Subject: Re: Heated steering wheel: related problem/question Author: DavidC (moderator) : member since December, 2003 : 11918 posts Posted on: 2003-12-31 22:29:16

Hi Jim,

If I were guessing, I'd say that the ribbon cable (like the one in the photo below) may have come out of its track. If that's the case, fixing it is easy.


I don't recall seeing any areas to lubricate when I worked on my steering wheel, though I didn't disassemble the slip ring assembly. If your car has DSC ('98 onward), the slip ring also incorporates a sensor to detect steering position, so if you work on it make sure that it remains functional since it's another important safety system.

It could just need a good cleaning, too. As you can see from the photo above, there was a considerable amount of crud in there.

The worst-case scenario is to replace the entire steering wheel and slip ring. I believe the cost on that is around $500 for a new heated wheel from a dealer.

David Cecil
'97 740iL, 114k miles
'86 735i, 91k miles

www.e38.org has links for everything about your BMW 7-series automobile

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