[series8217]

Great writeup! I just used this to help me through a successful retrofit of a multifunction panel on my ZCP M3, which used to just have the "M track mode" button on the steering wheel instead of cruise control, phone, and radio controls. I used a multifunction steering wheel panel from Ebay and the retrofit wiring kit p/n 61120016012 from ECS Tuning.

The following things were different from the writeup due to my car having the ZCP option:
* The 4-pin cable from the steering wheel slip ring to the multifunction panel was already present since it's used for the "M track mode" button
* Pin 8 of connector X10170 controls "M track mode" so it was already wired. I had to remove the wire terminal to install the multifunction retrofit harness wire. I taped it off to prevent errant grounding of the wire, which would enable M track mode. I'll hook it up to a switch later.

Also if you follow the PDF directions it doesn't mention the S54, but the pin for the DME connector is the same as for the M54; pin 27 of the black 40-pin plug.

 

[series8217]

Hi guys, sorry to bump the old post. Hehehe, i just bought E46 and already bought Multifunction Steering Wheel. But it is difficult for me to get retrofit cable in my country. Is it ok for me just to connect the diagram details with any regular cable? Or is there any "special" things in the Retrofit Cable that we have to used?

Thanks guys.

Yes you can just connect them with regular wires and splices, but you need to get the pins for the green connector under the steering wheel, and for the DME connector. You might be able to find those pins at the dealer.

The kit is just the pins, wire, and some fancy splice connectors.

 

[deepblue7]

Do I need this operation for the radio multifunction buttons to be active?

I really dont care about the cruise.

 

[Cazz]

Two of the wires are needed for the multi function/radio controls. The wire into the engine bay can be skipped, but the power and i-bus wires have to be connected.

 

[deepblue7]

Two of the wires are needed for the multi function/radio controls. The wire into the engine bay can be skipped, but the power and i-bus wires have to be connected.

Thanks for the help. And, sorry for getting back late.

Do I need to get a new clock spring from a car which has multifunction steering in this case? Or are all clock springs standard?

 

[series8217]

I haven't heard of the clock springs having to be changed for this. On my car it was just wires and the actual multifunction button assembly itself.

 

[deepblue7]

I haven't heard of the clock springs having to be changed for this. On my car it was just wires and the actual multifunction button assembly itself.

So did you update your steering from non multifunctional to multifunctional?

Wires for multi goes from where to where ?

Btw for cruise to be active you will need the cruise motor right?

 

[series8217]

So did you update your steering from non multifunctional to multifunctional?
[/quote[

Yes

Wires for multi goes from where to where ?

Btw for cruise to be active you will need the cruise motor right?

The instructions are the first page of this thread, and the pdf here: https://app.box.com/shared/0sb5rm740s

 

[Aanu]

N46 engine, DME front side black connector, pin 4

OK. I found that too.

You might read thru this

It is a google translation of a German site so my understanding is not going to be perfect.



Perfectly clear, right?
It looks like there is a slightly different retrofit wiring kit for the N46 that has a pin connector that fits into fits into that socket. The blue wire is extended (using a butt connector) by a brown wire.
In the posts down the page it looks like someone just tapped into the existing wire on pin #4 of x60002 to reuse the connector. I think he just clipped it.

Also note, that the link and the picture you posted are mirrored because one depicts the socket side and the other the plug side.

Good luck.

(Disclaimer time: I'm not a mechanic and I haven't done this before. I don't speak German. I take no responsibility for anything at any time.)

Reviwing an old topic.

I just did the retrofitting of the MFL yesterday and indeed you have to mount the cruise control cable on the black, front side connector of the DME unit on pin number 4. I just replaced the white/blue cable which was at that position and it works fine (at leat for me it did).

In the picture that green/red wire in the picture goes into the black connector pin number 4. :thumbsup:

_nr_

 

[Aanu]

I have the N46 engine. This is the DME module:

Yes the connector with the blue dot does come apart. I have already inspected it because I found this information on the DME module:

http://tis.spaghetticoder.org/s/view.pl?1/09/88/03

It clearly says that the wire for 'E46 Signal from cruise control (right-hand button pad on multi-function steering wheel)' goes into slot 4 of the 'connector X60002, 26-pin'
. But there is already a wire in that slot so havn't got a clue where to put it.

