[keithwbloom]

Oops! I'm gonna do it again.

Since I was able to pick up a genuine R32 steering wheel for a song this week at my pickin' honey hole, I figure "why not?" Actually, scienceguy prodded me into it, as I have come to need an antagonist of late, and swcrow17 isn't around often enough to play the part. I digress...

For those who may not familiar with my first success, let me explain that this is not a thread on how to go from using an MFSW steering wheel to using an R32 steering wheel, or vice versa (as if.) This is a thread about how you can modify an R32 steering wheel to be able to facilitate all the commands of a full-featured B5.5 MFSW. Those functions will include:

1. Audio Volume +/-
2. Audio Selection +/-
3. Cruise Accel/Set
4. Cruise Decel
5. Cruise Cancel
6. Button Backlighting On/Off

The first time around, the subject was a B5 S-Line Tiptronic wheel, where I was able to convert the Tiptronic rocker switches to Cruise Accel/Set and Decel on the left and Volume +/- on the right. The balance of the features were added with new soft touch buttons mounted on the rear of each spoke arm.

It works perfectly and looks amazing. It feels incredible. Best mod I have done to the interior of my car. But pickin' gods smiled on me this week and I have a chance to make something even more special.

The subject this time around:

The only flaw is this little furrow in the leather at about 130 on the clock dial. I might try to fill it and blend it in after I am done.

The time around, there are a few new challenges, not the least of which is that the wheel is starting with 4 less buttons than I already had on the S-Line when I started:

And in the S-line, the steel frame arms were located in the center of the spoke — in the R32 they run along the top edge of the spoke, right where I put the back buttons on the S-Line conversion:

But the good news? The airbag cover on the R32 seems ready made to have buttons in the extreme wings. There is plenty of room to put hardware for a rocker switch similar to the Tiptronic controls on the S-Line:

And below the metal frame spar on each spoke is a generous amount of room to put two discreet soft touch buttons for the additional controls.

And to stow the miniaturized controller modules, there is plenty of room left and right of the horn contact plates:

But the biggest dilemma I am facing is what kind of buttons to put on the facing side where the Tiptronic buttons were on the S-Line? I have been shopping used remote controls on eBay this afternoon, and I was hoping to find a donor that had black, back lit +/- buttons I could use in pairs left and right on the face and then I would find a donor with small, black rubber buttons for the soft touch controls on the back of the spokes like I did on the S-Line.

I have a few other candidates, but I am getting kinda keen on maybe using this as a donor for the front buttons:

:lightsaber:

 

[pablitormDub]

:thumbup::darthvader:

 

[zak99B5]

Sounds like a cool project.

What is better about the R32 wheel over the S-line?

 

[keithwbloom]

What is better about the R32 wheel over the S-line?

That's where I am a bit undecided. Many would argue the VW wheel is better or more "right" in the Passat, and some others may argue that the R32 is beefier (which it is). I would counter the B5 A4 S-line wheel looks very tidy in the Passat cockpit, and the texture of the S-Line leather is more tactile than the smooth leather on the R32.

I have the luxury of swapping my S-line out today to test drive the R32 for a few days while I source the ideal switches or back lit buttons. So I'll have more feedback then.

 

[zak99B5]

Why not just swap the center logo and lower badges over, then?

Not to dissuade you from your project, just a thought.

 

[NoHollyWoodEnding]

The wheel and airbag are both different sizes..

Just some food for thought, why not use the OEM volume and cruise control buttons off of a four spoke multi function wheel? This way it would almost look stock and you would get the red lighting to match

 

[spartan]

I was actually trying to do the same thing on a regular GTI 3 spoke wheel. I was trying to fit the stock multifunction buttons near the same location they are at on the stock mfsw. Doesn't look like there is room anywhere so I will probably scrap the idea.

 

[vbora01]

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/6...ersion-using-b5-5-mfsw-can-bus-interface.html

For those of you who think he's new to this :lol:

 

[keithwbloom]

The wheel and airbag are both different sizes..

Just some food for thought, why not use the OEM volume and cruise control buttons off of a four spoke multi function wheel? This way it would almost look stock and you would get the red lighting to match

The buttons are flat, and the spokes are convex, so shape would not look OEM. The backlight it just a red LED which I have to remove from the button module PCBs when I minimize them to stow inside the wheel hub.

If I can't find an ideal donor TV remote or game system controller, I may actually make my own buttons. I already have sourced the same type of momentary switches I used for back of S-line conversion only for this time they have a backlight prism. So I really only need the button covers.

All of this speculation is only for the four buttons on the front of the airbag wings. The button assemblies on the back of the spokes will be clones of the ones I did on S-Line.




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[keithwbloom]

Got switches, Bitches!

Went pickin' at lunch with a whole laundry list of possibilities after searching steering wheel controls from various marques on eBay this week. Turns out exactly what i needed was right in the Audi/VW row.

