Minok

So the 2009MY 997.2 with 6spd gearbox did not come with any options for heated wheel, nor multifunction. My goal was to get heated wheel, but while I was in there I wanted to fix the issue of not being able to blank the PCM screen in one click and having volume and phone controls closer would also be good so I added multi-function.

So the car, a MY2009 997.2, built in October 2008, already had heated seats.

The parts that were purchased were:

• MY2011 steering wheel and new airbag (design is different: horn is now the airbag, rather than silver plastic surround): heated wheel + MF
• Clock spring mechanism (to be able to pass the electrical signals through)
• New steering wheel controller

For a manual car, this is a drop in replacement. For cars with PDK, possibly with flappy paddles, there might be some issues (check with Suncoast).

Install at dealer was straight forward in one visit, no added parts were needed. The thicker wheel (XPA sports wheel) came off and the new wheel went on. I opted for the black trim rather than the painted silver... it goes better with the look.. not much else painted silver inside and I'm not a fan of the bling.

The install required the obvious installation of the physical pieces, then the coding of reading the old controller coding, once installed, coding the new controller to the car, coding of the PCM to make it mutli-function wheel aware, coding the gateway. (so presumably the heated wheel feature doesn't require additional coding nor the phone).

Because there is no 'keyed top' notch on the wheels, the install of the new wheel, because of manufacture, resulted in a slightly off-center wheel position, so top dead center steering resulted in a toe angle of 0.19deg. Thus an alignment was required, but as its 2.5 years and 16k miles into the car, it was probably good to get one (though paying $200 for an alignment isn't my cup of tea, when an alignment on a VW Golf, which also has 4 wheels, can be had for much, much less, albeit through a Porsche dealership).

Left: old wheel - XPA sports wheel MY2009 6spd (997.1 style), plastic silver surround is horn, non-heated
Right: new wheel MY2011 6spd (997.2 style), heated + multifunction; airbag is horn



Costs:

• Parts: ~$2,000
• Labor: $300 (install of wheel and coding)
• Labor: $200 (alignment all around)

Then if you sell of the original wheel and airbag you get some money back:

• Original XPA wheel sold = -$800
• Original Airbag sold = -$475

So total cost of the wheel upgrade ~ $1,250 - . It was done in one day (install) but the selling off the original bits took some months to wrap up.

I'm now looking forward to a friggen cold winter so I can enjoy all the warmth of a heated wheel in the Targa. The older wheel was a bit thicker and softer (more padded) and the thread to sew it shut was softer than the new wheel, but in normal use you don't touch the stitching and I can give up the thicker padding for the heated functionality.

As a side note, if anyone is interested in a slightly used, thicker padded XPA 997.1 style manual gearbox steering wheel in stone gray (with airbag): PM me.

Emmanuel

Sorry to revive this thread but I would like to add the multifunction wheel to my 2010 GT3.
I do not need a heated wheel. I do not like the Alcantara material and the ugly grey plastic in the face.
E

Minok

Ok, Emmanuel.

Is there a question you have in there? If so, can you restate it, because it is unclear to me how anyone should respond to your post.

I'll take a 'guess' here: if you have a GT3 without multifunction and want to add a multifunction, it would typically be just replacing the face around the airbag with the multifunction face and possibly a steering wheel controller.

Now for the cosmetics, you really need to be clear on what you are asking.
If you have a GT3 with alcantra wheel, and want to get a leather wheel, buy a new wheel with multifunction + possibly the multifunction controller and have it installed.

If you don't like the grey (silver) plastic on the central area, spec the black plastic on the central area.

If you are talking about the airbag, I cannot help - I think airbags only come in the color you want, not alternate materials.

So whats your question?

Emmanuel

In just a few words, I would like to duplicate what you did above minus the heated feature.

1) I don't like alcantara. (fine for seats but not great for wheel)
2) Grey cover is cheap and ugly black or carbon better
3) Would like to be able to control PCM and answer phone from the wheel
4) Don't need heated steering wheel

Need to know what I need to do to achieve this!

Ps: Grey airbag is fine.

Thank you,

Regards,

Emmanuel

Minok

1) I don't have alcantra. Its all a mater of specifying when you order the replacement steering wheel. Specify a leather wheel and pick the right color for the interior you have. If you have a grey alcantra then the stone grey leather may be the right choice.

2) cover - I assume you mean the panel the controll buttons are in that snaps in around the airbag - the options are, as far as I know, painted silver or the black like I installed. Just order the wheel with the BLACK multifunction panel. Not sure if carbon is available. You can always paint the panel once you get it in.

3) the multifunction features are what you want - your car may need a new stearing wheel controller to push out that data as well as a new clock spring - so check with Suncoast or whomever you order from to find out what parts you do need.

4) Don't order a heated wheel then... just a multifunction sports wheel with black facia.

Assuming you don't have PDK with paddle shifters, this should all be a matter of order a few parts form Suncoast after making sure your local dealer will install and code the system once it arrives. Then wait a few months - the steering wheels are usually ordered from Stuttgart and take a while to get in.

The only issues could be with PDC and multifunction - there was at some point an incompatibility between the two solutions being on the stearing at the same time. Ask suncoast if thats a problem if that is your case.

Basically, call Suncoast, tell them exactly what configuration your car is now from the factory (re wheel type, transmission type, paddles or not) and what you want and they should be able to order the parts for you and ship them to you. You then get them installed and CODED (to enable the multifunction stuff).

For the multifunction stuff to work, you of course, need to already have a phone option enabled in the PCM to use the phone stuff. For the other controls, they mimic the volume and the right **** on the PCM and work appropriately.

Call Suncoast. http://www.suncoastparts.com

Emmanuel

Thanks, will do.
This is for a GT3 so it's not PDK. Can I add the multifunction to my wheel by just changing the face and adding a controller?

E

westgate997

I also am interested in adding MF to my wheel, but not heat. In fact I would just like to retrofit my existing wheel with MF. Is that possible? I have a 6 spd 997.2

Minok

Maybe. 6spd old 997.1 (which is what the early 997.2's got ) don't have a MF upgrade without replacing the wheel and airbag as well. IF you have the newer style 997.2 wheel, then it could be a simple as replacing the face plate and maybe swapping the steering wheel controllers if that were necessary. What needs to be replaced depends on what you have now.

91469972

Why do some of the 2009 have the 2008 steering wheels? Mine is a 2009 and has the new model!

Minok

The early 2009's (mine built in Oct 2008) only had the 997.1 steering wheels because that is ALL that Porsche offered for the 6spd manual cars at the time. The PDKs had the new style. The 6spds got the newer style in a 2010 MY09 update, I think.

shayoneill

If i might ask how did you get heated wheel to be recognized by car? I have done this mod and in programming I can see heated wheel and button recognized but it is not sending pwm to wheel.

OKB

over and over, the same problem. Your parts guy didnt look at the details. Plus the installer didnt look at what he was doing . You can buy a heated wheel. Your car didnt come w/ a heated wheel. It still dont work!!
So you also have to buy the wire and interface that goes in the column because your heater wire isnt plugged into anything

shayoneill

Here is what i bought
997.347.803.f3 heated wheel with mf
997.803.089.12 airbag
955.652.211.22 clock spring
997.613.299.02 control
Car is 2007 turbo Manual with heated seats.
Mf works, horn works, but no heat?

Thoughts to help dealer would be awesome.

jhbrennan

See OKB's post just above yours.

verboten

Multifunction wheel w/heat for sport wheel w/paddles and chrono.