Author Topic: Will the E36 M3 air bag steering wheel mount in a 91 318?  (Read 3993 times)

Cobra Jet

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Thank You
  • -Receive: 1
  • Posts: 633
    • View Profile
Will the E36 M3 air bag steering wheel mount in a 91 318?
« on: March 12, 2008, 09:17:49 AM »
Just curious and was wondering if the E36 M3 air bag steering wheel would mount up and work in the 1991 318's?  The airbag wheel in the 1991 M42 looks very similar to the E36 air bag wheels as far as physical appearance & size.  I'm just not sure if such a swap or upgrade would work due to the possible differences in the steering columns, mounting points or the eletrical connectors of the E30 vs E36... ?  When I had my prior 95 M3, I had swapped out the old leather fatigued air bag wheel for another M3 steering wheel in near new condition and it was a fairly simple fix/swap, but I have never seen the underside of a 318 air bag wheel, column mount or eletric connections...

?

Has anyone performed such an upgrade?
- Phil
1994 Cobra coupe #0013
2011 Genesis Coupe
2011 Tucson GLS

gearheadE30

  • Legendary
  • ******
  • Thank You
  • -Receive: 0
  • Posts: 1245
    • View Profile
Will the E36 M3 air bag steering wheel mount in a 91 318?
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2008, 01:38:19 PM »
No, that wheel won't fit. Only wheels from E34s, E32s, and other e30s will fit without modification to the splines. I'm not sure if the airbag controller is different on the other cars, but I'd look into that before plugging it all in. Controllers and airbags are matched, and if the wrong type is installed, it could have fatal results.

1991 318is Turbo
1989 Caprice Classic Wagon named Humphrey
1979 Suzuki GS750E