The donor — a 2004 B6 A4 with steering wheel tip controls.

They're already backlit with red LEDs, they have generous wiring pigtails, they have a great tactile feel and they are Audi.

Plus there is at least one more B6 A4 donor there in case I need to get some spare switches.

:wrench:

I can already tell what part of this project I am going to loathe the most... removing the VW airbag every time I switch during development. Those spring clips are ridiculous. The Audi hex head screws fasteners are so much easier to deal with. :banghead:

 

[vbora01]

You've got the most amazing scrap yards ever... to find anything like that in Raleigh is impossible. I stopped going just because it's always picked clean, and people tear the cars apart making sure to break everything useful to get their one relay or sensor.

 

[keithwbloom]

Picked up a spare 3-spoke airbag on eBay to start modeling toggle switch positions. It arrives on Thursday because it has to be shipped ground transit, so the adventure starts in earnest next weekend.

Who knows, if I am careful during development, I may end up with a spare MFSW enabled 3-spoke VW wheel available for sale...

 

[Mach-Ten]

Looks like really good work going into this...I wait in anticipation for the completion. No really good yards to speak of here in Houston...when I had my Accord, going yard browsing was a biweekly activity...since I made the switch to the dark side, those opportunities are slim.

M

 

[keithwbloom]

Prepping supplies

I purchased some supplies at Michael's today for when the spare airbag arrives on Thursday or Friday.

1. Liquid latex for fashioning molds of the airbag wings
2. Mold release spray
3. Liquid poly resin for making a casting of the airbag wings
4. Poly resin hardener

Game plan is to make casting molds of the airbag wings where the B6 A4 Tiptronic switches would be located. Then I will make a positive cast of the wing in poly resin and when it has hardened, I will use the Dremel press and milling bits to shape a cavity for the tip switch housings so that they will not float with the airbag assembly.

Once the positive castings are clean and perfect, I will make a new casting mold from them and cast the final assemblies in opaque black epoxy resin or poly resin, whichever is more stable when exposed to heat extremes of a car interior in summer. I have to do a little research on this. With the final switch assemblies cast in black, I will further finish them in paint and then clear matte lacquer to protect from surface wear.

:wrench:

 

[NoHollyWoodEnding]

Pm'd

 

[keithwbloom]

Pm'd

PM replied to. I do have a full complement of wood shop tools as well.


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[scienceguy]

Whoo Keith! I knew you had it in you.

Someone is going to have to actually build their own car out of spare parts from ETKA to outdo some of these projects...


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[keithwbloom]

Someone is going to have to actually build their own car out of spare parts from ETKA to outdo some of these projects...

If I had a garage...

BTW, I am pulling the fronts tomorrow and swapping on the Brembos with 312s. I should be able to send them along to you after the weekend.

Cheers,

Keith

 

[scienceguy]

Ha, I can just imagine your Audwagen. Some sort of GTTRS 4.6...

Im glad you'll have a chance to check out your new brakes! I'm still blown away that you get all this done with no garage. We might have to start a fundraiser to get you one on the condition that you post pics of everything that happens...


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[keithwbloom]

Stinky Mold Goo

The spare airbag arrived his afternoon, so in between working with k0mpresd on my SC tune (coming along very nicely I have to say!), I managed to clean it up, get it mold ready and put the first coat of mold latex on it. The process was kinda fun, I have never disassembled an airbag before. Even though I was nowhere near a 12v supply, I was still a little nervous as I pulled the detonator from the hub frame. Commentary to be added later, for now, enjoy!

After deciding that casting the wings would be harder and more ungainly with the weight of the airbag and frame, I set to removing the airbag from the airbag cover:

A 10mm socket made quick work of all the fasteners:

This is the side of the detonator you never see until the airbag is blown:

The remaining plates and frames lifted right off the mounting bolts:

The tabs holding the cover to the airbag frame were easy enough to pry off with a screw driver tip:

The airbag packed into its tidy little frame once cover is removed:

The now much lighter and easier to work with cover:

The target to be molded on the left thumb:

The target to be molded for the right thumb:

The back of the left wing with the space for the cruise set/accel/decel toggle switch chassis:

The back of the right wing with space for the volume up/down toggle switch:

The liquid latex rubber used to make the mold. This stuff is stinky!

Masked off the parts of the airbag cover I did not need molds to extend over:

Sprayed the wings with mold release:

Let the mold release dry as I fashioned some mold borders from corrugated:

The right wing with the cardboard mold edge:

The left wing:

Sealed up the gaps as best I could with blue tape from the back side:

Used some wood scraps at strategic angles to keep the cardboard tight to the wings when the latex is applied:

And started to brush on the first coat of molding latex:

It will take 10-15 coats, with some of them reinforced with gauze, to make a sturdy mold to cast the resin positives of the spaces so I can mill the mounts for the toggles. I'll post more pics as I go along, when the appearance is significantly different. For now, it is just watching latex dry... :wrench: