BMW E36 E46 – Fitting Instructions for Steering Wheel Spacer

The Spacer Kit Comes Pre-Assembled

You don’t need to unscrew the 6 bolts.

Disconnect the Battery First

To avoid airbag warning lights after assembling, ensure the battery is disconnected.

Park the Car with Straight Wheels

Before starting the installation, make sure the wheels are straight.

Handle All Harnesses with Care

Be careful while connecting the plugs. Avoid pulling the harnesses accidentally from the connector on the rotating contact/steering angle sensor.
Otherwise, you may hear an annoying “click” while rotating the steering wheel, requiring re-opening for fixing.

Extracting the Steering Wheel

Step 1: Remove the Airbag Unit

Pull out the airbag unit from the steering wheel. Depending on the car, the airbag is locked on the steering wheel thanks to 2 torx screws or 2 clip springs.
Unscrew the bolts (usually they’re behind the spokes of the steering wheel), or unlock the 2 clamp springs by inserting a flat screwdriver into the 2 holes
at the sides of the steering wheel, behind the spokes. Grinding a bit of the screwdriver in the middle of the flatness point, making a kind of “C,” will
help you find the clamp springs and push them.

Step 2: Unplug All Connectors

Start with the one (or two, depending on the model year of the car) on the airbag. Store the airbag in a safe place during installation, far away from people
AND CHILDREN, for example in the back seat of your car. You can even leave the pending wires connected to the airbag, just unplug the wires themselves on
the clockspring assembly side.

Step 3: Unscrew the Main Bolt

Unscrew the main bolt in the center of the steering wheel and pull out the steering wheel BEFORE REMOVING THE SCREW! Leave the screw in for a turn or two.
This is because, after years, the steering wheel (aluminum-made) and the shaft might have created a kind of “glued-effect,” making it hard to extract the
steering wheel, which can hit your face and damage the harness.

Step 4: Remove the Steering Wheel

When you’re sure that the steering wheel slides on the shaft, you can remove the big central screw and the steering wheel itself. Make all wires and connectors
go out from the slot just above the center of the steering wheel itself.

Step 5: Extend Wires (if Necessary)

Depending on the car, you may need to extend the airbag or steering wheel command wires because they’re too short to be easily reconnected:

• E36: No need to extend the wires; some car owners reported the need to cut and extend one blue wire.
• E46: Extend the 4-pin steering commands wire using the supplied harness. For SMG/SSG cars, extend the paddleshifter wires too,
  using the 2-pin supplied harness.

Fitting the Spacer

Step 1: Prepare for E36

Remove the clockspring assembly from the steering wheel (unscrew the 3 small bolts) and refit it on the back of the steering wheel spacer using the same
3 screws. Make the wires run across the slot inside the steering wheel spacer, then insert the spacer into the car’s shaft.

Step 2: Prepare for E46

Insert the steering wheel spacer into the shaft, ensuring the two pins on the clockspring assembly go through the corresponding holes in the spacer
(one hole is “open” as part of the slot on the top side). Similarly, slide the OEM harness inside the spacer’s slot.

Step 3: Attach the Steering Wheel

Fit the steering wheel back as you would if the spacer were not present. The spacer replicates the car’s shaft. Insert the steering wheel into the
male splined spacer’s shaft, tighten the longer supplied bolt, and store the OEM torx bolt for future use.

Step 4: Reconnect Everything

Reconnect all connectors, ensuring no wires are stretched, pinched, or pressed by the airbag unit. Refit the airbag and reconnect the battery.