Success: Heated Steering Wheel Retrofit into 2018 M-Sport

kry226 · 10-20-2018, 05:42 AM

***RETROFIT AT YOUR OWN RISK***

There's probably only a handful of folks across the world crazy enough like me to embark upon this retrofit. But since I haven't seen any F15 HSW retrofits, I figured I'd still post my success should any of the crazies decide to take on the project.

I added the HSW to our 2018 M-Sport we bought back in May through a special program here in Germany. However, the program offer was restricted to inflexible package content. Basically, I could pick the paint, wheels, leather, and wood. If I could have ordered the HSW from the factory, I would have.

Through lots of research and comparisons of different configurations on RealOEM, I decided I needed three parts, for a total of €1,137.49:

HSW (obviously): 32307847457
Switch: 61319267367
Control Unit: 61317849447

I picked these up from the dealer just down the street from me. Research and purchase parts at your own risk.

Ensure you extend the steering column to max and down a little before disconnecting the battery. Doing so will make it easier to crack open the column and install the new switch. A few hotshots on YouTube will say there's no need to disconnect the battery, but why risk it? DISCONNECT THE BATTERY.

A variety of YouTube videos and forum threads assisted with the removal of the wheel from the car and replacing the switch. There's nothing I can really add to any of that. It's all pretty straight forward or self-explanatory. The hardest part was removing the electronics, switches, and paddle shifters from the old wheel and installing on the new. Just take your time and go slow. Taking pictures along the way will help ensure you get the wires and such routed correctly as designed. NewTIS also provides a wealth of disassembly/reassembly instructions as well as wiring diagrams, if needed.

During the dis/reassembly, you will swap out the control unit (smallish curved rectangular box) as it has an extra lead (4-pin, I think) that connects to the corresponding large terminal coming off the heating element in the wheel itself. The wheel also has a smaller two-pin terminal coming off the heating element on the opposite end (this will make sense when you see it), which in my vehicle connects to NOTHING. As packaged, the HSW comes with a couple of wide strips of velcro wrapped around this smaller lead. I tucked this within the wheel housing out of the way. I'm sure the velcro prevents rattling of the terminal. Note that depending on your OEM configuration, you may have a feature that requires plugging this smaller lead into something. I cannot help you with that, but with my configuration it's unused.

Complete the reassembly of the steering column with the new switch and installation of the wheel and airbag. Torque the wheel nut to 45 ft lbs/62 Nm.

Once you're sure everything is reinstalled correctly, reconnect the vehicle battery and start it up. Look for any notifications and test out your steering wheel buttons/switches/shifters. The only notification I had was to reset the time and date.

I hit the HSW switch, and amazingly, my cluster (6WA) showed "Steering Wheel Heating Activated" with the correct symbol. Hitting the switch again gave me "Steering Wheel Heating Deactivated". For giggles, I decided to turn it back on and wait to see if the wheel got warm.

IT DID!!!!

I was fully prepared to code several ECUs in order to get everything working correctly. But again and much to my surprise, everything works with absolutely ZERO CODING.

I am sure there is some benefit to VO coding, like being able to select a temperature at which the HSW comes on automatically through the iDrive. But from my perspective, I don't have Remote Start, so the auto function will save me about 2 nanoseconds.

I still may code in the future, but at this point, I'm going to leave well-enough alone and not risk it. I'm a novice coder, so it's all good as-is.

A couple points of caution:
1. Break the wheel free from the splines before fully removing the bolt. This may keep you from punching yourself in the face.

2. DON'T FORCE ANYTHING, especially when disconnecting wires and terminals. Take your time. A small flathead screwdriver may help in disconnecting the terminals/leads.
3. DON'T ROTATE THE CLOCKSPRING. This is actually very easy to do inadvertently if you're not paying attention.

Anyway, I know this retrofit isn't for everyone and many will think it's not worth the money or time invested, and that's fine. But if you're interested, feel free to ask any questions you may have and I'll do my best to help.

P.S. I'll have a mint condition M-Sport steering wheel for sale here soon with only 5,500 miles of use.

HSW on the left, OE on the right:

chumbedi · 10-20-2018, 06:36 AM

Thanks, have got M-sport steering wheel and planning now quite some time to upgrade to HSW

DuSh · 01-12-2019, 02:11 AM

Wow that's a good mod and surprisingly no coding was needed! Thanks for listing all part numbers - I'm sure many people will appreciate that when they do that mod.

mikenice30 · 01-12-2019, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kry226

***RETROFIT AT YOUR OWN RISK***

There's probably only a handful of folks across the world crazy enough like me to embark upon this retrofit. But since I haven't seen any F15 HSW retrofits, I figured I'd still post my success should any of the crazies decide to take on the project.

