Tracking Down Switch panel bar that has Sunshade button?

[nextelbuddy]

I know its rare, but they are out there. I need the one from the M3 which is part number #61316925520.

late model E46 M3s came with sunshade as an option and had TPMS and Sport button.

New they are $340+ dollars... ECS has it for $305 I believe but no one has it in stock and has to be ordered from germany.



been searching ebay, forums etc... parts recycle sites but havent found it.

im wondering if we have any Canadian members that have access to this part? or is there a site i can order fro over seas like the UK etc?


thanks for any help/leads.

[slater]

these guys rock. $50 + shipping from germany.

https://www.schmiedmann.com/en/bmw-e46/1953798-used?product=A47051

[nextelbuddy]

these guys rock. $50 + shipping from germany.

https://www.schmiedmann.com/en/bmw-e46/1953798-used?product=A47051

thats extremely interesting.

its cheap and it has the button i need but the console is from an older NON m3 car so no sport button. it has the older RDC button vs the newer TPMS logo button.

i wonder how hard or if its even possible to remove just the sunshade button from it and install it into my bar? does anyone know if these buttons are soldered to the boards? do they just plug in and self identify with the BUS system?

[slater]

they also have this:

https://www.schmiedmann.com/en/bmw-e46/1962922-used?product=B61318360893

[nextelbuddy]

they also have this:

https://www.schmiedmann.com/en/bmw-e46/1962922-used?product=B61318360893

that one is the large unibutton for cars that didnt have a long switch bar and takes more wiring to get to work in our cars and is large and has no where to go.



interestingly this thread from another forum has a guy who adds buttons to his switch bar but he never explains how that new button registers.

http://www.bimmerboard.com/forums/posts/822773/


for example i can physically add the sunshade button to the panel and i can add the missing pins 14 and 15 to my harness that plugs into the switch center BUT how does the switch center know that is the sunshade button? looking at his pictures, the buttons dont look unique other than their pictures and just depress little buttons behind them.

i'll have to take apart a spare low optioned one i have tonight to see how that works.

[slater]

that one is the large unibutton for cars that didnt have a long switch bar and takes more wiring to get to work in our cars and is large and has no where to go.

i know, but hey, it's an option when you can't find another one. ;)



for example i can physically add the sunshade button to the panel and i can add the missing pins 14 and 15 to my harness that plugs into the switch center BUT how does the switch center know that is the sunshade button? looking at his pictures, the buttons dont look unique other than their pictures and just depress little buttons behind them.

i'll have to take apart a spare low optioned one i have tonight to see how that works.

to be honest, i have no idea. but others here have retrofitted M3 units with the 'sport' button and gotten it to work. perhaps they will chime in.

[nextelbuddy]

very true, thanks so much for all your help!

[anandoc]

I'd say reach out to Asmod3us (http://forum.e46fanatics.com/member.php?u=67287) on E46F. He seems to be parting out M3s all the time and may have the unique switching console you are looking for.

For instance, here is a 2005 M3 he is parting out:
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1096308

[derbo]

Lol to think I was going to buy that sunblind instead of posting it on Fbook :P

[nextelbuddy]

so after some more research you CAN add buttons to an existing switch center (SZM)

in my case my current one has DSC, Audio, TPMS, Sport.....

im going to pick up a switch center from the salvage yard from an e39 for $10 that does have the sunshade button..

i should be able to add that button to my panel as long as its the same size/dimensions.. i may have to get creative on the dremel if its off just a little

once the button is added, apparently i can use NCS Expert to code the SZM and set the position of buttons and define what that button does.

in reality i guess it doesnt matter that i have the specific button for sunshade.. its just a generic button with a picture on it. it only matters how its defined and its position in the SZM during coding so essentially i could just add an extra button from another SZM i have laying around lol





and i'll take a look also at those links for the part outs. thanks guys!

[derbo]

so after some more research you CAN add buttons to an existing switch center (SZM)

in my case my current one has DSC, Audio, TPMS, Sport.....

im going to pick up a switch center from the salvage yard from an e39 for $10 that does have the sunshade button..

i should be able to add that button to my panel as long as its the same size/dimensions.. i may have to get creative on the dremel if its off just a little

once the button is added, apparently i can use NCS Expert to code the SZM and set the position of buttons and define what that button does.

in reality i guess it doesnt matter that i have the specific button for sunshade.. its just a generic button with a picture on it. it only matters how its defined and its position in the SZM during coding so essentially i could just add an extra button from another SZM i have laying around lol





and i'll take a look also at those links for the part outs. thanks guys!

Sounds like fun :)

[slater]

once the button is added, apparently i can use NCS Expert to code the SZM and set the position of buttons and define what that button does.

in reality i guess it doesnt matter that i have the specific button for sunshade.. its just a generic button with a picture on it. it only matters how its defined and its position in the SZM during coding so essentially i could just add an extra button from another SZM i have laying around lol

wow, that is very cool!! i wonder what kind of stuff could be coded for use?

[nextelbuddy]

wow, that is very cool!! i wonder what kind of stuff could be coded for use?

theres only one person that can answer that...... dun dun dun.... terra!!!!

[nextelbuddy]

Well that didn't work as expected, switch panel for E38 and e39 are completely different even though the buttons look extremely similar to the E46. The buttons in the E46 switch console are actual buttons that plug into the circuit board with pins whereas the buttons in the E39 console are just pieces of plastic that push a little rubber sensor on a printed circuit on a board, not even close. I couldn't even Salvage the button cap that has the picture of the sunshade because the button cap itself is completely different and how it attaches.

I took apart the E46 switch console that originally came with my car it only had two buttons DSC and hi-fi and i was surprise that when I took it apart there was actually a third receptacle to accept a third button. It does suck that there weren't four more receptacles on the circuit board though as I had expected.

So it looks like the search is on for an actual m3 console.

Btw Slater, loving that website. So many good things I'm putting in my cart. Found 3 sets of rear power Sunshade for sedan, control switch with rear fogs... Its Like candy land.