[dphjr]

Hey all. Some of you might recognize me from the post I started a few months back about retrofitting M6 paddles on to our 2ers. I'm not knocking these paddles at all, I just felt like I needed something more substantial to use under spirited driving. I contacted Eric over at RW Carbon about oficially test fitting these paddles to make sure they worked on our cars. So, a few days ago, I received these gorgeous AutoTecknic Competition paddle shifters. BIG shoutout to him for the quick shipping, great packaging and great price! I thought I'd write up a review and quick install guide for any of you thinking of going this route. I apologize if this thread becomes long, as I took a LOT of pictures because explaining this stuff with words can get rather confusing.

Here are some pictures of the boxes that it came in. Incredible packing job!



So: on to the installation.
Step 1: First step is to remove the negative lead from the battery. I can't stress this step enough, as you will be removing the airbag later on!


Step 2: Second step is to remove the airbag itself. To do this, push a screwdriver or something similar into the two holes under the wheel itself. I couldn't really get a good picture, but hopefully this helps you find it. The one side will pop off easily, the second will require more force. Get ready to hold it once it comes out!


Step 3: Unplug the airbag connector (push down on the little lever on the connector and pull out). Then unscrew the paddles using a torx screwdriver. Be careful here, as I stupidly used an alan key and ended up stripping one of the screws later on! I highlighted the one to unscrew, the bottom, NOT the top! The top screw is for the trim around the wheel.


Step 4: Remove the little black pillar connecting the paddles and the connector together. They only go in and out one way, so don't force it! The paddles themselves should now fall away from the connector. Make sure you grab the little black bar and the spring that will come out too!


For reference: Here are the three parts im talking about
1. Black Pillar
2. Black Bar
3. Spring


Here are is a picture of the paddles side by side as well. (Autotecknic vs M6)


Step 5: Swap the silver screw from the one paddle to the other. Not much to say about this step.


Step 6: This is the tricky part. I didn't want to deal with taking the whole wheel off, so I instead let the connectors hang and reattached the paddles while the connectors were still on the wheel. Place the spring in the little pillar and that black bar right behind it, and reattach the paddle to the connector. Secure by putting the black pillar back in. Once again: DO NOT FORCE THE PILLAR TOO HARD. If it doesn't fit one way, try going through the other. These little puppies can break pretty easily if you aren't careful.


Step 7: Screw the paddles back in, reconnect the airbag, pop it back in, and reconnect the battery. You will now have shiny new paddles installed!




Now, for a short review:

Like I said, I haven't had the paddles on that long, but WOW do they feel amazing to the touch. The quality feels top notch, and the steel grey look fits in nicely with the rest of the cabin. Also, I was suprised that the size of the paddles (they aren't really as big as the photos would show) do not really interfere with steering the car at all. This was a big worry of mine, and I am happy to report that I've had no such problems this far. The clicks are solid and not very mushy at all, and there are little grooves on the back that feel very comfortable to hold. My only (inevitable) gripe is that once you move further away from the center of the paddle, it becomes hard to click. But, this is basically unavoidable with the way the paddles are connected. Still plenty of usable space to click though. Overall I highly recommend these to anyone looking for a good competition style set of paddles.

Phew! That was a lot of words! Thanks to anyone who managed to finish all this, and I hope this helps with your search for new paddles! Finally, another shoutout to Eric over at RW Carbon for a great deal on these paddles! Let me know if you guys have any questions for me about the installation or my thoughts!

[StarMan]

Yup got these paddles in my car too. Probably the best interior upgrade i have done.

[M-terkait]

shifting trigger == the black bar #2 in your picture. correct?

[dphjr]

Originally Posted by M-terkait

shifting trigger == the black bar #2 in your picture. correct?

I guess so? haha I had no idea what any of those pieces were called, which is why I labeled them

[harkes]

That looks 100% Batman

[Fabspeed Motorsport]

These are nice!

[Mr.aicoco]

Hi!

These look great!!

Is this possible to do with the OEM 2 series paddles? Or do I need the parts from the M cars shift paddles?

And, nice write up of the installation!

Greatings from Belgium.

[dphjr]

Originally Posted by Mr.aicoco

Hi!

These look great!!

Is this possible to do with the OEM 2 series paddles? Or do I need the parts from the M cars shift paddles?

And, nice write up of the installation!

Greatings from Belgium.

Hey,
As they all have the same components, yes it should work fine. I use these paddles every day and love them more and more!

[garrito_burrito_]

Dumb question, but does the car show a code if the airbag has been disconnected? As in, will this mess with my warrantee?

[Fabspeed Motorsport]

Originally Posted by garrito_burrito_

Dumb question, but does the car show a code if the airbag has been disconnected? As in, will this mess with my warrantee?

I can't confirm that it will show what some people like to call it "a soft code". Which means you won't see it but BMW can. To be honest, I doubt they are going to know and I highly doubt that you will have any issues in regards to warranty because of this.

[Mistertmac]

Thank you for the awesome tutorial!
It definitely helped! Most of the threads I found tell you to follow other tutorials for other cars or to follow the Electronic Steering wheel DIY, which if a good start, but does not tell you how to break down the shifter!
Thanks!!

[garrito_burrito_]

Last question... I've never removed an airbag before.. Simply disconnect the battery? or is there more I should know. Really want to be safe about this.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Nice write up

[DasPanda]

Will this only work for your type of steering wheel? I have the steering wheel 1 in a 228i