I added the HSW to our 2018 M-Sport we bought back in May through a special program here in Germany. However, the program offer was restricted to inflexible package content. Basically, I could pick the paint, wheels, leather, and wood. If I could have ordered the HSW from the factory, I would have.

Through lots of research and comparisons of different configurations on RealOEM, I decided I needed three parts, for a total of €1,137.49:

HSW (obviously): 32307847457
Switch: 61319267367
Control Unit: 61317849447

I picked these up from the dealer just down the street from me. Research and purchase parts at your own risk.

Ensure you extend the steering column to max and down a little before disconnecting the battery. Doing so will make it easier to crack open the column and install the new switch. A few hotshots on YouTube will say there's no need to disconnect the battery, but why risk it? DISCONNECT THE BATTERY.

A variety of YouTube videos and forum threads assisted with the removal of the wheel from the car and replacing the switch. There's nothing I can really add to any of that. It's all pretty straight forward or self-explanatory. The hardest part was removing the electronics, switches, and paddle shifters from the old wheel and installing on the new. Just take your time and go slow. Taking pictures along the way will help ensure you get the wires and such routed correctly as designed. NewTIS also provides a wealth of disassembly/reassembly instructions as well as wiring diagrams, if needed.

During the dis/reassembly, you will swap out the control unit (smallish curved rectangular box) as it has an extra lead (4-pin, I think) that connects to the corresponding large terminal coming off the heating element in the wheel itself. The wheel also has a smaller two-pin terminal coming off the heating element on the opposite end (this will make sense when you see it), which in my vehicle connects to NOTHING. As packaged, the HSW comes with a couple of wide strips of velcro wrapped around this smaller lead. I tucked this within the wheel housing out of the way. I'm sure the velcro prevents rattling of the terminal. Note that depending on your OEM configuration, you may have a feature that requires plugging this smaller lead into something. I cannot help you with that, but with my configuration it's unused.

Complete the reassembly of the steering column with the new switch and installation of the wheel and airbag. Torque the wheel nut to 45 ft lbs/62 Nm.

Once you're sure everything is reinstalled correctly, reconnect the vehicle battery and start it up. Look for any notifications and test out your steering wheel buttons/switches/shifters. The only notification I had was to reset the time and date.

I hit the HSW switch, and amazingly, my cluster (6WA) showed "Steering Wheel Heating Activated" with the correct symbol. Hitting the switch again gave me "Steering Wheel Heating Deactivated". For giggles, I decided to turn it back on and wait to see if the wheel got warm.

IT DID!!!!

I was fully prepared to code several ECUs in order to get everything working correctly. But again and much to my surprise, everything works with absolutely ZERO CODING.

I am sure there is some benefit to VO coding, like being able to select a temperature at which the HSW comes on automatically through the iDrive. But from my perspective, I don't have Remote Start, so the auto function will save me about 2 nanoseconds.

I still may code in the future, but at this point, I'm going to leave well-enough alone and not risk it. I'm a novice coder, so it's all good as-is.

A couple points of caution:
1. Break the wheel free from the splines before fully removing the bolt. This may keep you from punching yourself in the face.

2. DON'T FORCE ANYTHING, especially when disconnecting wires and terminals. Take your time. A small flathead screwdriver may help in disconnecting the terminals/leads.
3. DON'T ROTATE THE CLOCKSPRING. This is actually very easy to do inadvertently if you're not paying attention.

Anyway, I know this retrofit isn't for everyone and many will think it's not worth the money or time invested, and that's fine. But if you're interested, feel free to ask any questions you may have and I'll do my best to help.

P.S. I'll have a mint condition M-Sport steering wheel for sale here soon with only 5,500 miles of use.

HSW on the left, OE on the right:

is it still available ?

kry226 · 01-13-2019, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikenice30

is it still available ?

The wheel is still available.

CatalinP · 02-23-2019, 10:45 AM

I read your thread and I wanted to install HSW myself...

Got the parts, installed everything, but it's not working...

