C55 Paddle Shifter Incident
#1
C55 Paddle Shifter Incident
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!
#2
MBWorld Fanatic!
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.
#3
Super Member
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.
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.
#5
MBWorld Fanatic!
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
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!
Cheers,
Chris
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!
#6
MBWorld Fanatic!
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
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
#7
MBWorld Fanatic!
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
Cheers,
Chris
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#8
MBWorld Fanatic!
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.
Cheers,
Chris"
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.
Cheers,
Chris"
#9
Super Member
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
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
#10
MBWorld Fanatic!
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.
Cheers,
Chris
#11
MBWorld Fanatic!
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.
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.
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; 10-03-2017 at 04:29 PM.
#12
Super Member
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
If there is some question I raised, but did not answer, I would be happy to answer it.
Cheers,
Chris
#13
MBWorld Fanatic!
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.
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).
Cheers,
Chris
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ghiaguy (10-10-2017)
#17
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#18
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2005 Mercedes Benz C55 AMG..1967 Lotus Europa..1987 Lotus Turbo Esprit HCI..2020 Mercedes Benz E350
Steering Wheel Conversion
Are you still interested in my OEM wheel?
Rob
https://www.ebay.com/sch/ledermanz/m...1&_ipg=&_from=went with
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AMG C55, BMW 330e Hybrid saloon, BMW 123d coupe
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?
#20
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2005 Mercedes Benz C55 AMG..1967 Lotus Europa..1987 Lotus Turbo Esprit HCI..2020 Mercedes Benz E350
C55 OEM Shift Paddles
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!
Rob