flickroll

Last week I installed the Techart paddles on the multifunction steering wheel of my 2015 991. I considered changing the wheel out to a newer style factory wheel, but ultimately decided that I wanted to keep the functionality of the multifunction wheel, so I started looking at paddle retrofit kits. I considered the Champion wheel but they are very expensive ($1,500!!), plus they never answered an email that I sent with a few questions. I decided to go with the Techart paddles so I started shopping. They are not inexpensive either, but they were less than half the cost of the Champions. I found them on sale at TAG Motorsports for $715 which is less than offered elsewhere. Plus the folks at TAG were great to work with and promptly answered a few questions while I was working to install the kit. The project took about a day for me to do because I worked slowly and deliberately, but I bet I could do another one in 3 or 4 hours. The paddles provide a much better shift than the stock buttons IMO. Anyway, here is the link at TAG. Not sure how long they will be on sale, but I think at least until the end of the year.

http://tagmotorsports.com/techart-ma...dleshifter-kit

The link says Macan but there are also for 991's.

R_Rated

It's not too much more for a new steering wheel!... 715$ for 25$ in parts... Heck of a Porsche tax.

Looks like the only option though for people wanting a 991.1 paddle shifting + multifunction experience.

Did you consider a 991.2 multifunction wheel?

flickroll

I agree it's a lot of cash for what you get, but from what I have read the controls on a 991.2 multifunction wheel will not work on a 991.1. The only option is a new Sport wheel, plus in my case a new stalk to control the display and menu settings, or a paddle retrofit. The Sport wheel with new stalk from Suncoast is $1545, but I would lose the heated steering wheel and phone and audio controls which I seem to use a lot, and it would require dealer installation with programming changes, so total installed cost would approach $2k. So I went with the $700 option. Had to grit my teeth to pay that much, but it allowed me to continue to use features that I would lose with a new wheel.

Needsdecaf

I don't believe that the 991.2 multifunction wheel has been made to work on a 991.1 (the multifunction part, of course)

R_Rated

I saw a thread somewhere but maybe that was just the non multifunction wheel.

I also agree that a heated steering wheel would be hard to give up!

Lexvan made fun of me for mentioning I love having coffee and a cigar for a drive - his reply was something along the lines of PDK drivers being easy to spot. All in good fun - great to have so many options. I use the phone functions a lot in my other car but only use my 911 for fun so am happy to have just the wheel and like the look. Sounds like you DD your 911? I tell myself it (sport wheel)makes it more of a focused pure driving car even though it's mostly a placebo at my driving ability + cigar smoking as much as possible when driving

flickroll

No, not my DD, my Macan S Is the DD. However I do drive the 911 quite a bit, and this time of year in this neck of the woods the heated wheel is really nice. Use the audio controls quite a bit, and controlling the screen from the wheel is easier than having to use the stalk, which I had in my 981 Boxster S. If the 991.2 multifunction wheel would work I'd buy one in a heartbeat. Wish Porsche would make a wheel like that for the 991.1.

RobC4sX51

Thanks for sharing and doing the write up! And the link is nice too. I have the MF heated steering wheel too & have considered a sport design steering wheel but as you point out, it is pricey plus you lose some user friendliness not to mention that sweet heated option. But this Techart kit is nice. My only reluctance is that I almost never use the buttons now (cruising or track driving) so when would I use these paddles? They almost look (just like the SD wheel) like they would be "in the way" of good hand
position on the wheel while driving fast. PDK in sport or sport plus does it all so well! But again thanks for posting, it's great to see these mods and have options!

mdrobc1213

You are correct the 991.2 MF wheel will not function on the 991.1
Not exactly...the wheel will work in itself but you will lose all of the functions. Tried it a few times and no joy. There is supposedly a 991.2 MF module but that is another $700+ and no one know IF it will work or not as a retrofit and control the 991.2 MF wheel in the 991.1 car. We need a Guinea pig to try it tho!
That's what I did....991.2 Sport wheel with paddles and additional control stalk. Wheel was $995, new 991.2 airbag $1000 and stalk $200. Install and programming $306 so yes you're about at $2500 for a retrofit of the non MF 991.2 wheel into a 991.1 car. Search for my post for pics and impressions. Love the new wheel though...much better than the MF and hell I can reach for the controls for the radio/iphone and phone calls when needed...its a sports car remember!

MagicRat

I have this kit on order for installation in January.

R_Rated

This is why I prefer the 991.1 sport wheel with paddles. However, the 991.2 paddles do have a really nice feel.

Caoticvet

I'm very interested. At first I didn't like my MF wheel and was going to get the sportdesign wheel w paddles but I do use the wheel controls quite a bit. This is my DD. How involved is installation really? Any rewiring? Special tools? Times where you got stuck and wish you had a professional do it?

MagicRat

Afraid I can be of no help, as I am having a professional do it!

Caoticvet

How much are they charging for the install?

flickroll

I wish I had taken pictures during the paddle conversion but I didn't. The instructions are very easy to follow and if you want a copy send a PM to me and I'll send a PDF of the instructions to you. I want to give kudos to TAG Motorsports for their help on the phone when I had a couple of questions during the project. They were absolutely great to work with.

