How to replace steering wheel with one with paddles on

aquascape · 06-30-2007

I finally managed to change my steering wheel (A171 460 22 03 9e37) on my slk55 2005 year model with the 7g tiptronic buttons on the back for the new amg 2007 steering wheel (A171 460 53 03 9e37) with the aluminium shift paddles on the back. There is also a 2006 non AMG model with black plastic paddles on (A 171 460 45 03 9E37)

Firstly i must say thanks to Danslk for his help.

To change the steering wheel:-

1. Move the steering wheel fully forward. Possibly lower the roof to allow easier access / more light. Next disconnext the battery. I then waited 1 hour to make sure the airbag system was deactivated (not sure if this is necessary or not but didn't want an airbag deploying or an airbag error when reconnecting battery).

2. Undo the two torx size 30 bolts on the back of the steering wheel. This releases the airbag unit which has five connectors on the back of it that need unplugging. Two on each side are for the buttons, these simply unplug and so does the one at the top back of the airbag. The two in the centre of the back of the airbag require the orange clips pulling up and then the two plugs can be pulled off. Put the airbag safely to one side.

3. Undo the large hex bolt (10mm) holding the wheel on. This is very tight, best for one person to hold the wheel while another undoes it. Once undone the wheel will simply pull off.

4. The new wheel was a direct replacement. Simply align the wheel with the marks on the steering column and replace the bolt (adding a little threadlock). Tighten to 80nm torque.

5. Plug the two new paddle cables back into the steering wheel (they are the same connectors as the buttons have). Plug the small connector back onto the top of the airbag. Finally the green and yellow plugs push back onto the centre of the airbag and the two orange clips on them need pushing down hard to hold the plugs back on.

6. Place the airbag back into place and retighten the two t30 torx bolts on the back of the steering wheel.

7. Reconnect the battery and all is done.

Finally i bought a fineliner permanent black pen and coloured the UP and DOWN engraving on the paddles to match the buttons on the steering wheel. In my opinion this then looked a lot better.

Pictures below show,

1. New steering wheel before fitting
2. Old Steering wheel on car before being removed
3. Bolt to remove steering wheel
4. Airbag
5. Air bag connectors (showing orange conenctors that need pulling out to remove sensors)

aquascape · 06-30-2007

And a picture of the new steering wheel one fitted.

**DansSlk** · 06-30-2007

Your very welcome mate good job with the install.

Are you gonna drive back to the people who said it cant be done just to annoy them?

Good idea with the pen by the way.

**-1-** · 06-30-2007

EXCELLENT work. I love it when the people who should be in "the know" say "it can't be done". You're a true innovator. One must ask the approximate cost. How much better are the paddles versus the buttons? Again, good job.

aquascape · 06-30-2007

Cost was £1005 for the steering wheel (enter the part numbers into www.mercedes-benz-parts.co.uk for a price), so not cheap.

Paddles are a lot nicer to use and feel better (nice aluminium metal feel) in my opinion than the plastic buttons, you can also see them rather than having to feel them on the back of the steering wheel (although they work exactly the same). I would prefer them to click a little when pressed as they are very quiet and quite soft so you are not always sure you have pressed them, if you see what i mean.

I also had to buy a torque wrench to be able to tighten the steering wheel up to 80nm pressure as i did not have one.

I think the non AMG steering wheel is cheaper (about £830) but has the plastic 2006 smaller paddles with + and - rather than the larger aluminium paddles with UP and DOWN on them (people seem to sell these on ebay for around £140 but like danslk says not sure how they can sell these so cheap).

**V8SLK** · 06-30-2007

nicely done aquascape!

can you post pics of your engraved gear shift knob and tell us where you got it?

**alroumi** · 07-01-2007

Thank you for the details.

aquascape · 07-01-2007

Here's a picture of the paddles after i had coloured the UP and DOWN in

diclehana · 07-22-2007

Nice work man

diclehana · 07-22-2007

There is a man called vrus on mbworld E55 forums. He has interesting projects on his cars and he is also selling the parts... One of the projects is shift paddles in piano black( sorry there is no alluminium..) You can check http://www.mbworld.org/forums/showth...ghlight=paddle

**-1-** · 07-22-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by diclehana

There is a man called vrus on mbworld E55 forums. He has interesting projects on his cars and he is also selling the parts... One of the projects is shift paddles in piano black( sorry there is no alluminium..) You can check http://www.mbworld.org/forums/showth...ghlight=paddle

Thanks for the tip. Black is OK, but I'd prefer matte black
rather than what appears to be gloss black. Long post, not sure where he stands.

**Zeiser50** · 07-25-2007

Interesting prices for steering wheel ?
http://search.stores.ebay.fr/AGE-Tun...963505QQsofpZ0

**SLKDawg** · 07-25-2007

Is it possible to add paddle shifters to an SLK350?? I drive a BMW X5 and others on there have been able to retrofit a paddle shift by running the wires from the steering wheels down to the gear shifter in the center console. I would love to have paddle shifters on my wife's 350 if it is possible.

SNikos_gr · 08-24-2007

I have an SLk 200 with the 5 speed automatic gearbox.I also have the paddles in my steering wheel.The are a 2 way buttons.
i m asking you if i can put the amg s alluminium paddles.
At mercedes here in greece they told me that the paddles in my car are analog and at 55 AMG with 7g is digital.
Does anyone know something about that??