The amber light on the button comes on, however there is no message on the cluster and the steering wheel remains cold.
I did also VO Coding, but no luck... VO Coding 248, then coded BDC Body, NBT-HU and KOMBI... Anything else needed?

Any ideas?

kry226 · 02-24-2019, 02:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CatalinP

I read your thread and I wanted to install HSW myself...

Got the parts, installed everything, but it's not working...

The amber light on the button comes on, however there is no message on the cluster and the steering wheel remains cold.
I did also VO Coding, but no luck... VO Coding 248, then coded BDC Body, NBT-HU and KOMBI... Anything else needed?

Any ideas?

I cannot imagine what else you would need to do, but I also don't know what the differences are between your model year and the 2018.

I would start the the obvious and basics... what they call in the IT world, the "Physical Layer." Did you actually receive the correct parts? I would double-check all the part numbers. I would also go to RealOEM and ensure you ordered all the needed parts for your model year. I did this by comparing my options with the options needed for HSW. I found all the different part numbers and ordered those three parts listed previously.

Once confirmed, I would then double-check all the connections. The switch is obviously getting power, but I would also ensure the control unit is connected correctly to the steering wheel.

I would then re-code everything. I was fully prepared to code for the HSW, but the cluster recognized the HSW and the wheel gets warm. But I have read in places where sometimes coding doesn't take the first time around.

If you've completed all this and still no joy, then we'll have to enlist more experienced help as I simply do not know what else the system would need. It's not a complicated system, so I suspect the problem is right under our noses.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

cfm56d7b · 02-24-2019, 09:11 AM

@kry226, I always appreciate an ambitious R&D project. Great, detailed instructions!

kry226 · 02-24-2019, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

@kry226, I always appreciate an ambitious R&D project. Great, detailed instructions!

Thanks a lot! I take a lot from the forums and I'm always looking to give back. Hope this helps other folks keep their hands warmer.

Tel69 · 08-17-2019, 04:58 AM

I have recently acquired a HSW and items required to retro fit, I’m interested, CatalinP, did you manage to establish what the issue was?

volc · 08-17-2019, 06:44 AM

I was also adding heated steering wheel to my X5 '14. I have just changed steering wheel and added button. Started to work right away. Nevertheless no message on instrument cluster. Later I have done coding for 248 for whole car, but still no message on cluster. Also I could not find any settings for steering wheel heating in HU NBT. What's most important heating works, so I am not complaining

CatalinP · 08-17-2019, 11:28 AM

To get the heating on/off notification in cluster, you need to code LHZ_CCM aktiv in BDC_Body.

CatalinP · 08-17-2019, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tel69

I have recently acquired a HSW and items required to retro fit, I’m interested, CatalinP, did you manage to establish what the issue was?

Not really. I just give up on that Steering Wheel and bought another one that works fine. It was probably something wrong with it...

bavarian335 · 12-24-2019, 12:17 AM

Is there a thread in how to code the heated feature through ISTA + step by step? I found a heated m-sport wheel with paddle shifters and want to code both features in.

flo_sb · 01-30-2021, 05:25 AM

Hey kry226, I was about to abandon my plan for a heated steering wheel retrofit on the G30, but your journey gave me confidence to try. So thank you!
I've identified the control unit and I think I'll give it a try.

Do you think that the M1/M2 buttons could be retrofitted the same way?
I've found a M5 wheel and it'd be nice to have comfort and sport mode at my fingertips and I wonder if using an M5 control unit would make it work (=> and if the software already got the M5 M1/M2 personalisation and it;s just a bit that needs changing via coding)
edit: did some googling, don't think it's possible.

zero2sixtyZ · 06-21-2023, 12:46 PM

Just wanted to say thanks to the OP for this thread. Successfully did the HSW conversion with an X5M wheel, switch and control module.

I was motivated to do this swap with the vibration motor noise (thanks to the flappy label) and creaking steering wheel trim. The M trim is much nicer material, and more rigid. Added the 3Ddesign rep (maybe not rep?) aluminum paddles.

Completed the retrofit just in time for summer!

Picture for reference, post-install, pre-cleaning. Will work on the coding next as the heated wheel works perfectly, but no message on the cluster yet.

