BMW E46 3-Series Steering Wheel/Air Bag Install/Removal

How to remove and install the steering wheel, air bag, bottom trim, and button panel. Also upgrade your standard E46 wheel to the M3 wheel.
E39Source WEBSITE: www.E39Source.com
BMW M3Source: kzbin.info
BMW E46Source: kzbin.info

[@jasonl5589]

Hey.. Your explanation is hands down the best I have ever seen on KZbin DIY videos.. you explanation is so helpful.. Very nice video as well.

[@E39Source]

Thanks for your feedback! Appreciate that very much. :D Ryan

[@Matt-cc3fp]

This is the best automotive presentation I have ever seen on KZbin. Excelllent, thank you.

[@jsonli]

Great vid, just installed mine. FYI you don't need to loosen the ground wire on the torx screw inside the wheel - the wire is attached to the wheel.

[@bobsundius7228]

thanks for the help.......took me an hour to get the left spring to release! I learned the hard way not to pull the first side out too far, I think it binds the other side from releasing.

[@startingtech3900]

me too my man me too untill i decided to pop the otherside back in lol and then try again haha i was pissed lol

[@diasporaman5419]

awesome The E46 is said to be a fan fav among Bmw fans...The 3 series has always been the center of the Legendary brand.Got one my self 12 years old and I love it.

[@vadim3031]

thanks for the tutorial, a bit of friendly advise to whoever is going to do this operation; as i learned doing this when you screw in the plastic trim assembly, the two screws on the back of the wheel are easy but the two inside of the wheels, 9 o'clok and 3 o'clock are not to be over tighten as it will break the plastic clip, i lost one in this process but managed to grip it with larger washer...

[@xTRVLNMANx]

One of the best DIY vids out there. Thanks!

[@Nunga08]

Excellent excellent video. Probably the best when it comes to removing an E46 and E39 wheel. Thanks very much.

[@jhartmac100]

Just a quick FYI, I purchased my new Wheel from Ebay, they have several there's one that wraps them with nappa, padding and alcantara ........beautiful work, they are out of Europe but wow amazing. E39source thanks for the vid......very well done.

[@TheGjasuwan]

Awesome DIY. Thanks for spending the time to make this video. I think that I'm just going to end up putting the steering wheel covers on though instead of replacing the wheel. The top of my wheel is cracked and worn out but I think a cover should suffice.

[@TheModding69]

I own a 2001 BMW 325i with the stock steering wheel (neither sport or m sport) so would I be able to replace it with the m sport steering wheel? Thank you

[@E39Source]

You sure can!

[@n8neiTen8n]

330i is my dream, or e39 530i, will buy one some day, for now 325i is enough :)

[@georgesmbyd6603]

i bought a perfect condition M sport wheel for 80$ , O-o the guy who sold it to me had no idea whats it worth lol

[@e36fanatics]

lucky you... i would pay that in heartbeat

[@Colyers]

Thank you for the video! Best clear description out there.

[@xDeklinesk8rx]

Great video! Thanks a ton. Simple and to the point.

[@dee1251]

hey got a quick question, i have a zhp which had an alkantara m3 wheel. the wheel is damaged and i got a used m3 leather wheel. is all i need to do is to remove the airbag and the 16mm nut? when i reinstall new wheel and airbag, does the airbag need to be reset?

[@mateomandic4816]

ok now where do i buy those two connectors that plug in the airbag? the yellowish green and black one? cuz i effed up mines

[@E39Source]

If your airbag looks like the one in this video, I think its this: tinyurl.com/94ccbyrb

[@williamgreen9280]

When loosening the 16mm bolt, did you have the steering lock on? It looks like loosening that bolt causes the wheel to turn otherwise. I don't want to break the steering lock

[@E39Source]

Don't let the steering wheel lock take that torque. You're better off to have somebody counter-hold the steering wheel for you manually.

[@matrexwolf]

i had no clue i could do this thank you

[@E39Source]

+matrex Foxx Glad we could help!

[@6824096]

That Zano stuff you use is tempting me. Do you have any videos explaining your process?

[@E39Source]

I have a Zaino application tutorial on E39Source when I did my M5 a few springs ago!

[@MegaZeroniX]

can we replace the steering wheel without buttons with the multi-steering steering wheel buttons. and will the multi steering wheel work ..please help...?

