ML55 AMG, ML63 AMG (W163, W164) 1999 - 2011 Two Generations

Paddle Shift Conversion

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Old Jun 29, 2010 | 12:38 AM
  #1  
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Paddle Shift Conversion

I am wondering if anyone here as a solution or an idea of what causes this problem.

I installed the newer paddle shifters ordered from MB in my 2007 ml 63 to replace the + and - buttons at the rear of the steering wheel. The problem is that the up shift paddle now only downshifts and it will not up shift. So both paddles down shifts.

I reinstalled the original **** button and the up shift button also down shifts now.


Any suggestions?
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Old Jun 29, 2010 | 06:29 PM
  #2  
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Hi Jo

I had an initial problem that the downshift button wouldnt work a day or two after i had the job done. Turns out a connection was a bit loose from paddle wire and with some super glue the connection was made more permananet. No problems since. I cant understand how your problem would have arisen. Its not like the connector from the paddleshifter could be plugged into the wrong connection??
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Old Jun 29, 2010 | 09:06 PM
  #3  
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Pretty hard to Fk it up or plug it into to the wrong place. I even re-installed the old shifter button and it does the same. + shifts down.
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Old Jun 30, 2010 | 01:10 PM
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Sorry didnt experience this problem although we had to splice the connectors as the ones on the paddles were not the same as the orig. It worked right away though....
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Old Jun 30, 2010 | 11:39 PM
  #5  
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We spiced them as well and even reversed them to see if that fixed it....nope. I guess I only get to gear down for now. hehe

I'll be taking it in to MB to see what they say.
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Old Jul 8, 2010 | 12:17 AM
  #6  
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spiced - lol spliced.

So today I took it into MB for them to look at it and what a waste of fkn time.

Here are the notes on the work order for the tech
"115570 CONFIRMED CUSTOMER INSTALLED PADDLE SHIFTER (AMG) ON STEERING WHEEL ONLY DOWNSHIFTS. PERFORM STAR DIAGNOSIS QUICK TEST. NO CODES STORED. CHECKED FOR ANY POSSIBLE CONDING CHANGES TO MAKE THEM WORK - NONE FOUND.
AS PER PARTS ADVISOR, ORIGINAL EQUIPTMENT IS 2 BUTTONS ON EACH SIDE (ONE FOR UP AND ONE FOR DOWN)

is this guy a moron? 2 buttons on each side? I even had the original buttons on the passenger seat. I asked the service advisor what to do now and she said she didn't know.

Maybe time to go another dealership?
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Old Jul 27, 2010 | 08:11 AM
  #7  
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Hey I have a similar problem I think.

Try installing the original button and see if they shift like a normal Benz, e.g. one end of the button goes up and the other end goes down.

Driving me nuts.
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Old Jul 27, 2010 | 10:05 AM
  #8  
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I did and it does the same thing. both down shift
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Old Jul 28, 2010 | 02:31 PM
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check the plugs

I know when i was playing around with this, on each side there's 3 wires to each. The new paddle's only uses 2 of those wires per side.

So ensure that when you installed the new or old, you didn't cross the wires, or bent the prongs that plug in? I even remember that when I did the mod, I spliced, and just tapped 2 wires together to make sure which ones upshifted and downshifted...pretty sure it's just that.

good luck bro.
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Old Jul 28, 2010 | 02:38 PM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by davidbho
I know when i was playing around with this, on each side there's 3 wires to each. The new paddle's only uses 2 of those wires per side.

So ensure that when you installed the new or old, you didn't cross the wires, or bent the prongs that plug in? I even remember that when I did the mod, I spliced, and just tapped 2 wires together to make sure which ones upshifted and downshifted...pretty sure it's just that.

good luck bro.
old buttons have blue and red wires and only 2. New shifters also have only 2
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Old Jul 30, 2010 | 12:40 PM
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I was working on my R not ML

Originally Posted by Jo
old buttons have blue and red wires and only 2. New shifters also have only 2
I thought they were the same. On my R, you could shift up and shift down on each side. You would press the inside (closer to center of steering wheel) or outside of the button (farthest from the center) and it would do either up or down.

Sorry I'm of no help bra.
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Old Sep 18, 2010 | 04:25 AM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by davidbho
I know when i was playing around with this, on each side there's 3 wires to each. The new paddle's only uses 2 of those wires per side.

So ensure that when you installed the new or old, you didn't cross the wires, or bent the prongs that plug in? I even remember that when I did the mod, I spliced, and just tapped 2 wires together to make sure which ones upshifted and downshifted...pretty sure it's just that.

good luck bro.
Hey buddy, need your input desperately

I im in the middle of changing over from button to the paddles and I have 3 wires, Blue Green and Red whereas the new paddles only have 2 wires each.

Do you know what wires go where??