10-20-2018, 05:42 AM	#1
kry226 Private 41 Rep 96 Posts Drives: 2018 X5 xDrive35i M-Sport Join Date: Aug 2016 Location: Pennsylvania iTrader: (0)	Success: Heated Steering Wheel Retrofit into 2018 M-Sport *RETROFIT AT YOUR OWN RISK* There's probably only a handful of folks across the world crazy enough like me to embark upon this retrofit. But since I haven't seen any F15 HSW retrofits, I figured I'd still post my success should any of the crazies decide to take on the project. I added the HSW to our 2018 M-Sport we bought back in May through a special program here in Germany. However, the program offer was restricted to inflexible package content. Basically, I could pick the paint, wheels, leather, and wood. If I could have ordered the HSW from the factory, I would have. Through lots of research and comparisons of different configurations on RealOEM, I decided I needed three parts, for a total of €1,137.49: HSW (obviously): 32307847457 Switch: 61319267367 Control Unit: 61317849447 I picked these up from the dealer just down the street from me. Research and purchase parts at your own risk. Ensure you extend the steering column to max and down a little before disconnecting the battery. Doing so will make it easier to crack open the column and install the new switch. A few hotshots on YouTube will say there's no need to disconnect the battery, but why risk it? DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. A variety of YouTube videos and forum threads assisted with the removal of the wheel from the car and replacing the switch. There's nothing I can really add to any of that. It's all pretty straight forward or self-explanatory. The hardest part was removing the electronics, switches, and paddle shifters from the old wheel and installing on the new. Just take your time and go slow. Taking pictures along the way will help ensure you get the wires and such routed correctly as designed. NewTIS also provides a wealth of disassembly/reassembly instructions as well as wiring diagrams, if needed. During the dis/reassembly, you will swap out the control unit (smallish curved rectangular box) as it has an extra lead (4-pin, I think) that connects to the corresponding large terminal coming off the heating element in the wheel itself. The wheel also has a smaller two-pin terminal coming off the heating element on the opposite end (this will make sense when you see it), which in my vehicle connects to NOTHING. As packaged, the HSW comes with a couple of wide strips of velcro wrapped around this smaller lead. I tucked this within the wheel housing out of the way. I'm sure the velcro prevents rattling of the terminal. Note that depending on your OEM configuration, you may have a feature that requires plugging this smaller lead into something. I cannot help you with that, but with my configuration it's unused. Complete the reassembly of the steering column with the new switch and installation of the wheel and airbag. Torque the wheel nut to 45 ft lbs/62 Nm. Once you're sure everything is reinstalled correctly, reconnect the vehicle battery and start it up. Look for any notifications and test out your steering wheel buttons/switches/shifters. The only notification I had was to reset the time and date. I hit the HSW switch, and amazingly, my cluster (6WA) showed "Steering Wheel Heating Activated" with the correct symbol. Hitting the switch again gave me "Steering Wheel Heating Deactivated". For giggles, I decided to turn it back on and wait to see if the wheel got warm. IT DID!!!! I was fully prepared to code several ECUs in order to get everything working correctly. But again and much to my surprise, everything works with absolutely ZERO CODING. I am sure there is some benefit to VO coding, like being able to select a temperature at which the HSW comes on automatically through the iDrive. But from my perspective, I don't have Remote Start, so the auto function will save me about 2 nanoseconds. I still may code in the future, but at this point, I'm going to leave well-enough alone and not risk it. I'm a novice coder, so it's all good as-is. A couple points of caution: 1. Break the wheel free from the splines before fully removing the bolt. This may keep you from punching yourself in the face. 2. DON'T FORCE ANYTHING, especially when disconnecting wires and terminals. Take your time. A small flathead screwdriver may help in disconnecting the terminals/leads. 3. DON'T ROTATE THE CLOCKSPRING. This is actually very easy to do inadvertently if you're not paying attention. Anyway, I know this retrofit isn't for everyone and many will think it's not worth the money or time invested, and that's fine. But if you're interested, feel free to ask any questions you may have and I'll do my best to help. P.S. I'll have a mint condition M-Sport steering wheel for sale here soon with only 5,500 miles of use. HSW on the left, OE on the right: __________________ 2018 X5 xDrive35i M-Sport - Traded 2013 X1 xDrive35i - Sold 1986 320i - Sold
	Appreciate 7 Russmov1328.00 DuSh2113.50 daytonaviolet1250.00 cfm56d7b5876.00 crabapple55516.00 Hofzer6.50 zero2sixtyZ951.00 Tweet Quote

