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Valeted my car in downtown Louisville a couple weekends ago and the gentleman returns my car with the paddle shifter broken away from the steering wheel and hanging down about 10 inches (please see pictures). Apparently his knee broke it off and then the wiring got tangled and yanked it out. Thought it would be an easy fix. Not the case. The paddle shifter no longer works to shift the gear, so there must be a wiring issue. I took it to the dealership and they said the only way to fix it is by buying a new $2,346 steering wheel. There has to be an easier/cheaper way to fix this. Please help!
If you have uninsured motorist, looks to me like the valet attendant vandalized your property and they should be subrogated for the damages and you deductible if one applies.
Does the paddle's microswitch still work or is wiring actually pulled out inside the wheel? If so, you'll need to pop off the airbag/horn and check the wiring there. An eBay wheel may provide parts if needed, but I can't see why a loose wire can't be reattached.
Looks to me like the only part that needs replacing right now is the plastic switch bezel. A tiny bit of super glue may hold that into the wheel should everything else be an easy fix like I believe it will be.
I work on all of these mercedes shift button/paddle issues regularly. If you send me an email, I will walk you through the repair. Latemodel21@yahoo.com
Cheers,
Chris
Originally Posted by tp24
Valeted my car in downtown Louisville a couple weekends ago and the gentleman returns my car with the paddle shifter broken away from the steering wheel and hanging down about 10 inches (please see pictures). Apparently his knee broke it off and then the wiring got tangled and yanked it out. Thought it would be an easy fix. Not the case. The paddle shifter no longer works to shift the gear, so there must be a wiring issue. I took it to the dealership and they said the only way to fix it is by buying a new $2,346 steering wheel. There has to be an easier/cheaper way to fix this. Please help!
Worth pointing out, the "paddle" may have been compromised prior to this incident in terms of its retention clippage (when the cheesy wanna-be "G-paddle" was kludged into the factory shift button) AND, the G-paddle creates a lever arm that the factory button retention strategy was NEVER designed to survive .... SO it is not fair to hold the Valet 100% accountable.
Having said all that, the fix is easy, send me an email and I would be happy to help you get it working again.
I work on all of these mercedes shift button/paddle issues regularly. If you send me an email, I will walk you through the repair. Latemodel21@yahoo.com
well, It is a far better use of my time (and his) to have him call me and tell me what he has checked ... AND to get an understanding of his level of expertise AND to give him some insights into handling the airbag, etc ...
but it starts like this (the note I replied to his email with)
"... has anyone removed the airbag and verified that the paddle is still plugged in ?
if not, that is where you would start .... 2 screws hold in the airbag ... you need a "T30" torx driver to loosen them enough to lift the air bag away and inspect the paddle connections
if they are still plugged in, it is likely that one of the 2 wires (leading to the non-working paddle) is broken (may even be broken inside the insulation). you will likely need a Ohm meter (standard meter) to verify the wires.
unlikely that the switch in the paddle is broken, but if it is, I have a box of them and you can have one.
feel free to give me a call when you get around to it.
Worth pointing out, the "paddle" may have been compromised prior to this incident in terms of its retention clippage (when the cheesy wanna-be "G-paddle" was kludged into the factory shift button) AND, the G-paddle creates a lever arm that the factory button retention strategy was NEVER designed to survive .... SO it is not fair to hold the Valet 100% accountable.
Having said all that, the fix is easy, send me an email and I would be happy to help you get it working again.
Chris
How are the factory switches held in any better than the G-Paddles when someone does the conversion?
How are the factory switches held in any better than the G-Paddles when someone does the conversion?
not sure I understand your question ...
if you look at the OPs 3rd picture, you can see where the clip is broken ... you can also see the mark from where it was pried out with a screwdriver when the G-paddles were installed .... Did it break then? hard to say
is it broken now? Clearly
would it have broken if the G-paddles were never installed ? No ... the valet hooked the paddle and it pulled out (or it just fell out). The stock switch has nothing to hook, The g-paddle has a long lever that can put too much load on the factory retention clip (sorry for repeating my self).
would it have been different if it has been a more traditional paddle conversion using real AMG paddles ? OF course, they are held in by a screw that passes though the cast metal core of the steering wheel.