[@E39Source]

I am unsure if BMW put the wires there that would plug into the multifunction controls or not. If so, it can probably plug right in and work. Otherwise, there may be much more extensive modifications required to get it to work.

[@jasonrowe9470]

The air bag plugs don't just slide the clip up and come out. Clip slides up after you do the 2 taps down the side but the moment you touch the plug to pull it up with 2 fingers it turns into 300 pieces of dust. Even with the plug broken of in the airbag with pliers I still can't get the other ends out they are stuck good and pepper. Are some models glued in?

[@E39Source]

They should come right out like mine did, glue wouldn't have been used. This is very strange...

[@marcobrito1814]

What's the name of the new steering wheel that you installed

[@awaken77]

Is airbag module the same for 3-spoke "sport" steering wheel and M-style steering wheel? I saw M-steering wheel without airbag for sale, can I fit my airbag (standard E46) to it?

[@E39Source]

Yes, they are the same module after 5/1999 production. The wheel would be a direct plug and play.

[@ZinkyTV]

I have an E46 2000 320Ci... Will I be able to do a steering wheel swap without getting problems or lights with the dual/single-stage airbag?

[@E39Source]

Zinky I don't know when the E46s went from single to dual stage airbags. The E39 was late 1999 though.

[@ZinkyTV]

They went from single to dual stage around september 2001, so I will be going from singel stage originally to dual stage with the new wheel fitted

[@VNNZTC]

I have done the same pretty much...I broke the wiper switch and had to take off the steering wheel to get at it...(It is the later model E39) now it works great except the airbag light is on, could that be because the ground wire is not connected properly?

[@E39Source]

If you removed the airbag with the battery still connected, that will trigger the airbag light until it is reset with a computer. The ground for the airbag is likely in the wiring harness, not one of the screw-down spade grounds under the airbag in the wheel- but that would be worth checking as well.

[@VNNZTC]

@@E39Source I disconnected the battery, and left it for about 1 hour before removing the airbag. My next step is to check the spade connector again. BMW can reset the light but they want to charge $500, unfortunately I cannot get the car certified for the road when the light is on. Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate the help. I will let you know what the outcome is. Eric.

[@E39Source]

@@VNNZTC $500 to reset the light?! That's insane... find an independent shop to do it. Once it's on, I think even fixing a problem with it will still require a reset. Good luck

[@jxx90s]

Thanks man your video helped me a lot

[@viralstrange]

i have the same E46 320d 2004 but i have another wheel .. may i ask how much did it cost to you ... Thanks for the video thought :)

[@E39Source]

I think I paid $200 total for that wheel.

[@viralstrange]

***** 200$ the complete wheel group ? if yes i would like to buy a similiar one from u

[@E39Source]

Dalip Çelbeqiri I bought it from Ebay, I don't sell steering wheels.

[@simlyshi252]

Thank you for your video! I had my steering wheel changed. Do you know how to change the badge on the airbag?

[@E39Source]

The badge is part of the airbag and cannot be replaced independently. You can buy stickers / decals online to put over the existing one though.

[@just4stringsnme]

Thanks so much for all your videos! I'm actually looking at replacing my 01 E39 540 wheel with a facelifted wheel from an E46 M3 SMG. In watching your other video where you replace your M5 wheel, I noticed that the airbags are held on differently. Would I have to have to replace the "airbag holder" on the E46 wheel for that of an E39 wheel? Also do you think it'd be annoying to have the empty holes from the missing SMG paddle shifters? Thanks again!

[@E39Source]

+Alain Milotti I would highly recommend just buying a face-lifted E39 M5 wheel, which would be a simple bolt on installation. The holes from the paddle shifters would probably annoy me. The airbag fastening between the E46 and E39 probably are different IF your 2001 540i does not have the 3-spoke sport wheel, so you may need to work with that too.

[@kurzjames]

Are there any bad side effects to installing the wheel crooked? I installed a new steering shaft and got the wheels out of alignment. I would much rather realign it from the steering wheel splines rather than the steering rack splines if that makes sense

[@E39Source]

The wheels need to be aligned at the wheels. The steering angle sensor would not take kindly to always being 'off'.

[@kurzjames]

E39Source Would it make a difference if DSC was deleted? Because my DSC is deleted

[@E39Source]

@@kurzjames No

[@kurzjames]

E39Source I’ll need to have it recalibrated then. Either that or buy a new steering rack. Condor Speedshop’s steering shaft u-joint requires that you drill holes in the factory shaft and steering rack spline, and I goofed and drilled my steering rack spine in the wrong place

[@Christiank77]

I sure hope the wires will be able to tuck in the hub adapter housing with my momo wheel.

