BMW E39 Steering Wheel?

[cdrousso]

I am looking to buy a facelifted BMW E39 but I am confused on which steering wheels come on which packages, and years. I know that (a) is the standard steering wheel with e39's but then what are (b) and (c). I thought that (b) was the sports package steering wheel pre facelift, and (c) was the sports package steering wheel after facelift, but I have seen many 2001 540i's with (b). Can someone please explain this to much.



(a)

(b)

(c)

[240sxguy]

C is an E46 wheel, I don't know that I have ever seen that in an E39.

[theWalkinator]

C is an E46 wheel, I don't know that I have ever seen that in an E39.

No, C is face lift steering wheel comes with sport package. Mine is like that.

[240sxguy]

Well there's your answer

[mottati]

e46 m3 and e39 M5 wheel looked very similar post facelift, and they are interchangeable. (I put an M3 alcantara comp package wheel in my 00 m5 for awhile) For some reason B isn't loading for me, but i assume it's the 2000 and earlier sport wheel. I've also noticed those on some 01's i've seen for sale.
I've assumed maybe there was a crash and that wheel was cheaper to substitute than the correct wheel, but C should be present in an 01.

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

B is the Sport package wheel. To use this wheel in your car, you have to get a single stage airbag. For facelift cars, they went to 2 stage airbags., and I might be wrong, the early wheels will fit your car, and the 2 stage facelift wheels will not. C is the wheel from the facelift M5's and 540 M Sport packages. Those who have them on 530's, 528's, and those things.... those 525's, I might be wrong but, they were added on by their owners.

[cdrousso]

It seems like there are way to many of (b)'s on 2001 540i's to just have been replaced because it was cheaper, all over craigslist there are 2001 540i's with the (b) wheel and not (c) that are facelifted, and thats just why I am confused because I am looking to buy one and I would like to buy one that is facelifted and has the sports package. If I do see a car that is 2001 with one of these steering wheels, and is face lifted is it safe to assume it has the sports package.

Here are some examples.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ctd/4850537402.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ctd/4851361662.html

[mottati]

B is the Sport package wheel. To use this wheel in your car, you have to get a single stage airbag. For facelift cars, they went to 2 stage airbags., and I might be wrong, the early wheels will fit your car, and the 2 stage facelift wheels will not. C is the wheel from the facelift M5's and 540 M Sport packages. Those who have them on 530's, 528's, and those things.... those 525's, I might be wrong but, they were added on by their owners.

B could be had with single stage or dual stage. in 98 and 99, it was single, in 00 it was dual. C was dual stage only.

When i was looking at e39's recently for my son, i came across some '01 530/540's that had C as the steering wheel. Our '00 has B.

[auaq]

I've always liked c steering wheel and always hated b.

[mottati]

I'd plug the vin into this site: http://www.bmwarchive.org/vin/bmw-vin-decoder.html to see what equipment it's got. The silver car you quote does not have the sports package listed, but it does have multifunction wheel. Maybe type, DN63 is sport though?Perhaps the wheel changed with production date? The silver car is 1/01 build and the anthracite car is 11/00 build.

The anthracite car also doesn't list sport package, but i thought all 540 manual trans cars were sport, so it must be part of the package, DN53 in this case. Maybe DN is sport? i'd assume there's a thread about the type codes somewhere.

It seems like there are way to many of (b)'s on 2001 540i's to just have been replaced because it was cheaper, all over craigslist there are 2001 540i's with the (b) wheel and not (c) that are facelifted, and thats just why I am confused because I am looking to buy one and I would like to buy one that is facelifted and has the sports package. If I do see a car that is 2001 with one of these steering wheels, and is face lifted is it safe to assume it has the sports package.

Here are some examples.
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ctd/4850537402.html
http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ctd/4851361662.html

[carlova789]

I've got a C steering wheel forsale if you're interested. No airbag though.

[blackknight530i]

Later model 01's with sport package got C. My 03 530i Sport came with C and was not added by me as someone mentioned above. All late MY 2001+ sport models got C including 525s, 530s and 540s. M5's from the same time got C as well, but of course had M stitching.

[carlova789]

Later model 01's with sport package got C. My 03 530i Sport came with C and was not added by me as someone mentioned above. All late MY 2001+ sport models got C including 525s, 530s and 540s. M5's from the same time got C as well, but of course had M stitching.

100% Correct

[JB2mnytys]

Later model 01's with sport package got C. My 03 530i Sport came with C and was not added by me as someone mentioned above. All late MY 2001+ sport models got C including 525s, 530s and 540s. M5's from the same time got C as well, but of course had M stitching.

100% Correct

My '02 525 with the Sport Package has wheel C, and it has not been changed.

[BavarianE31]

(a) is the base package steering wheel. Available as a heated option as well.
(b) is the sport upgrade until late '01. Most '01 sport cars (faceflited included) have this wheel. No heated available.
(c) is the sport wheel for '02 and '03 cars. Few '01s have it. It is also the wheel that comes with the E46 M3 and ZHP. Sport E46s have a similar wheel as (c) but they have a 4 prongs instead of 3. Individual sport cars (E46 and E39) came with the 4 prong sport wheel as an option (if they included the wood insert). (c) is the most desirable option due to comfort and looks, but Sport wheels never came with a heated option; even on CWP equipped Sport cars.

EDIT: Actually, the most desirable "OEM" option is the perforated leather ZHP/M3 steering wheel. Thicker and looks the best. Alternatively, you can install the ZHP alcantara one was well as have it Colby wrapped. Many options for modding.

E46 Sport:


(d) E39 Individual Sport (as an additional option. Most came with (c)):

[BimmrMeUpSnotty]

Later model 01's with sport package got C. My 03 530i Sport came with C and was not added by me as someone mentioned above. All late MY 2001+ sport models got C including 525s, 530s and 540s. M5's from the same time got C as well, but of course had M stitching.

Ahhh! And that is why I said that I may be wrong. My '01 530 came with B. carlova, I saw a whole bunch of airbags for that steering wheel on ebay. But will a 2 stage work on his older E39?

[blackknight530i]

Ahhh! And that is why I said that I may be wrong. My '01 530 came with B. carlova, I saw a whole bunch of airbags for that steering wheel on ebay. But will a 2 stage work on his older E39?

The OP said he is looking to buy a facelift e39. All facelift e39s are 2 stage. I don't see an issue.