For an N46 engine the cruise control wire goes here:

Otherwise install the wires like instructed here:
http://www.kneb.net/bmw/E46/Multifunction%20steering%20wheel%20and%20cruise%20retrofit.pdf_nr_

 

[Helvellyn]

I thought that I would add my own experience to this thread. I recently purchased a 1999 328i, unfortunately, without cruise control. After I found out from here and other places I could fit cruise control fairly easily, I wanted it. So, at my earliest opportunity I got myself a second hand mutifunction steering wheel, with a round airbag and the cruise control retrofit wiring set from BMW (Part No 61120016012, £19.01) and printed off the instruction PDF. This weekend I fitted it all with the help of YouTube videos and this forum. Everything went fine apart from the plug under the steering column was slightly different than the pictures I've seen, but all the wires were in roughly the same place though. My biggest difficulty was getting the blue wire from the right hand side to the electrical box on the left hand side. The PDF instructions said the blue wire had to be laid through the corrugated tube behind the heating/air conditioning unit, but I couldn't find that! In the end I pulled out the radio, passed the wire though the back, then I dropped out the glovebox (so much easier than on an E36) and then into the electical box. Once I'd swapped the steering wheels I reconnected the battery, pushed the cruise button and...nothing! I was sure I'd followed the instructions to the letter, obviously not! I checked the steering column plug, thinking I'd put the wires in the wrong order. But, no it turned out I had put the pins in sockets 1,2 & 3 instead of 8, 9 & 10!! Once changed everything worked great! When I bought my car it had a triangle airbag steering wheel fitted. As I said earlier I fitted a round airbag multi function steering wheel. I have read both that this isn't possible and that it is. I would like to say that I didn't have any problems with airbag lights or such like. I hope this is of some use to someone.
David

 

[BayrischeMotorWerk]

Hi

I made one of the video's on youtube.
You have to be aware that using the steering Wheel from a faceliftet E46 in your model will not give you the correct airbag protection. The steering Wheel you want has a 2 stage airbag and your cars computer supports only a 1 stage airbag. This Means in a heavy crash your airbag will not activate fully because only half of airbag will be filled/filled slow.

 

[gbvinatoru]

searching for anwers

hello everybody!! very usefull post you have here...so let me bring a tough one. bare in mind that i'm new in the bmw world, so i don't know very much about them.
My problem, as i wanted to start, is that for a few weeks i am trying to activate my mfl's..all god, i allready had the e39 mfl (got them for free) and tried to add them to my steering on the e46. my e46 is a frankenstein car...originaly was a 1999 2.0d...and now it is a 2004 facelift and 1.8td (electronic throttle) ..as the previous owner told me, he took everything from a rolled car and added to this one just for the engine.

the wiring for the mfl was made ok (as far as i can tell, after i have verrified it the 99th time) but each time i plug the buttons in the steering wheel i get the radio -disabled- and of corse buttons not working...damn them:banghead:.

Concerning this, i have received some info from a guy who makes a living from diagnosting cars, but it's hard to believe:

are there e46 radio's that not support MFL? (as stated by this guy

are the e39 buttons compatible?

can someone guide me to be sure that the wireing harness between the mfl and steeing whell was correctly made?

when accesing the mfl module from inpa i have a error which states that the communication with mfl module is intreupted or mfl module not found...and the guy said that my radio (from ike scan application) does not support mfl (hard to believe) from my laptop with the obd2 scaner and inpa i have managed to change volume and frequency

so, can somebody guide me to make my mfl work? i am most interested in radio controls

cheers to all bmw lovers!:thumbup:

 

[_HIM_]

Hey guys, i hope someone could help me with this

Ive changed my steering wheel for a multifuntion last week and also retrofitted the cruise control. All work good but all the controls on the left side dont work with my radio. I have a non original bmw radio but it has a function to program swc keys. Ive been looking on the radio diagram and in my car, the terminal 10 is missing. This terminal accordingly to this image is the speedometer signal for speed-depedent volume control, i need this to get the steering volume buttons to work right ?

Can someone tell me where is the 10 pin location? I really need to know to plug my radio cable to that location

Thanks

 

[Ronny87]

Wonderful DIY! I think much people appreciate this.

 

[momosugus]

Hi guys, thanks for the info, i´m on the way for the retrofit, already have the buttons, waiting to receive the wiring...

And i was wondering if any of you guys have NO OEM radio system and if it works the multifunction part related with it (volume up/down, band search..) or if it´s necessary any modification in case of using a non OEM radio

Thanks!!

 

[kscott]

Hey @StavKon is there any way to update the photos? Looks like they're no longer valid

 

[resunoiz]

Hey @StavKon is there any way to update the photos? Looks like they're no longer valid

http://www.angelfire.com/myband2/ds/3543en.pdf

use this, bmw original instructions

 

[Cazz]

Hey @StavKon is there any way to update the photos? Looks like they're no longer valid

There are some browser plug-ins that will let you see the images:

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1166369


https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/search/?platform=windows&q=photobucket

 

[mondrage]

I just got a multifunction steering wheel center.
My car is a 323i 1999, that didn***8217;t have the multifunction steering wheel.

Right now, I just need the media controls to work.
Just installed it but it***8217;s not working. Please help.

If I buy they retrofit (speed) cable, will the cruise control work?

Again, just need the media buttons to work.

Thanks in advance,