Replaced my steering wheel with one from E-Class (W207)
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Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 16
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From: SF Bay Area
2009 C300 Sport
Replaced my steering wheel with one from E-Class (W207)
Hi, I'm a Newbie. I've posted several replies, but this is my first original post.
So I got my 2009 C300 Sport in Irridium Silver last July. I love the car, but wasn't very fond of the original steering wheel. I wanted one with better leather and one with a flat bottom. I also didn't want to spend the kind of money for a C63 steering wheel and new airbag. Then someone pointed me to a German forum and someone there successfully replaced the W204 steering wheel with one from a W207 (E-Class). The original airbag "somewhat" fit the W207 steering wheel (more on this later).
I then found a W207 AMG Sport Package steering wheel w/o paddle shifters from UK eBay for $330 shipped. This steering wheel has a flat bottom and normally comes with paddle shifters. I was lucky to find one without them since I didn't want to deal with removing the paddle shifters and plugging up the holes. Compared to my original steering wheel, it's thicker and covered with better leather with some areas in perforated leather.
Anyway, I followed Vic Viper's DIY instructions (I want to emphasize the battery needs to be disconnected and as another poster mentioned, the steering wheel lock bolt is 10mm Allen socket).
I really like my new steering wheel. It looks and feels great.
Getting back to the "somewhat" fit of the original airbag. The left and right spokes, where the multi-function buttons are located, are slightly long for the W207 steering wheel. The spokes rest right up against the steering wheel. The result is that it takes more effort to activate the horn. I'm OK with it because usually when I do need to hit the horn, I'm going to hit it hard anyway.
So I got my 2009 C300 Sport in Irridium Silver last July. I love the car, but wasn't very fond of the original steering wheel. I wanted one with better leather and one with a flat bottom. I also didn't want to spend the kind of money for a C63 steering wheel and new airbag. Then someone pointed me to a German forum and someone there successfully replaced the W204 steering wheel with one from a W207 (E-Class). The original airbag "somewhat" fit the W207 steering wheel (more on this later).
I then found a W207 AMG Sport Package steering wheel w/o paddle shifters from UK eBay for $330 shipped. This steering wheel has a flat bottom and normally comes with paddle shifters. I was lucky to find one without them since I didn't want to deal with removing the paddle shifters and plugging up the holes. Compared to my original steering wheel, it's thicker and covered with better leather with some areas in perforated leather.
Anyway, I followed Vic Viper's DIY instructions (I want to emphasize the battery needs to be disconnected and as another poster mentioned, the steering wheel lock bolt is 10mm Allen socket).
I really like my new steering wheel. It looks and feels great.
Getting back to the "somewhat" fit of the original airbag. The left and right spokes, where the multi-function buttons are located, are slightly long for the W207 steering wheel. The spokes rest right up against the steering wheel. The result is that it takes more effort to activate the horn. I'm OK with it because usually when I do need to hit the horn, I'm going to hit it hard anyway.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 816
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2008 W204
That's really awesome, a perfect solution for someone who doesn't love the OEM one and wants a relatively low cost fix. A shame it doesn't fit perfectly, however if you've ever seen a Benz steering wheel where the airbag has deployed, I don't see any area where your modification has affected the area it deploys out of. If it was an airbag from an E class I'd be more concerned, but its the same airbag with the same connection to the car, just mounted differently.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
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From: SF Bay Area
2009 C300 Sport
However, I am confident the airbag will deploy when needed because everything is original except for the steering wheel. The mounting holes/bolts line up and the electrical connections are all original.
Everything works as before except it takes more effort to activate the horn, which I can live with.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 16
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From: SF Bay Area
2009 C300 Sport
That's really awesome, a perfect solution for someone who doesn't love the OEM one and wants a relatively low cost fix. A shame it doesn't fit perfectly, however if you've ever seen a Benz steering wheel where the airbag has deployed, I don't see any area where your modification has affected the area it deploys out of. If it was an airbag from an E class I'd be more concerned, but its the same airbag with the same connection to the car, just mounted differently.
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Joined: Mar 2011
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From: NNJ, CT, West Palm
2007 E350, 2010 C300, 2008 R350
Can anyone comment on the legality of this as it is not standard manufacturer equipment in say a crash? It would suck if injuries obtained from another liable party hitting you were no longer compensateable in court because you did not use the car's authorized safety equipment. If it is not verboten then this would be an EXCELLENT replacement for the c63 wheel as this is so dirt cheap.
