1996 E39 No Steering Wheel Controls

[rizy102]

Hi, i have a 4 spoke standard steering wheel with no steering wheel controls at the moment. Would i be able to fit a wheel with the controls and it would work?? any ideas anyone??
Also i have checked the connections at the slip ring and only have 2 wires on this white connection :

[Qsilver7]

It depends. If you car was built before 9/96...the MFL-CM (multi-function steering wheel control module) is located below the dash...so if you installed a steering wheel that was built between 9/96-2/99...you'd have to run wires to the MFL-CM to make some of the functions work properly.

So...it depends on your car's build date...and which steering wheel you install:

You can also see in the image below...that there are 5 wires in the white connector coming from the slip ring to the connector below the steering column...these extra wires would be for carrying data to/from the "button pods" on each side of the steering wheel:

(the "white" connector you mention is the one on the LEFT in pic below)


(gee...this image below I took when I was upgrading my steering wheel...looks eerily similar to the one you posted... )

[rizy102]

Hi very sorry for using your image.... I should have asked you before i posted....
also, youre right! my e39 was manufactured 08/96!!! im soo unlucky! Any idea how i could go about rewiring a m sport steering wheel off a 98 e39?
thanks!

Anyone??

[JRLOduber]

Have you be able to instal a button steering wheel? I have a 1996/09 but I did not find the MFL-CM connection under the steering wheel. I really wanted to instal a button steering wheel on my car

[Qsilver7]

In order to have a MFL-CM (either under the dash or in the right button pad)...the car would have had to come with a MFL steering wheel...and from what you wrote in your last sentence...it sounds like your car didn't come with a MFL steering wheel.

The MFL steering wheel buttons communicate over the I-bus. For those owners that have e38s/e39s built BEFORE 9/96 and have MFL steering wheels...they have to run a wire from the slip ring to their MFL-CM under the dash to make a later built MFL steering wheel work.

In your case...you'd probably need to hook up a MFL-CM as well as run a wire to it from the steering wheels slip ring in order to get the MFL buttons to light up and work.

Just a thought.

[JRLOduber]

Thanks for the respond Qsilver7.

Your right my car didn't came with a MFL steering wheel, but I have replaced the steering wheel with a 4 spoke MFL one and has change the slip-ring also. Today I have removed the knee bolster and it doesn't seem to have a MFL-CM. I have a friend that own a BMW salved yard and I'm getting all my replacement parts at him. Most of the parts are coming from a 740i.(don't know the MFG) but has came with the MFL and my car is and 523i MFG 09/96. Any ideas of all the parts to get from the 740i and the proper wiring to make the MFL work properly?

Your help will be more than appreciated.




another thing one my car is that there is not 2 connections where the white connection is under the steering column . on the picture of the connections that theres posted on this thread is 2 connections visually at the left. on my car there only one white connection with 2 wire coming at the back. brown and blue. but my 7wire slip rings still fits in perfectly.

[JRLOduber]

The white connection under the steering column of my car has only 2 wire coming out at the back (brown and blue). Should this be like this or do I need to wire the MFL system? any ideas how to rewire it? BTW my car is a RHD does the MFL-CM only be found under the knee bluster? or in my case with RHD under de glove compartment?

Any suggestions?

[Qsilver7]

I'm going to recommend the online WDS (wiring diagram system)...you'll need to pull up the wiring diagrams for the steering wheel and if there's any that are specific to RHD...then follow those diagrams.

As far as the 740i steering wheel...the car should have the MFG date posted on the driver's door jamb...that will let you know which side of the build date line the car is on. And as posted in the info above...e38s/e39s built prior to 9/96 have the MFL-CM below the steering column and those built after that will have the MFL-CM built into the right button pod.

Check the wiring in the steering wheel (behind the air bag)...as well as the wires running to and out of the slip ring. You'll need to search in the WDS what those wires are for that are missing from the harness you were describing.

Again, in order for the MFL buttons on the steering wheel to work and illuminate...they will need to communicate over the I-bus thru the MFL-CM (whether it's in the right button pod or below the column).

BMW online WDS: http://wds.spaghetticoder.org/en/

[Joakim B]

Hey.
I am rebumping this thread, sorry for that, but I thought it was better than creating a new thread about the same issue..

I have a E39 523i, and it did not come with a MFL steering wheel. The production date of my car is 10/97.

I have bought a MFL wiring harness kit and I have a pdf file showing me where to put the cables. But I have some questions.

The pdf file says that I'll be connecting 3 wires from the harness to a green connector under the steering column X10170. I cannot find this connector anywhere under the steering column.
So I don't know where to put these 3 wires. I ordered a M5 wheel, but I haven't received it yet. Maybe I will run the 3 wires to the steering wheel itself?

I've attached the pdf file with the instructions.

[Ayobe39]

Thank you so much. Today, I just joined the Bimmers group. I hope that I can shear ideas about what I know