If there is some question I raised, but did not answer, I would be happy to answer it.
Does the paddle's microswitch still work or is wiring actually pulled out inside the wheel? If so, you'll need to pop off the airbag/horn and check the wiring there. An eBay wheel may provide parts if needed, but I can't see why a loose wire can't be reattached.
Looks to me like the only part that needs replacing right now is the plastic switch bezel. A tiny bit of super glue may hold that into the wheel should everything else be an easy fix like I believe it will be.
Somehow i missed your original post.
your troubleshooting tips are solid (making mine redundant)
and, you also spotted the broken switchbezel. did you see where it was broken at the paddle pivot as well (this is where nearly all of these break when installing the G-paddles).
gluing the switch bezel back into the pocket as you suggested is also common (and works well enough) .
Finding replacement switch bezels however most certainly requires buying the whole wheel as they are almost never found separately. This is something G-paddle should make and supply to there customers.
Having done all of the paddle shift conversions for DCT motorsports for the last 5 years (and other shops like MA Carbon, etc) I have seen and worked on many many wheels (hundreds ) and also had to fix too many that had been previously, poorly converted
Chris
Last edited by latemodel21; Oct 3, 2017 at 04:29 PM.
would it have been different if it has been a more traditional paddle conversion using real AMG paddles ? OF course, they are held in by a screw that passes though the cast metal core of the steering wheel.
If there is some question I raised, but did not answer, I would be happy to answer it.
Cheers,
Chris
That was the one. I was unaware the conversion was screwed in. Having done the G-Paddles conversion, I'm happy for what I paid, their functionality and ease of converting. The only issue is catching them with a knee and popping them out. Mine just pop back in since my bezel is intact.
That was the one. I was unaware the conversion was screwed in. Having done the G-Paddles conversion, I'm happy for what I paid, their functionality and ease of converting. The only issue is catching them with a knee and popping them out. Mine just pop back in since my bezel is intact.
Yes, I will agree that the G-paddles are a cheap alternative.
and, Yes, upgrading the wheel using real AMG paddles (often called "E63 Paddles") includes positively securing them with a screw (just like the factory does). Here are a few pics of the process. The last pic showing it fully assembled also shows the "Mercedes Paddle Converter" module which is NOT needed for C55, SLK55 and CLS55 (is it used only on 2003-2004 E55, 2003-2006 SL55/65, S55/65, CL55/65, CLK55, and SLR McLaren).
2005 Mercedes Benz C55 AMG..1967 Lotus Europa..1987 Lotus Turbo Esprit HCI..2020 Mercedes Benz E350
Steering Wheel Conversion
Originally Posted by Accidental L8 apex
Which new wheel did you go with? I'm so close to pulling the trigger on a custom wheel it hurts.
This is the one I bought for my C55 AMG on Ebay from the seller....Ledermanz. They're located in Latvia but shipping was under $40 and I received it in less than 2 weeks.
I have a 2005 C55 with the older steering wheel shifter buttons. They both work but have become nasty "sticky". Can they be converted to the more modern AMG paddle shifters easily? Or what is the fix for these sticky buttons?
2005 Mercedes Benz C55 AMG..1967 Lotus Europa..1987 Lotus Turbo Esprit HCI..2020 Mercedes Benz E350
C55 OEM Shift Paddles
Originally Posted by sciencebod
I have a 2005 C55 with the older steering wheel shifter buttons. They both work but have become nasty "sticky". Can they be converted to the more modern AMG paddle shifters easily? Or what is the fix for these sticky buttons?
Never had a problem with the OEM shift buttons. About 3 years ago, I bought the G Paddles from a bloke in England for $110 US and they worked well although their appearance was not "high tech" IMHO! The Mercedes C63 OEM paddle shifters were included in the aftermarket flat bottom steering wheel that I bought and installed earlier this year.
Although the steering wheel was pricey, it looks and feels great to the touch and I'm very pleased with the results!!! See my post above!
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