10-20-2018, 06:36 AM	#2
chumbedi Private First Class 31 Rep 131 Posts Drives: BMW X5e40 (F15) Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Dusseldorf (Germany) iTrader: (0)	Thanks, have got M-sport steering wheel and planning now quite some time to upgrade to HSW
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01-12-2019, 02:11 AM	#3
DuSh Colonel 2114 Rep 2,388 Posts Drives: F15 X5 50i Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: USA iTrader: (0)	Wow that's a good mod and surprisingly no coding was needed! Thanks for listing all part numbers - I'm sure many people will appreciate that when they do that mod.
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02-23-2019, 10:45 AM	#6
CatalinP Major 590 Rep 1,261 Posts Drives: BMW X5 F15 2014 3.0xd Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: RO iTrader: (0)	I read your thread and I wanted to install HSW myself... Got the parts, installed everything, but it's not working... The amber light on the button comes on, however there is no message on the cluster and the steering wheel remains cold. I did also VO Coding, but no luck... VO Coding 248, then coded BDC Body, NBT-HU and KOMBI... Anything else needed? Any ideas? Last edited by CatalinP; 02-23-2019 at 11:58 AM..
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02-24-2019, 09:11 AM	#8
cfm56d7b Lieutenant General 5876 Rep 10,249 Posts Drives: 2017 440i Gran Coupe & 2015 X5 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Orange County, CA iTrader: (2)	@kry226, I always appreciate an ambitious R&D project. Great, detailed instructions!
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		BMW X5 and X6 Forum (F15/F16) > BMW X5 (F15) and BMW X6 (F16) Forum > BMW X5 and X6 (F15/F16) Forum
Success: Heated Steering Wheel Retrofit into 2018 M-Sport

08-17-2019, 04:58 AM	#10
Tel69 Registered 0 Rep 2 Posts Drives: 2015 X6 M50d Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	I have recently acquired a HSW and items required to retro fit, I’m interested, CatalinP, did you manage to establish what the issue was?
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08-17-2019, 06:44 AM	#11
volc Private 17 Rep 85 Posts Drives: X5 F15 '14 M50D Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Poland iTrader: (0)	I was also adding heated steering wheel to my X5 '14. I have just changed steering wheel and added button. Started to work right away. Nevertheless no message on instrument cluster. Later I have done coding for 248 for whole car, but still no message on cluster. Also I could not find any settings for steering wheel heating in HU NBT. What's most important heating works, so I am not complaining
	Appreciate 0 Quote

08-17-2019, 11:28 AM	#12
CatalinP Major 590 Rep 1,261 Posts Drives: BMW X5 F15 2014 3.0xd Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: RO iTrader: (0)	To get the heating on/off notification in cluster, you need to code LHZ_CCM aktiv in BDC_Body.
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12-24-2019, 12:17 AM	#14
bavarian335 New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: '14 X5 5.0 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: N/A iTrader: (0)	Coding Is there a thread in how to code the heated feature through ISTA + step by step? I found a heated m-sport wheel with paddle shifters and want to code both features in. __________________
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01-30-2021, 05:25 AM	#15
flo_sb New Member 10 Rep 29 Posts Drives: 540xi G30, 330i G20 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: RO SB iTrader: (0)	Hey kry226, I was about to abandon my plan for a heated steering wheel retrofit on the G30, but your journey gave me confidence to try. So thank you! I've identified the control unit and I think I'll give it a try. Do you think that the M1/M2 buttons could be retrofitted the same way? I've found a M5 wheel and it'd be nice to have comfort and sport mode at my fingertips and I wonder if using an M5 control unit would make it work (=> and if the software already got the M5 M1/M2 personalisation and it;s just a bit that needs changing via coding) edit: did some googling, don't think it's possible.
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06-21-2023, 12:46 PM	#16
zero2sixtyZ Colonel 951 Rep 2,669 Posts Drives: e92 + f15 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Cambridge, MA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2007 335i Coupe [9.50] 2015 X5 xdrive50i [10.00]	Just wanted to say thanks to the OP for this thread. Successfully did the HSW conversion with an X5M wheel, switch and control module. I was motivated to do this swap with the vibration motor noise (thanks to the flappy label) and creaking steering wheel trim. The M trim is much nicer material, and more rigid. Added the 3Ddesign rep (maybe not rep?) aluminum paddles. Completed the retrofit just in time for summer! Picture for reference, post-install, pre-cleaning. Will work on the coding next as the heated wheel works perfectly, but no message on the cluster yet.
	Appreciate 0 Quote