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Another round of ICE
Can anyone comment on the legality of this as it is not standard manufacturer equipment in say a crash? It would suck if injuries obtained from another liable party hitting you were no longer compensateable in court because you did not use the car's authorized safety equipment. If it is not verboten then this would be an EXCELLENT replacement for the c63 wheel as this is so dirt cheap.
- This is not an issue of legality. A manufacturer must certify their production met FMVSS 208 at the time of assembly. A dealer, as the manufacturer's agent, may not take a vehicle out of compliance with the federal standard, but there is no legal proscription which prevents an individual from doing so. Other than usage of active restraints (seat belts), there are no state requirements which pertain to the design or operation of passive inflatable restraints. This leaves the civil liability issue of whether an at-fault driver in another vehicle would incur liability for injuries to the OP related to the below-standard performance of an altered inflatable restraint. This would be burdened with proof problems, as it would become a matter of fact at trial for experts to parse out, attributing what incremental injuries could be attributed to his modification, if it even were discovered.
- Having said that, I still think this mod is quite risky and needlessly so. As some may recall, I was able to find a similar outcome in this thread with no change at all to the airbag mounting and path. This C63 style flat bottom wheel uses an original W204 core.
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...l-upgrade.html
My concern with the OP's mod is that he reports that the horn is a bit tougher to sound. That horn is activated by a membrane which covers the area which opens when the air bag deploys. Although the bag would have sufficient force to break through, I would be concerned that an altered tension in the cover might alter the path of the bag deployment. I don't know that this will happen, but it is an unnecessary risk I would not advise.
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Member
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 101
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From: NNJ, CT, West Palm
2007 E350, 2010 C300, 2008 R350
A few points to make here:
- This is not an issue of legality. A manufacturer must certify their production met FMVSS 208 at the time of assembly. A dealer, as the manufacturer's agent, may not take a vehicle out of compliance with the federal standard, but there is no legal proscription which prevents an individual from doing so. Other than usage of active restraints (seat belts), there are no state requirements which pertain to the design or operation of passive inflatable restraints. This leaves the civil liability issue of whether an at-fault driver in another vehicle would incur liability for injuries to the OP related to the below-standard performance of an altered inflatable restraint. This would be burdened with proof problems, as it would become a matter of fact at trial for experts to parse out, attributing what incremental injuries could be attributed to his modification, if it even were discovered.
- Having said that, I still think this mod is quite risky and needlessly so. As some may recall, I was able to find a similar outcome in this thread with no change at all to the airbag mounting and path. This C63 style flat bottom wheel uses an original W204 core.
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...l-upgrade.html
My concern with the OP's mod is that he reports that the horn is a bit tougher to sound. That horn is activated by a membrane which covers the area which opens when the air bag deploys. Although the bag would have sufficient force to break through, I would be concerned that an altered tension in the cover might alter the path of the bag deployment. I don't know that this will happen, but it is an unnecessary risk I would not advise.
- This is not an issue of legality. A manufacturer must certify their production met FMVSS 208 at the time of assembly. A dealer, as the manufacturer's agent, may not take a vehicle out of compliance with the federal standard, but there is no legal proscription which prevents an individual from doing so. Other than usage of active restraints (seat belts), there are no state requirements which pertain to the design or operation of passive inflatable restraints. This leaves the civil liability issue of whether an at-fault driver in another vehicle would incur liability for injuries to the OP related to the below-standard performance of an altered inflatable restraint. This would be burdened with proof problems, as it would become a matter of fact at trial for experts to parse out, attributing what incremental injuries could be attributed to his modification, if it even were discovered.
- Having said that, I still think this mod is quite risky and needlessly so. As some may recall, I was able to find a similar outcome in this thread with no change at all to the airbag mounting and path. This C63 style flat bottom wheel uses an original W204 core.
https://mbworld.org/forums/c-class-w...l-upgrade.html
My concern with the OP's mod is that he reports that the horn is a bit tougher to sound. That horn is activated by a membrane which covers the area which opens when the air bag deploys. Although the bag would have sufficient force to break through, I would be concerned that an altered tension in the cover might alter the path of the bag deployment. I don't know that this will happen, but it is an unnecessary risk I would not advise.
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,113
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From: Southwest USA
Another round of ICE
Per Vic Viper's post of a couple of years back, it's one inch in diameter from stock to C63. Whether that's enough gain to offset the possible risk is a personal decision.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Aug 2011
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From: SF Bay Area
2009 C300 Sport
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISA...:X:RTQ:GB:1123
On US eBay, there's a German vendor selling one with paddle shifters for a good price of $399 shipped. As I mentioned, I didn't want to mess with removing the paddle shifters and plugging the holes.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-OEM-Merc...item27c4005689