[@Haze508]

Hey Great video everything works perfect!! But after installing my airbag my phone is on constantly I keep trying to adjust it but it stays on constantly any idea what I'm doing wrong ? Would Greatly appreciate the help

[@E39Source]

Your phone is on constantly? Does your car have a built in phone?

[@Haze508]

Lol sorry *my horn

[@E39Source]

I would make sure all of the wires are securely connected, especially the ground strap if you have one.

[@Haze508]

Yes everything is tight . It's like the Horn is constantly on and if I lift airbag up from 6 o'clock turned off but it falls back down to honking If let it go

[@E39Source]

Can you actually push down to "activate" the horn? Or is the "button" stuck in?

[@Treizez34]

do you still have the car? If so how is it running? I'm looking into possibly purchasing one myself

[@E39Source]

+Treizez34 I do still have this car, I have put around 10,000 miles on it. It's been great so far! I did have to replace the fuel pump at 222,000 miles or so. And I put new spark plugs in it for fun... pretty reliable car. It's no sports car by any means, but it's a good car, and an fantastic winter car!

[@audis8zone]

Very nice video mate/// im doing mine today in my 04 zhp.

[@richardashbey9994]

I did this on my BMW 3 series, a slighter newer model and the air bag warning light is now on. Any suggestions? I have tried to replace it with the original wheel to solve it but no luck.

[@BobbyOHearn]

You'll have to hook up a scanner and clear the code. Did you disconnect the battery before you removed the old wheel? Most OBDII scanners cannot clear airbag codes, so you may have to have a shop do it.

[@richardashbey9994]

+Bobby O'Hearn yeah I disconnected the battery and left it for at least 10 minutes before removing connections. Ok thanks for the reply.

[@VforVendettaGaming]

Should there be a litte play in the airbag after the reinstall? its seated and clipped it just wiggles a little bit

[@E39Source]

MiniMe Maybe very minor play. Keep in mind that it will move in when you press it to activate the horn.

[@aleksejkolesnikov7610]

Thank you! It really helped to fix it.

[@MrRedstarYT]

Do you know if you have the old e46 (4 spoke steering wheel), you can replace it with this model?

[@E39Source]

+Redstar 2.0 | COD, GTA V And more As long as it's a dual stage airbag, which were made after May of 1999 or so I think. Otherwise, the airbag won't work.

[@sedajoh]

Nice, use leather oil on the cracked section that should fix it right up after a few passes

[@przemoczat1]

Hey man! I want to clarify if I understood everything correctly. I have this wheel with silver lower trim, I can just buy to m lower trim and change that and it’s plug and play?

[@E39Source]

If the trim is the same shape/size, you can switch between whatever colors you want.

[@przemoczat1]

E39Source yeah but I mean the normal one to m one. Is it possible with no hustle

[@przemoczat1]

As you said in 8:19, but u did it off camera that’s why I’m asking

[@E39Source]

@@przemoczat1 The black solid M piece without the 'crotch' may not fit the wheel WITH the crotch... I would just change your whole steering wheel to an M wheel.

[@przemoczat1]

Ouuuu, now I got you. So the only things that can be translated from sport to m wheel is the airbag and the buttons right?

[@piston10]

Hi, do you know if the E39 steering wheel fits the E46?

[@E39Source]

It does!

[@piston10]

@@E39Source Thank you, Sir 👍👍👍

[@JamesSmith-cj5tb]

Can you remove it if the airbag has already deployed?

[@E39Source]

Sure, same idea.

[@phgu]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! Great video!

[@m.gaxiola7462]

This guys knows his shit !!👍🏻👍🏻

[@Greendragon420able]

Looks much better!

[@gameb0y86]

Is that old steering wheel for sale?

[@E39Source]

Sure! Email me [e-mail]

[@Daggpur]

Hey is there some wear n tear on your thigh support for that driver seat?

[@E39Source]

There is a little bit of wear, but this car has 215,000 miles. That is to be expected.

