Any interest in a 'poor man's' paddle shift solution?
01-22-2012 | 12:50 PM
#1
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,719
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From: London, UK
My Ride: BMW E60 520d SE Saloon M47 2.0dTitanium Grey II, Grey−Dakota Leather, Visibility Package, Media Package, Through Load System, Lumbar support − fr seats, Automatic Air Conditioning−Advanced, High beam assistant, Hi−Fi Loudspeak
Model Year: 2006
I have a prototype of a small module that allows you to change gears in an Automatic car by using two buttons on the Steering Wheel. I can program any buttons for this but I've chosen the Volume Up and the Track Up on either sides as Shift Up and Shift Down.
Its completely plug and play and doesn't need you to change anything. Installation should be quick too because all you need is access to the Shifter plug and the iDrive knob, both of which should be in the same place.
Completely reversible but will work only with E60 pre-LCI Automatic cars, or for that matter any of the other BMWs like the 1er, 3er, 6er etc. BMW have changed things a bit on the Drive-By-Wire LCI cars.
If you are interested, put your name down and I will contact you when I have an offering. Just want to make sure there is enough interest before I go any step forward with this.
Its completely plug and play and doesn't need you to change anything. Installation should be quick too because all you need is access to the Shifter plug and the iDrive knob, both of which should be in the same place.
Completely reversible but will work only with E60 pre-LCI Automatic cars, or for that matter any of the other BMWs like the 1er, 3er, 6er etc. BMW have changed things a bit on the Drive-By-Wire LCI cars.
If you are interested, put your name down and I will contact you when I have an offering. Just want to make sure there is enough interest before I go any step forward with this.
01-23-2012 | 01:46 AM
#7
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 4,719
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From: London, UK
My Ride: BMW E60 520d SE Saloon M47 2.0dTitanium Grey II, Grey−Dakota Leather, Visibility Package, Media Package, Through Load System, Lumbar support − fr seats, Automatic Air Conditioning−Advanced, High beam assistant, Hi−Fi Loudspeak
Model Year: 2006
It doesn't disable the original function of the button but works alongside it. It does however mean that when you are in DS and you Shift Up, the volume will also go up a notch. That's one of the downsides, but I'm sure that not too big a deal because you can always just turn the Volume down a bit.
As for the other side, Track changes may be a bit annoying when you are driving, so best to change to a screen where the Track change becomes a list scroll like the Contact list. That way even with you press the Shift Down, the Track doesn't change but all that happens is the idrive Telephone list will select another contact from your Contact list.
I cannot override the original functions of the buttons.
As for the other side, Track changes may be a bit annoying when you are driving, so best to change to a screen where the Track change becomes a list scroll like the Contact list. That way even with you press the Shift Down, the Track doesn't change but all that happens is the idrive Telephone list will select another contact from your Contact list.
I cannot override the original functions of the buttons.
01-23-2012 | 06:15 PM
#9
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 40
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From: Northern VA
My Ride: 2006 E60 530i
Have you mapped out how the steering wheel is connected? You could always do a piggyback I suppose, and basically hijack those signals (disable them, and have some sort of external button like a sprint booster has to switch between modes).
I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard, the signals are most likely analog anyway (no logic to deal with
) You would never have to worry about shifting up a bunch of times then having your volume being 40 times too loud.
In any case, if it's a single bus (I haven't ever tapped into the wheel, too scared that I'd mess something up
), I suppose you could simply hook up a logic analyzer to the wheel, and code some PIC or something to replicate those signals depending on the status of that button (Volume/Select or Shift Up/Down)
I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard, the signals are most likely analog anyway (no logic to deal with
) You would never have to worry about shifting up a bunch of times then having your volume being 40 times too loud.In any case, if it's a single bus (I haven't ever tapped into the wheel, too scared that I'd mess something up
), I suppose you could simply hook up a logic analyzer to the wheel, and code some PIC or something to replicate those signals depending on the status of that button (Volume/Select or Shift Up/Down)
01-23-2012 | 06:31 PM
#10
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 817
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From: UK
My Ride: E60 530d
It doesn't disable the original function of the button but works alongside it. It does however mean that when you are in DS and you Shift Up, the volume will also go up a notch. That's one of the downsides, but I'm sure that not too big a deal because you can always just turn the Volume down a bit.
As for the other side, Track changes may be a bit annoying when you are driving, so best to change to a screen where the Track change becomes a list scroll like the Contact list. That way even with you press the Shift Down, the Track doesn't change but all that happens is the idrive Telephone list will select another contact from your Contact list.
I cannot override the original functions of the buttons.
As for the other side, Track changes may be a bit annoying when you are driving, so best to change to a screen where the Track change becomes a list scroll like the Contact list. That way even with you press the Shift Down, the Track doesn't change but all that happens is the idrive Telephone list will select another contact from your Contact list.
I cannot override the original functions of the buttons.