Bosty

Hey guys. Decided the thumb rockers needed an upgrade. So I decided to install a set of paddle shifters. I used the wiring from the thumb rockers and removed the light switch from the rear if the wheel, and turned it to the on position when the lights turn on.

As for a review. I absolutely love it. I dont think it looks out of place. I purchased the paddles from Mercedes. I was inspired by a Porsche Cayman doing something very similar.

Thumb rockers still work. Heated wheel, multifunction, lights. Everything works.

I know its in my head.
It feels like it shifts faster. It also feels like im driving a newer car. Its a different experience. It cost me $200 in Mercedes paddles, and about 5 hrs of my time. All in all very happy.

TomF

Very nice! I have been planning to do this for a while now. While normally I consider this kind of modification on a Porsche blaspemy (LOL) the cost of a real german F1 type shifter steering wheel is way too prohibitive at $1500+, so I am willing to make allowances.

A few questions: How difficult was the wiring? Can you share any tips on wire coding, etc...to help others save time? How did you attach them to the steering wheel?

The SMG paddles from Mercedes work in a ton of applications, including the - 2001 BMW 740s and 750s. FYI, for anyone considering this upgrade, there is a seller on ebay that has the genuine Mercedes shifters for $157.95.

Thanks for posting!

Cheers,
TomF

Dilberto

I thought about this myself.... good work!

deilenberger

I'll have to look at the 958 wiring diagrams to see if the current rocker switches are actually CAN bus transmitters or actual switches. My WAG - they are CAN bus transmitters so that might make this sort of thing impossible to much more difficult. I'll let'ya know what I find.

Just spent an hour going through the wiring diagrams - the switches aren't mentioned at all - except removing and installing them. Nothing in the wiring diagrams. Makes me think they're tied into the switches on the front of the spokes - so they must be can-bus transmitters.

Bosty

No prob.

I wish more pictures were taken. All the wiring is done through the centre airbag unit. It includes all the modules and wiring needed to connect to the newly mounted paddles. Used RC car wiring and basically tapped into the thumb rocker switches. Soldering some wires to the original switches of the rocker switches and attached a connector to them and another connector to the Mercedes switches.

The mounting of the paddles was done by random hardware I had laying around.

TomF

Thanks very much for the update. No problem about the pics. I have pretty decent understanding of the wheel wiring.

For anyone that is looking for the Mercedes part, the part number is 221-267-00-46.

Here is the link to the ebay item I referenced: http://www.ebay.com/itm/191920980088...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Cheers,
TomF

Szymon S

Hello

Can you send wiring diagrams for cayenne 955 or photos ?

Thanks

Gagner West

Thank you for this post!! I have a deep love affair with my Cayenne but the rocker shifters just don't seem natural to me! I was actually trolling this forum to see if there was any way to retrofit a newer Cayenne wheel with proper paddles onto the '08s.

But I can endorse fully what TomF is saying - because I have an '01 E38 740i and I did exactly the same thing. Same paddles, too! (except I asked for the McLaren paddles. EXACT same part, like one digit difference in part numbers, and maybe $100/piece difference in cost..........but at least I can say I took the paddles off a McLaren )

Prior to reading this thread, I was going to have the DB Tables re-mapped so that the dimmer buttons on the back of the wheel would trigger shifts. That was obviously a much riskier (and less desirable) option, I'd far prefer going this route.

Would anyone know how if the wiring is any different on an '08 Cayenne GTS? (that would preclude this mod)?

Petza914

This looks like something I'm going to have to do on my 957 Turbo S. Its going to make the driving so much sportier. Love it.

I'm assuming I can just splice the left downshift paddle into the left "-" tip button wire and the right upshift paddle wire into the right "+" tip button wire, right? This will leave the original buttons functional and make the paddles functional too.

Getting rid of the silly light buttons on the back and just having those on when the lights are on is also a very common sense approach and probably the way it should have been done anyway.

cfiiman

Badass! Did you just dremel out the back of the wheel to countersink the switches in?

Dilberto

How about modding extension paddles from the existing Tiptronic steering wheel buttons?

Kaychub

This is great! I've seen a few mods like this for 997/981, do you have the wiring instructions for this?

Petza914

I've had the Mercedes paddles in my closet since I posted here back in 2018. Still haven't gotten around to doing it but glad the thread got bumped to remind me. Gonna have to get this done.

Kaychub

Fantastic Petza let us know how it goes, and yeah, thanks for helping sort out issues I had with my 997 back in 2016

TomF

Hey Pete, I have my Mercedes paddles in my closet as well. I too never got around to it... I guess we are all too busy enjoying our road trips with our families!