Common issues & diagnosis
Steering wheel surfaces can be damaged and degraded by hand oils, jagged fingernails and frequent exposure to high-UV.
The buttons and paddles can also be damaged with use.
What is the part's function?
Steering wheels are obviously the main interface for vehicle control—and in BMWs they include multifunction buttons for audio, voice control and cruise control. Many are also equip with paddle shifters to allow for manual gear selecting.
Some steering wheels will include a vibration motor that is activated when the vehicle’s lane change warning is triggered.
BMW’s steering wheels can also be heated—though this is a less-common option in Australia.
How to determine fitment compatibility
If you’re looking to upgrade your steering wheel, we recommend that you do some research on the BMW forums—there can be some minor coding required when upgrading to paddle shift, and you want to be conscious of whether your current steering wheel has a vibration motor within it (for lane change warnings) as if it does, you will need to make sure that the wheel you’re upgrading to does as well.
For direct replacements, we can find a matching steering wheel using your VIN, but it is prudent to also do a visual check as well—particularly to ensure that the multifunction buttons are the same.
Interchangeability between models
There is high-interchangeability of steering wheels between similar models within the same generation.
