Does anyone know what it required to hook up the steering wheel controls to a Harmon Kardon/Becker Traffic Pro Radio. Looks like Alf has one hooked up in his car (see below):
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
Are you doing the 3 spoke multifunction upgrade?
What "thumbs up" really means
CSi #18 - Car & Driver Magazine 1994 actual test car
-- Hellrot/Black-Gray (1 of 1 NA CSi color combination)
BMWCCA E31 Chapter International Clubs Liaison
North America Representative, 8er.or Board of Directors
Cool. If you have a friend that is a machinist, they should be able to trig it based off the photos on Frankies website. I gave my friend those and my original 4 spoke and he had it done fairly quick. I haven't finished the wiring yet as I had to put it back together, but I love the feel of the wheel, much better leg room.
Is there an adapter for the Becker? If so, it will simply be a matter of feeding the adapter the pinouts listed on Frankie's website. If you have a CD changer, I'm not sure if it will work with the Becker, but a later 740 model one will with the CD43.
Last edited by toomanyparts; 05-07-2014 at 11:40 PM.
What "thumbs up" really means
Only the BMW versions of the Becker head units are compatible with the multifunction steering wheels (so if you got a genuine Becker, it's a no-go). Basically the only thing that's required is power to the steering wheel electronics and hooking up the steering wheel I-bus to pin C12 of the Becker/BMW head unit. Please note that the cruise control buttons will not work. However, Martin from 8er.org built an electronic module (MFL Tempomatsteuerung) that enables cruise control operation with the steering wheel buttons.
While the same style of 3-spoke steering wheels as pictured above was available for the E31 and other BMW of the time, these never received multifunction steering wheel buttons. If you want that steering wheel with multifunction buttons you'll have to get the E46 version. But that brings new problems. The E46 uses a dual-stage airbag whereas the E31 airbag module can only drive a single-stage airbag. Wiring only one of both airbag charges is ill-advised and does not work! Luckily the shape of the single-stage airbag is the same, so you can swap the airbags.
More problematic is the steering wheel base. Whereas E31 era bimmers have the slip ring attached to the steering wheel base, later bimmers like the E46 have the slip ring on the steering column. You can't mount an E31 slip ring on the E46 steering wheel, nor put a later E46 slip ring onto the E31 steering column. The best approach is to machine the E46 steering wheel base to accept an E31 slip ring.
That all sounds pretty involving, but several people did it. Frankie's website is a good starting point for information: Multifunction Steering Wheel Retrofit.
Last edited by IcemanBHE; 05-10-2014 at 02:55 AM.
CB42366 - 1991 850i 6-speed. Brilliantrot & Black Nappa Leather
CD00144 - 1994 850CSi. Hellrot & Black Nappa Leather
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Supercharged Tbirds, V8 Tbirds, V8 Mustang Convertible, Audi V8 Quattro & Audi S8
I have fitted the E39 version of that steering wheel without problems i run a car pc setup and use a product called joycon which perhaps could be used to control the becker radio
No one tried one of these steering wheel control adapter interfaces? That should make BMW MFL control possible with other branded radio’s.
https://en.tssgroup.sk/steering-whee...ni-swc-bmw-03/
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
They work, I had one with a similar interface, You can use the head unit of your choice as well.
Follow up question. I was looking for the above interface and just to make sure sent a message to the store to double check.
This is for a Becker 2430, the non-BMW branded version of the BE2455.
I got this question back:
I have no clue. I'm not familiar with there being multiple protocols that Becker uses for steering wheel controls. Unless I don't understand the question.Can you identify what type of input the new Becker unit has in terms
of connecting to steering controls?
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
The answer is in Revtors post:
https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...5#post27600705
....with the physical bus being I-Bus
Timm..2007 E64 650i Individual Sport..1999 E31 840ci Individual Sport..ex owner of 2000 E38 740..1999 E38 740i V8 M62..1998 E38 735i V8..1993 E32 730i V8..1988 E28 518i
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1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
I've checked out about every single webshop that lists, or thank to me listed, the Connects2 "CTBECKERLEAD" that is needed to work with its steering wheel interface, which is, funnuli enough, still readily available.
If anyone knows anything about some old stock or someone no longer needing it, I'd like to take it.
I also contacted Connects2 technical support about maybe giving be the pinout as pictures show a simple 8-into-2 aparter cable.
But they told be there is also an inline pcb in the cable that changes resistance values.
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
Excuse the late reply I just stumbled on this by accident.
Unfortunitely the BE2430 (Mexico Pro), the non-BMW branded version of the Mexico Pro, didn't respond to MFL controls with the Connects2 interface. I guess the unit is just too old. I haven't had my hands on modern Becker units. Or maybe the interface just can't properly translate ibus commands into variable resistance values the radio understands.
It's frustrating as the Becker unit has the extra cool functions, that at least make good use of that huge display, but then no MFL control and with the BMW unit with MFL control, no extra functions.
Where the BMW unit only displays "Track 05" leaving the rest of the display empty, the Becker as you can see fills it up nicely with track time and artist/track name. I still hope to ever unlock these functions on the BMW unit as it seems firmware related. (but without knowing the coding...)
1998 BMW M3 3.2 Cabrio Alpinweiί III on Schwarz German spec 1 of 12
SMG SRA PDC AUC OBC GSM HK UURS IHKA FGR MFL
IG: https://www.instagram.com/iflok/
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