rabin505

Hi guys,

I've got a new to me 2008 BMW 535xi Touring (1st BMW as well) that I'm trying to fully sort. Car currently has 3 known issues (steering wheel heater, lane departure malfunction, and the rear seat heaters) - This is specifically about the steering wheel heater and lane departure malfunction so I posted here since it'd be common to the sedans:

Symptoms:

• Heated wheel switch will just light up momentarily and then shut off. Will only light once and then the light stays off when you push it.
• 94f0 steering wheel heating: heating mat, open circuit code found
• Lane departure turns on, and activates at 70 KPH, but when lane change I get a malfunction error.
• If I try to turn on heated wheel with lane departure on - I get the lane departure malfunction error.
• Combining these issues as they appear to have the same root cause.

Things done:

• New OE battery w/ registration at dealership. (Lead Acid as per VIN)
• All fuses good.
• Car was idling with a 15 - 15.3V reading.
• Found and fixed a 0.4V voltage drop from front battery to front boost connections by cleaning and using dielectric grease on all reachable connections.

Questions:

1. Found a couple references to a "heated wheel and lane departure module" but can't find anything specific on realoem.com. Could it just be the clock spring that's affecting both? Was hoping someone may have had a similar issue with a successful resolution before I start replacing things.
2. I'm really wanting to upgrade to the SAT (Sport Auto Transmission) shifter, and wondering if this would be a good opportunity to go all the way and upgrade to paddle shifters "while I'm at it" (If I can find the parts). Also assuming it's possible to keep heated wheel, lane departure and add the paddle shifters.
3. Any recommended diagnostic resources? I've got INPA but awaiting a cable to connect to the car, but I've never used the software and have no idea what if any service or troubleshooting info in might have.

Thanks in advance for any and all help! I promise whatever solution I find I'll make sure to update with a resolution.

Rabin

Reefin Dude

i have done the SAT on my fully loaded e61 with all of your options and others and it was a bear trying to find a steering wheel with all of the options. it took me quite a while. i think over a year before one came along that was not new. there are screw points that are on the paddle wheels that are not on the regular wheel, so modifying a regular wheel for paddles is not an easy endeavor. i thought about it long and hard during the year i was trying to find a compatible steering wheel.

as for your problem. do you have any odd errors with the other buttons on the steering wheel? to me it sounds like a problem with the clock spring. i expect that the lane departure error is coming from the motor in the wheel not getting juice. have you taken off the wheel and checked the wiring for continuity? it may be as simple as a loose ground in there.

G~

rabin505

Thanks for the reply G,

I was hoping to find some correlation or other examples of the same failure before working on the car again - always nice to find the "Oh I had that and all I had to replace was ______". Failing that I'll troubleshoot the wheel - would be awesome if it's something simple. Both issues seem to be missing power - either to heat the wheel or to power the vibration module. I figure it's either the clock spring or a connection of some sort.

Better question for you now is if the wheel/paddles were worth the effort? If figured I'd be happy with just the SAV shifter since it's plug'n play - but if I needed a new clock spring AND I could find the parts it would be a good time to use it. I'm just not sure I'll use the paddles... (I rarely if ever use manual mode on the shifter on this or my 06R)

Rabin

Reefin Dude

i thought going with the full SAT retrofit was worth it.

i use the paddles mainly on the Hwy. i like being able to lock the tranny in 6th for long travels and going lower for passing instead of it deciding i need it for a slight uphill.

the paddles will always shift the car even in D. as long as you are accelerating it will keep the gear. only when you go back to a relatively neutral gas pedal with the transmission drop out of M mode and back to D automatically. i use this mode when merging onto highways.

G~

rabin505

Took a while - but I found and purchased the SAT shifter assembly. Woohoo!

Now I need to re-address the heated wheel and LDW issue as part of the paddle wheel install.

I've found a heated M-sport wheel with SMG paddles, but it doesn't have LDW. I'm hoping G or someone else knows if the LDW switches and actuator motor can be swapped from my m-sport wheel into the SMG M-sport wheel?

Ideally I'd like to get a new clockspring that supports LDW, heater, and paddles, but I can repin it if needed.

Thanks!

Rabin

Reefin Dude

the problem with the LDW is that the area for the motor is not present on the non-LDW steering wheels. i thought i would try and modify the steering wheel to accept the motor, but the mounts are not there. the area is a softer material and no real hard points for mounting.

i had to wait for a while before i got my steering wheel with heat and LDW.

if you want to keep the SMG paddles you will need to modify the loom with resistors. as these paddles are single direction.

G~

rabin505

Thanks G! I was hoping for confirmation either way so at least I can pass on the wheel and I'll keep looking. I had read that swapping the paddles wasn't possible as the mounts weren't there, but I couldn't find anything with respect to LDW... Didn't really want to buy the wheel if it wasn't going to work for me.

Is your wheel an M-Sport wheel or a Sport wheel? I assume you were able to mod your existing clock spring to handle the paddles or did you buy a new one?

I'll just install the SAT shifter as is, and keep at eye out for a heated M-Sport wheel with heat and LDW and paddles, but in the meantime I'll try to at least verify the clock spring is really at fault and replace if it can just be modded when and if I find a wheel. Will post anything I find as it'd be awesome if there's just a connectivity issue in the wheel.

Thanks,

Rabin

yiqiuc

Hope to bring the thread back from the dead. Did you end up finding the issue? I have the exact same problem on my E61, and try with different steering wheel and SZL, still give me the same error.

rabin505

Sorry - I promised to update and never did!

New clock spring did in fact fix both LDW, and heated wheel. Been working perfectly the last couple winters now.

SAT install was cake, but I gave up finding a wheel with LDW, heat, and paddles. I did look at column mounted paddles for a while, but I rarely drive the car (wife won’t give it back!), and when I do the shifter is fine.

Rabin

kd7iwp

Thanks for getting back to us, I was imagining the clock spring as well, almost seemed as if there was a short-circuit in there connecting the two systems.