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Thread: Harmon Kardon/Becker Traffic Pro Radio and Steering Wheel Controls

  1. #1
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    Harmon Kardon/Becker Traffic Pro Radio and Steering Wheel Controls

    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):

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    Are you doing the 3 spoke multifunction upgrade?
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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by toomanyparts View Post
    Are you doing the 3 spoke multifunction upgrade?
    I have heard that it can be done. I was able to pick up a Traffic Pro for a GREAT price, and was wondering how to do it.
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  4. #4
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    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.
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    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.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by revtor View Post
    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.
    so machined e46 unit, Martin's Cruise Control module, and a single stage triangular air bag and it all should work! I do believe the buttons will work with my RDS Professional head unit
    Last edited by IcemanBHE; 05-10-2014 at 02:55 AM.
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    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

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    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/
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    They work, I had one with a similar interface, You can use the head unit of your choice as well.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by 8eights View Post
    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:

    Can you identify what type of input the new Becker unit has in terms
    of connecting to steering controls?
    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.
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    The answer is in Revtors post:

    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...5#post27600705

    ....with the physical bus being I-Bus
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Timm View Post
    The answer is in Revtors post:

    https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...5#post27600705

    ....with the physical bus being I-Bus
    The BMW branded version uses ibus, yes I know that. Been using the BE2455 with MFL for 10 years now.

    The question is regarding Becker's original version, the BE2430. If that used ibus, there was no need for an ibus-to-Becker interface to begin with.
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  13. #13
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    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.
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by MParallel View Post
    The BMW branded version uses ibus, yes I know that. Been using the BE2455 with MFL for 10 years now.

    The question is regarding Becker's original version, the BE2430. If that used ibus, there was no need for an ibus-to-Becker interface to begin with.
    Were you able to make this work? Did you ascertain whether aftermarket Becker head units use i-bus or some other protocol? And is it always on pin C12?

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by jelliott4 View Post
    Were you able to make this work? Did you ascertain whether aftermarket Becker head units use i-bus or some other protocol? And is it always on pin C12?
    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...)

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