourself is truly humbling!

I tried fixing the photos, hopefully they work now.

Thanks, helps that that sort of thing is my day job. Pics work now, wheel looks great!

[houtan]

Love the steering wheels! Question, do you know if the other airbags will still work?

[mKilgore]

I assume they would still work normally. When I installed the wheel, I unplugged the airbag harness connector from the steering column. I then placed a connector bridge supplied by KMP into the harness connection so that the electronics still think the airbag harness is connected. Otherwise, nothing else is different. So I do not see any reason that this would cause the other airbags not to work.

[houtan]

I’m starting to look at magnetic paddles or a new steering wheel with magnetic paddles and came across this thread. I really like what both of you have done. I know it’s been a couple of years, but I’m guessing you are still enjoying your steering wheels.

mKilgore , how do you like the upgrade. Did you ever program your buttons?

amg6975, would it even be remotely possible for a regular diyer to build what you made? Amazing work. Also, you say your wheel replaced the shifter. Does that literally mean what you say, your shifter is gone?

[amg6975]

Originally Posted by houtan

amg6975, would it even be remotely possible for a regular diyer to build what you made? Amazing work. Also, you say your wheel replaced the shifter. Does that literally mean what you say, your shifter is gone?

No shot. It has a custom board it in with custom firmware. I have a few but I don't think I could bring myself to sell them for liability reasons.

I never put it back in the car after doing the S65 swap but yes, the GWS was completely gone. I routed power and CAN from the shifter through the airbag twisted pairs, made a custom harness that connected to the airbag connector on the other side of the clock spring, that then went through a quick disconnect. My board/firmware interacted with the CAN exactly the same as the stock shifter but everything was done via button pushes on the steering wheel.

The display displayed several things like actual coolant temp, oil temp, trans temp. It had some rudimentary data logging built in and a Bluetooth radio to download it but I never got that far. My goal was to make it compatible with AIM software. One thing I had that I really liked was a live read out of min corner speeds and max straight speeds as you went along. I read an article where Michael Schumacher was talking about how that was the only display he ever paid attention to, it was very handy.

There were a few things I wasn't too happy with on that revision, and I've been meaning to make a more polished version but just haven't found any time to spend on it. I think at this point I'm more likely to just use an AIM wheel and make a custom interface for it at the SZL connector.

[JupiterBMW]

Great looking! I too have the KMP wheel in my E82, an easier install for me as the car is already a full E92 M3 swap. So mine was a direct drop in, but it is an absolutely awesome upgrade, the magnetic paddles are SO much better. As for buttons, yellow is my M button (M mode and MDM traction settings) and the red is the horn. Need to set up blue and green, thinking blue for flash and green for wipers...

Enjoy!

[houtan]

I forgot to post my final results as well. As others have said absolutely love the steering wheel and the paddles are my favorite part. The shifts feel so solid. It’s night and day difference compared to stock.

I ended up wiring my free to use buttons to my boost controller for on the fly boost switching and the other button to disable traction control.

I also like how the steering wheel is about an inch closer to me.

[Geran]

Where did y'all buy the wheel from? All the ones I find are for the e9x platform. I see that Bimmerworld offers them preconfigured just not for the e8x.

I need a new wheel for my car and I would prefer to get this over the e9x M3 flat bottom one.

[houtan]

I would email them.