Thanks
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Old Sep 18, 2010 | 09:46 AM
  #13  
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what is your email address?
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Old Sep 18, 2010 | 09:52 AM
  #14  
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*edit

Last edited by schmick325; Sep 18, 2010 at 10:56 AM.
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Old Sep 18, 2010 | 10:08 AM
  #15  
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Very helpful, but which wires are the blue and red hooked up to?

Its 12.07am and im tempted to go do it now, its been bugging me all day.

Shame you can only test it with the car running and go for a drive
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Old Sep 18, 2010 | 06:59 PM
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Success!!

Justin you are a legend!

I wired up the paddles using red as the hot wire and blue as the ground and they are working 100% !!!!!!
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Old Sep 18, 2010 | 07:02 PM
  #17  
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Just took this



How good are Forums
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Old Sep 28, 2010 | 01:49 PM
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do you have the part nuumbers for the paddles?
I have a 08 GL550 that I want to convert.. one side is up and one is down.

thanks.
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Old Oct 19, 2010 | 04:08 PM
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sorry

Originally Posted by schmick325
Hey buddy, need your input desperately

I im in the middle of changing over from button to the paddles and I have 3 wires, Blue Green and Red whereas the new paddles only have 2 wires each.

Do you know what wires go where??

Thanks
Sorry, haven't been on the forum in a while...should have PM'ed me. The install was much easier then I thought though. for the future guys:
1. remove airbag, 2 torque screws behind the airbag, one on each side
2. remove the small torque screw that holds the shifter buttons in the back
3. I put the airbag in a plastic bag, and just let it sit on top of steering wheel...and didn't even bother unplugging, didn't want any air bag lights to come on
4. i telescoped the steering wheel all the way out, and just took a razor and cut to enlarge the hole...
5. Wired it up. I forget the colors to each, but it is easy to figure out. Turn the car on, put it into drive (ensure airbag is plugged up or errors will occur), of the 3 wires on each side, tap 2 of them together, if they do nothing, wrong wires, if they go up or down, those are the pairs to use since you're going from 3 wire to 2 wire for paddles.
6. Now, the screws wont work anymore, so just find a good plastic epoxy and glue the new paddle into the steering wheel.
took about 1.5 hours total.
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Old Jan 3, 2011 | 04:04 PM
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Hi there, I will shortly retrofitting Linguatronic in my W164 2006 and I was in need to get a new set of steering wheels button with the linguatronic fonction.
Here in UK they are expensive (£180 each), so I got a complete leather steering with buttons on Ebay from USA.
My intention was just to swap the buttons on the S wheel for the linguatronic,but because the Ebay S.wheel is mush better and newer, I would like to swap the complete S.wheel.
On my existing S.wheel I can shift gear + or - on both sides, but I noticed on the new one that the paddles shift only one way on both sides, to make it clearer the existing paddle have two way switch but the new ones have one way switches on both side.
I have not removed yet the existing steering wheel to see if there is three or two wires coming from the paddle, but the new one has two wires (red and blue).
Is this going to be a straight swap over ?
Thanks

Last edited by hercules; Jan 3, 2011 at 04:06 PM.
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Old Jan 3, 2011 | 04:34 PM
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Yes, if you currently have the rocker buttons (+ & - on both sides) you will have 3 wires.
It's easy to wire up the new wheel/buttons by you just need to know which pins to use.

I have a good photo that enabled me to do this and install AMG paddles.
I'll have a look for it and post up when i find it
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Old Jan 3, 2011 | 04:45 PM
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Thank you,
Very much appreciated.

OK, just found this in Web ETM Star Browser , one paddle connector in pin 1 &2 is - and GND and the other paddle connector in pin 1 and 2 is + and GND.

So if I leave the connector as they are , hopefully it should be OK if not All I need to do is swap one of the paddle connector from pin 1 to pin 3.

Is this all right ?

Last edited by hercules; Jan 3, 2011 at 05:29 PM.
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Old Jan 3, 2011 | 05:52 PM
  #23  
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Right side of steering wheel


Left side


So considering your new wheel already has 2 wires I think it should be plug and play.
For people like me who had to convert 3 wires into 2, the pics above show what pins are used

From memory there is a yellow, black and green wire.
Get rid of the green wire, splice the yellow with the red and the blue with the black

Last edited by schmick325; Jan 3, 2011 at 06:00 PM.
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Old Jan 3, 2011 | 07:10 PM
  #24  
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Originally Posted by schmick325
Right side of steering wheel


Left side


So considering your new wheel already has 2 wires I think it should be plug and play.
For people like me who had to convert 3 wires into 2, the pics above show what pins are used

From memory there is a yellow, black and green wire.
Get rid of the green wire, splice the yellow with the red and the blue with the black
My one is exactely as the photos above except that in my one the red wire is in pin 2 and red in pin one on both connectors
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Old Jan 3, 2011 | 07:16 PM
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RR Evoque Dynamic, Benz Valente (work hack)
Ahh well if u have any problems then you know what changes to make.

Mine works 100%

When fitting it, remember that the gears only go up and down when the car is driving.
Doesn't work when sitting and idling
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