Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
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Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
Hi, I am new to the forum and a very happy new owner of a 2014 Alpina B7. Love this car. One wish is to switch from the Alpina buttons to some nice paddle shifters. Can any of you experts tell me how best to get that done? Living in San Diego, CA. Thanks very much,
CaliradoMike
CaliradoMike
Re: Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
Answer from a technical point I have no clue. Answer from they way it is designed by ALPINA, the button as opposed to paddles is why its an ALPINA feature?
E65 B7 4.4 V8 supercharged No 106 (1 of 11 B7 built for UK)
F22 M235i - everyday driver
E 39 523i sold May 2023
E92 325i - written off by X5 I was not driving!
E92 335D Twin Turbo - sold to Sytner Alpina
E 60 - 525D new - sold to Cooper BMW
E 60 - 530D new - sold at auction
E 39 - 520i new - sold at auction
E 30 - 316i new Touring - sold at auction
Audi A6 2.5 Tdi had 2
Audi Coupe GT 1986 new
Mitsubishi Gallant & Sigma
Honda accord 2.2 coupe
Ford Escort 1.6 worst car in the world
F22 M235i - everyday driver
E 39 523i sold May 2023
E92 325i - written off by X5 I was not driving!
E92 335D Twin Turbo - sold to Sytner Alpina
E 60 - 525D new - sold to Cooper BMW
E 60 - 530D new - sold at auction
E 39 - 520i new - sold at auction
E 30 - 316i new Touring - sold at auction
Audi A6 2.5 Tdi had 2
Audi Coupe GT 1986 new
Mitsubishi Gallant & Sigma
Honda accord 2.2 coupe
Ford Escort 1.6 worst car in the world
Re: Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
Not sure about the B7 but I’ve modified 2 sets now and fitted the LCI paddles to the E92 2008 B3 BiTurbos wheels I’ve owned which are/were pre LCI. Not all Alpinas have buttons, the GT3 has the BMW LCI paddles. Basically the resistors need bypassing and the pin moving from 3 to position 2 on the plugs as in this diagram I made at the time. You need to take apart the paddle assembly to get to the circuit boards inside to do this, they are spring loaded so had great fun putting them back together again , but very “do-able”.
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- FE96F947-9DE2-4182-A9CE-1725D4690A41.jpeg (149.97 KiB) Viewed 1985 times
Last edited by JohnW on Wed Sep 29, 2021 10:57 pm, edited 11 times in total.
JohnW
2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #161
Previous: 2011 D3 BiTurbo Saloon #373, 2014 F30 320iX M Saloon, 2009 M3 DCT Coupe, 2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #074, 2009 E82 123d Coupe, 2006 E92 325i Coupe, 2002 E46 325iSE Coupe, 1998 E36 318iSE Saloon
2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #161
Previous: 2011 D3 BiTurbo Saloon #373, 2014 F30 320iX M Saloon, 2009 M3 DCT Coupe, 2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #074, 2009 E82 123d Coupe, 2006 E92 325i Coupe, 2002 E46 325iSE Coupe, 1998 E36 318iSE Saloon
Re: Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
End result
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- 93DCA5C6-C3F3-409C-805A-12D5A009BB46.jpeg (1.04 MiB) Viewed 1985 times
JohnW
2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #161
Previous: 2011 D3 BiTurbo Saloon #373, 2014 F30 320iX M Saloon, 2009 M3 DCT Coupe, 2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #074, 2009 E82 123d Coupe, 2006 E92 325i Coupe, 2002 E46 325iSE Coupe, 1998 E36 318iSE Saloon
2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #161
Previous: 2011 D3 BiTurbo Saloon #373, 2014 F30 320iX M Saloon, 2009 M3 DCT Coupe, 2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #074, 2009 E82 123d Coupe, 2006 E92 325i Coupe, 2002 E46 325iSE Coupe, 1998 E36 318iSE Saloon
Re: Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
Very interesting response with good precise info
B3 BiTurbo Cabrio #121 (E93) + Quaife ATB LSD
X1 2.0 Twin-Scroll Turbo xDrive #zillion (F48) ... really useful, if only an XB1 existed !
--- but when you are up to your ears in alligators it can be relatively difficult to remember that your original idea was to drain the swamp --- hmmm
X1 2.0 Twin-Scroll Turbo xDrive #zillion (F48) ... really useful, if only an XB1 existed !
--- but when you are up to your ears in alligators it can be relatively difficult to remember that your original idea was to drain the swamp --- hmmm
Re: Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
If you are not so eloctroniocally minded you can just swap out the steering wheel for a BMW paddle shift one.
Direct plug and play. I did this with my B3 and swapped over my Alpina airbar Downside was I lost the slpina stitching colour to black thread instead
Direct plug and play. I did this with my B3 and swapped over my Alpina airbar Downside was I lost the slpina stitching colour to black thread instead
B3 3.3 Coupe #090
D3 2.0 Biturbo Touring #098
D3 2.0 Biturbo Touring #098
Re: Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
And now everyone thinks you’ve got a 330i with some ALPINA badges stuck on.
B3 3.2 TOURING #062
Re: Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
Sleeper look, Just the way I like it
B3 3.3 Coupe #090
D3 2.0 Biturbo Touring #098
D3 2.0 Biturbo Touring #098
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- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:07 am
Re: Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
Just wanted to say thank you for all the helpful replies! Great to know I can post and get some great information quickly. Thanks for taking the time to provide helpful suggestions! Particularly John W, really appreciate it and very impressed with the ingenuity and detailed "how to" diagram. I've got a genius mechanic I am going to run this by. Thanks again! CaliradoMike
Re: Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
The later and LCI models may not need any modifications, I did this as they didn’t work plug and play so then took them apart to compare the circuit boards.
JohnW
2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #161
Previous: 2011 D3 BiTurbo Saloon #373, 2014 F30 320iX M Saloon, 2009 M3 DCT Coupe, 2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #074, 2009 E82 123d Coupe, 2006 E92 325i Coupe, 2002 E46 325iSE Coupe, 1998 E36 318iSE Saloon
2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #161
Previous: 2011 D3 BiTurbo Saloon #373, 2014 F30 320iX M Saloon, 2009 M3 DCT Coupe, 2008 B3 BiTurbo Coupe #074, 2009 E82 123d Coupe, 2006 E92 325i Coupe, 2002 E46 325iSE Coupe, 1998 E36 318iSE Saloon
Re: Paddle Shifters for Alpina B7 - how do I swap out the buttons for paddles?
I did this with my F31 D3. Once the wheel is off, the buttons simply unscrew and can be directly replaced with paddles. The buttons have additional wiring that you remove from the steering wheel.
Since changing from buttons, I find I use the paddles much more often. Makes the car more engaging. Many of the LCI cars come with paddles rather than buttons.
Since changing from buttons, I find I use the paddles much more often. Makes the car more engaging. Many of the LCI cars come with paddles rather than buttons.
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- Fitted to car.
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- Wheel with paddles
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- Buttons and their wiring
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- Wheel with buittons
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G21 D3S #356