Basically it goes like this:

Tools needed:

Torx bit set from very small to T-55
Plastic trim removal tools
Torque wrench (wheel reinstall torque is 50 N-M)
Small screwdriver set

1. Disconnect negative lead from battery and make sure it won't migrate by itself back to the terminal. We're working with an airbag and we certainly don't want to take a chance of it firing. Plus, you'd probably generate a pile of fault codes that would have your Tech scratching his head the next time the car needs service. My car was in the shop for other service work the day after the steering wheel work and I asked the Tech which fault codes he had seen and he said only a low voltage fault.

2. Remove airbag and disconnect the wires to it. This is easier than it sounds. There is a hole on the back side of the wheel, at the 6 o'clock high position below the steering column. You can feel it with your finger. Insert a round blunt tool (I used a 1/4" hex key) in the hole and feel for the retaining wire. Once you feel it, push on the wire with the hex key and the airbag will be released and disengaged from the wheel. Lift the airbag out of the wheel and remove the 2 cables and 1 ground connector from the airbag assembly (the 2 connectors have an orange tab on top of them which must be lifted in order to release the connector - I used a very small screwdriver tip to lift the tab). Set the airbag aside. I placed it face down on a microfiber towel.

3. Remove wheel using a T-55 torx bit. Once the bolt is out there are either one or two wire connectors that need to be released. If you have a heated wheel there are 2 connectors, if unheated there is 1 connector. There is a release tab that you will need to push to release the connector(s). Once the connectors are released remove the steering wheel by lifting it straight away from the column. BUT BEFORE YOU DO: look for the index marks on the wheel and on the column at the 12 o'clock position. If you don't see them just use a sharpie and draw a match line on the column and the wheel. You'll need to make sure the wheel is indexed properly when you are finished with the mod or else your steering wheel might wind up crooked when the wheels are at the neutral position.

4. Remove the steering wheel 'cover' using the plastic trim removal tools. The cover is the center piece of the wheel which has the controls on it. This is the only part of the mod that I had trouble with. There are molded male 'fingers' on the backside of the cover that engage in rubber female 'sockets' on the main part of the wheel. Some of the fingers on my wheel would not budge. Apparently on some wheels this is easy, and on some wheels this is difficult. I happened to have a difficult one. I carefully kept working the cover with the pry tools and most of them eventually released, but one of the male fingers pulled a chunk of the female socket with it when it released. It was as if the finger had been glued in the socket. Using an Exacto knife I carefully cut the rubber from the finger and using super glue I reattached it to the torn socket on the wheel. That worked fine and caused no trouble when I reassembled the wheel. Once the cover is free from the wheel you'll need to release a wire connector from the main body of the wheel.

5. Follow the instructions to remove the factory buttons from the wheel.

6. Follow the instructions to reroute 3 wires. This is what makes the left side downshift and the right side upshift. It is easy to do this and the instructions cover it quite well. I made up some wire markers to label the original location of the wires in case anyone (not me!) wants to go back to button shifting.

7. Follow the instructions to install the the new paddles and to reinstall the center cover (don't forget to reattach the wire connector that was removed in step 4). I used a very light teflon based grease to lube the sockets and the fingers which made reassembly easy, and also to facilitate future disassembly should anyone ever want to do that (again, not me!). During paddle assembly you can adjust the 'play' of the paddles using small o-rings on the shafts of the paddles. I used the maximum number, 4, which provides for very fast action of the paddles. It was tricky to get the o-rings on the shaft, but I eventually figured out to put the o-rings on the shaft of an appropriately sized Torx screwdriver, and place the tip of the torx driver in the screw socket on the paddle shaft, and then just slide the o-rings down the shaft of the torx driver and onto the shaft of the paddle. This ultimately saved a lot of time and potential lost o-rings as they are very small and difficult to manipulate. The torx screwdriver used as a guide worked very well. One other tip: I did not realize, and the directions do not say this, but the cover engages with the airbag retaining wire. You have to push very hard until you heard an audible 'snap' which is the cover engaging with the wire. Do this on the left and right side of the cover. If you do not do this the airbag will not re-engage in the wheel hub properly during reassembly. Don't ask how I know this.....

8. Snap on the left and right front facing 'dummy' buttons. These did not fit particularly well and I spent a fair amount of time fussing with them. They still are not perfect but overall they look OK.

9. Reinstall the steering wheel, making sure to reattach the connectors that were removed in step 3. Make sure the wheel is indexed properly and reattach the steering wheel bolt. Torque the bolt to 50 N-M.

10. Reattach the cables and ground wire to the airbag, and carefully feed the airbag and ribbon cable into the wheel hub. Once the airbag retaining fingers hit the retaining wire, push the face of the airbag assembly until it reengages with the retaining wire.

11. Reattach the negative lead to the battery and replace the cover over the battery.

12. Hop in the car, fire it up, and try to hide the grin from your face when you first use the paddles.

I hope these instructions helped; if you have any question let me know. I have attached pictures of before, during, and after the conversion.

TAGMotorsports

Jim,

Im glad we were able to help you with the installation of this and with getting you a great price on the product itself. We had it installed on our 991.1 Turbo S and loved it so we figured it would be a great product for our clients to enjoy as well!

If anyone is interested or has any questions at all - please feel free to reach out!