[@Daggpur]

It gives the car character! but do you think you can do a DIY on trying to repair or maintaining seats? I watched the full detailed clean of your E39 and have been doing it on my e70 X5.. But my E90 has started to wear in that exact place, sport package 325xi

[@E39Source]

Fady Said Well really the video that you watched is that DIY. I Z9 and Z10 my M5's seats twice a year, maybe three applications of Z10. That and an occasional vacuum is all they get. If you do that on a car starting at a young enough age, I bet they'd always be perfect! I don't know how to bring them back when it's too late, I would probably source a leather professional. They can do some pretty good work.

[@elecdroidcom4276]

you save my day, tnx for great video

[@computiNATEor]

Thanks for the video! You've earned a subscriber! I was looking for a video as well done as this one a few days ago. Also, the tools that OWC provides are awesome. I've been using OWC stuff for more than 10 years now; I've never had a problem. Edit: interestingly, the sport steering wheel on the e39 has those little "bolsters"/thumb grips and is pretty thick.

[@E39Source]

Awesome! Glad you found our video useful, thanks so much for subscribing. OWC tools are excellent, I've been using them for about 5 years, since I got into the Mac.

[@Peppermint1]

Always WAIT 5 minutes after disconnecting the battery to remove the Airbag connectors. If you like your shiny actual teeth.

[@e46orozco]

Earned a subscriber

[@Eamador3]

Very helpful thanks guys!

[@1970borntorun]

Aside from Ebay, does anyone know of a good source for new BMW steering wheels that don't require me selling 30% of my internal organs to a Third World country? I could have sworn I read somewhere on youtube of a place in San Jose CA that sold (new) BMW steering wheels/Bimmer parts at good prices. I'm considering buying a 2003 330ci, but want to get that nice, meaty e39 M5/e46 M3 wheel, as in this video. Thanks to all that reply!

[@E39Source]

+1970borntorun It changes by the day, different companies have shipping deals or their price is just lower. Find the part number for the one you want, and go crazy. Search it with Google, Amazon, ECS, Turner, BMW parts store, Ebay, Bav auto, different dealerships, etc.

[@paulbamford8Ball]

Good tutorial. Well done.

[@RainHiienurm]

Thnx to you. it was easy. 😉

[@jdmchriz]

Very helpful guys!

[@AndrewJaws]

My damn wheel will Not release and it’s definitely wiggling and I’m on the spring clip..

[@michaelmanco4204]

Andrew how did you end up getting it?

[@paulpaul9815]

how different is e90 from this?

[@E39Source]

Probably not much different at all

[@philosophin9893]

Great video indeed. Well done ! The only problem I have: You tend to speak too rapid. For a foreigner it's a real challenge to follow you properly :-)

[@Rock161]

perfectly explained. thanks

[@criminalgaming1709]

Literally can’t feel a spring and I’ve been at it for awhile

[@seanfox6947]

Great video, great explanation! Thanks so much

[@jackbmxtran]

sat at the scrap yard with a screw driver for an hr and gave up lmao

[@OtherRyan1]

This is so fucking frustrating

[@venansiuskgosiemang8618]

good explanation

[@martindonovan2602]

good information

[@koryw3234]

Did anyone else's horn not work after putting back?

[@E39Source]

It should work fine, may just need to check connections and re-seat the airbag.

[@adamg8554]

Manual 330ix man that is fucking sweet

[@dereksbooks]

Nice IWC.

[@RobJohnsonGuitar]

Ryan this is a great DIY .... Thanks for being so in depth ! ..... Our ever evolving App E46 Guide is on going with updates .... It's on the App Store for E46 owners - App Store link is : itunes.apple.com/us/app/e46-guide/id922719530?mt=8 Thanks for letting us share & thanks for your videos !! Helping so many of us !

[@chrisclaude3885]

We can’t see shit

[@leonarddede2466]

Leo

[@fueldesignbp]

iwc :))

[@dee1251]

hey got a quick question, i have a zhp which had an alkantara m3 wheel. the wheel is damaged and i got a used m3 leather wheel. is all i need to do is to remove the airbag and the 16mm nut? when i reinstall new wheel and airbag, does the airbag need to be reset?

[@dee1251]

hey got a quick question, i have a zhp which had an alkantara m3 wheel. the wheel is damaged and i got a used m3 leather wheel. is all i need to do is to remove the airbag and the 16mm nut? when i reinstall new wheel and airbag, does the airbag need to be reset?

[@E39Source]

You are correct, it's that easy. Just be SURE to disconnect the battery before removing the old airbag and then connect it when you're all done. That's all you need to do.