[i M HOONIGAN]

Hi guys, i need your advice here. My brother in law just picked up a loaded F25 (without sport package), so he has that dinky skinny steering wheel. I would like to get him a sport or mtech steering wheel.

My question is - are the airbags on different sport-trim and regular-trim steering wheels the same? Is it a direct plug and play for the different steering wheels?

Thank you.

[nyalpine90]

i was doing some research and i was told it wasnt possible there is no retrofit kit available.
But the airbag and multi-function buttons can be swapped over, so im not too sure if it can be done or not. i would like the msport steering as well.

[i M HOONIGAN]

Originally Posted by nyalpine90

i was doing some research and i was told it wasnt possible there is no retrofit kit available.
But the airbag and multi-function buttons can be swapped over, so im not too sure if it can be done or not. i would like the msport steering as well.

I did a quick search on google images, and it seems the Mtech steering wheel looks like the one from the new m5/m6... that 3 spoke one. That one looks like the entire airbag and trim is different, so i'm sure that'll be a $1000+ retrofit.

However, the sport steering wheel (with the thumb supports) looks like it'll use the same airbag/trim, so i don't see why it wouldn't be a direct swap.

As for the retrofit kit - there's never a retrofit kit to any car... For example, on my e90, i had the base, non-sport, steering wheel... terrible feeling. I sourced a sport airbag, got the mtech steering wheel AND the m3 steering wheel, and it was a direct fit...

[nyalpine90]

getbmwparts.com is where i get my parts for f25, i was able to purchase black roof rails. the steering wheel is available without trim and airbag.

Originally Posted by Mtech E90 E83

I did a quick search on google images, and it seems the Mtech steering wheel looks like the one from the new m5/m6... that 3 spoke one. That one looks like the entire airbag and trim is different, so i'm sure that'll be a $1000+ retrofit.

However, the sport steering wheel (with the thumb supports) looks like it'll use the same airbag/trim, so i don't see why it wouldn't be a direct swap.

As for the retrofit kit - there's never a retrofit kit to any car... For example, on my e90, i had the base, non-sport, steering wheel... terrible feeling. I sourced a sport airbag, got the mtech steering wheel AND the m3 steering wheel, and it was a direct fit...

[nyalpine90]

i believe theres 2 holes behind the steering wheel that holds the airbag. i saw few clips on youtube on removing airbag and car has to be off


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


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

[bichoo]

you can't use the same airbag from the skinny steering wheel, you need a new airbag, steerig wheel, and trim..1000+ upgrade

[i M HOONIGAN]

The non-sport steering wheel does not fit the sport steering wheel? I went to the gallery at BMWUSA, and it seems the airbag is the same...?

if you look at the pictures below, the first is non-sport...2nd is sport... Airbag looks identical. just the trim and steering wheel is different..?

[i M HOONIGAN]

upon further examination... it does look like the non-sport airbag is bigger than the sport airbag. Well, that's a big bummer :/

[bagekko]

The steering wheel in my 2011 X3 M Sport is I think identical in shape to the one in my 2008 M5. I havent examined closely to determine 100% but pretty sure they are the same, except that the X3 has more buttons on it.

My wife thinks her X3 is so cool because it has the same steering wheel as my M5.

Originally Posted by Mtech E90 E83

I did a quick search on google images, and it seems the Mtech steering wheel looks like the one from the new m5/m6... that 3 spoke one. That one looks like the entire airbag and trim is different, so i'm sure that'll be a $1000+ retrofit.

However, the sport steering wheel (with the thumb supports) looks like it'll use the same airbag/trim, so i don't see why it wouldn't be a direct swap.

As for the retrofit kit - there's never a retrofit kit to any car... For example, on my e90, i had the base, non-sport, steering wheel... terrible feeling. I sourced a sport airbag, got the mtech steering wheel AND the m3 steering wheel, and it was a direct fit...

[nyalpine90]

on site its says the items can be transfer over unless the info is incorrect by getbmwparts.com

[i M HOONIGAN]

Based on the pictures above, coupled with the fact that the airbags for the sport and non-sport have different part numbers, I'm confident that it's not a simple transfer.

If you look at the stock photos above, although the airbags have very similar shapes, they are different. The "HORN" logos on the nonsport airbag sit above the "BMW", while the horns on the sport are at the B and W line...

Bummer, but i bet BMW did this on purpose. Just like the non-sport and sport airbags on the e9x.

[BMWZ4]

Been down this road before as I have the skinny wheel as well. The airbag (the most expensive piece) cannot be transferred to the new wheel and there's no "packaged" upgrade kit either.

You can do it, but it'll cost you over $2.5k (in Toronto anyway). You need the new wheel (obviously), plus new airbag, plus some of the harnesses as well. My quote from my dealership 1 1/2 years ago was something like $2.6k.

Dave

[i M HOONIGAN]

Originally Posted by BMWZ4

Been down this road before as I have the skinny wheel as well. The airbag (the most expensive piece) cannot be transferred to the new wheel and there's no "packaged" upgrade kit either.

You can do it, but it'll cost you over $2.5k (in Toronto anyway). You need the new wheel (obviously), plus new airbag, plus some of the harnesses as well. My quote from my dealership 1 1/2 years ago was something like $2.6k.

Dave

Thanks for the confirmation, Dave. Great choice in cars, btw... Z4 for fun, X3 to take you everywhere else!