HwoALanG · 07-18-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLKDawg

Is it possible to add paddle shifters to an SLK350?? I drive a BMW X5 and others on there have been able to retrofit a paddle shift by running the wires from the steering wheels down to the gear shifter in the center console. I would love to have paddle shifters on my wife's 350 if it is possible.

i don't think it's possible in SLK...unless it's factory installed

06-30-2007	#3 (permalink)
DansSlk Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Wales Vehicle: 05 B55S (Brabus 6.1 S) Posts: 6,461 Country: Thanks: 85 Thanked 145 Times in 116 Posts	Your very welcome mate good job with the install. Are you gonna drive back to the people who said it cant be done just to annoy them? Good idea with the pen by the way. __________________ One thing you will learn with German cars - If it's simple it ain't happening.

06-30-2007	#4 (permalink)
-1- Don Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia USA Vehicle: SLK 55 ///AMG The MON55TER on the block Posts: 2,172 Country: Thanks: 50 Thanked 45 Times in 33 Posts	EXCELLENT work. I love it when the people who should be in "the know" say "it can't be done". You're a true innovator. One must ask the approximate cost. How much better are the paddles versus the buttons? Again, good job. __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. *-----------------1-----------------* ---------SLK 55 ///AMG--------- TOP D0WN-URGE 2 DRIVE GOES UP

06-30-2007	#6 (permalink)
V8SLK Life is good... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Home of the brave Vehicle: 05 SLK55 AMG Posts: 1,072 Country: Thanks: 46 Thanked 48 Times in 26 Posts	nicely done aquascape! can you post pics of your engraved gear shift knob and tell us where you got it? __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Scott

07-01-2007	#7 (permalink)
alroumi Moderator Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kuwait City, Kuwait Vehicle: 2006 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG Other Toys: 2007 Ebony Jaguar XKR Coupe' and 06 Black Cayenne S Posts: 6,077 Country: Thanks: 246 Thanked 185 Times in 109 Posts	Thank you for the details. __________________ 06 Kleemann Designo Mocha Black SLK55 AMG 06 Porsche Cayenne S 07 Jaguar XKR Coupe' I use the Torque and keep the HP for my Steak Sauce!

07-25-2007	#12 (permalink)
Zeiser50 Elite SLK World Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Paris Vehicle: SLK 55 AMG Other Toys: Bike : '84 Z1300-6 Posts: 494 Country: Thanks: 5 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts	Interesting prices for steering wheel ? http://search.stores.ebay.fr/AGE-Tun...963505QQsofpZ0 __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ------Michel------ -SLK 55 AMG 2005-

06-30-2007	#5 (permalink)
aquascape SLK World Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: West Midlands, UK Vehicle: SLK55 AMG Posts: 99 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Cost was £1005 for the steering wheel (enter the part numbers into www.mercedes-benz-parts.co.uk for a price), so not cheap. Paddles are a lot nicer to use and feel better (nice aluminium metal feel) in my opinion than the plastic buttons, you can also see them rather than having to feel them on the back of the steering wheel (although they work exactly the same). I would prefer them to click a little when pressed as they are very quiet and quite soft so you are not always sure you have pressed them, if you see what i mean. I also had to buy a torque wrench to be able to tighten the steering wheel up to 80nm pressure as i did not have one. I think the non AMG steering wheel is cheaper (about £830) but has the plastic 2006 smaller paddles with + and - rather than the larger aluminium paddles with UP and DOWN on them (people seem to sell these on ebay for around £140 but like danslk says not sure how they can sell these so cheap).

07-22-2007	#9 (permalink)
diclehana Senior SLK World Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Istanbul Vehicle: 05 SLK 200 Posts: 177 Country: Thanks: 2 Thanked 9 Times in 1 Post	Nice work man

07-22-2007	#10 (permalink)
diclehana Senior SLK World Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Istanbul Vehicle: 05 SLK 200 Posts: 177 Country: Thanks: 2 Thanked 9 Times in 1 Post	There is a man called vrus on mbworld E55 forums. He has interesting projects on his cars and he is also selling the parts... One of the projects is shift paddles in piano black( sorry there is no alluminium..) You can check http://www.mbworld.org/forums/showth...ghlight=paddle

07-25-2007	#13 (permalink)
SLKDawg SLK World Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: ATL Vehicle: 2005 SLK350 Posts: 92 Country: Thanks: 1 Thanked 14 Times in 3 Posts	Is it possible to add paddle shifters to an SLK350?? I drive a BMW X5 and others on there have been able to retrofit a paddle shift by running the wires from the steering wheels down to the gear shifter in the center console. I would love to have paddle shifters on my wife's 350 if it is possible.

08-24-2007	#14 (permalink)
SNikos_gr SLK World Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 8 Country: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	I have an SLk 200 with the 5 speed automatic gearbox.I also have the paddles in my steering wheel.The are a 2 way buttons. i m asking you if i can put the amg s alluminium paddles. At mercedes here in greece they told me that the paddles in my car are analog and at 55 AMG with 7g is digital. Does anyone know something about that??

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