B7 steering wheel into a B6

[BahnStormer77]

no_idea - there's alway a chance....

I know I paid a fair old whack, but I really wanted the flat bottom B7 wheel (very rare to find them 2nd hand, so mine's 100% new) and I also needed a bit of other hardware as the previous wheel was a non-MF B6 wheel.... it's about £100 less if u have that hardware already in place.

I think you used to be able to get recon non flat-bottom ones from, including the conversion for around £700 from HazzyDayz, but I think he's stopped doing them, 'cos he was having difficulty getting a regular supply of decent recon wheels and he does a 2yr guarantee on the steering wheels.

 

[sc00byd00byd00]

I've got mine in and it looks the business!

Even better: it's not got the S-Line red badge, so relatively stealth :thumbsup:

DUDE !

Thats ACE !

I want that for mine. How do you do it, how do you get the airbags set up and stuff ?

Are there anybody in the Northwest that would do this ? Awesome, PSI Tuning ????

 

[jase0851]

it cant be that hard tbh i fitted a b6 s4 steering wheel into my old b5 saloon

 

[BahnStormer77]

The B7 is just a heavilly facelifted B6, so it's a LOT easier than a B5/B6 crossover....

I think the difference is one slip-ring and then the B7 has a dual-airbag system (high and low impact), so you only need to wire up the high impact airbag int he B6 since there's only the sensors for those...

Gareth at Hazzy Dayz travels around the country (Northern Ireland and I THINK even Ireland included) for a surcharge (based in SW London) - really seems to know his stuff and his proces often include compeltely new kit (especially for the By steering wheels).

There's also Aky at Prime Prestige, but I was talking to him around RNS-E stuff, not sure if he does B7 stering wheel conversions.... I jsut mention him 'cos I think he was based a lot further north (but for me Sheffield is "up North" )... also seemed to know his stuff and was a bit cheaper than HazzyDayz, especially if you're paying a surcharge for Gareth tom come and visit.

 

[Lion Heart]

Hi Guys

One question springs to mind:

For the wiring on the B7 wheel - how do you know which is the high and low sensor for the airbag??

Seems logical only to attach the high impact one - but how can you tell which wires are what?

Many thanks!

Lion Heart

 

[amz]

Hi Guys

One question springs to mind:

For the wiring on the B7 wheel - how do you know which is the high and low sensor for the airbag??

Seems logical only to attach the high impact one - but how can you tell which wires are what?

Many thanks!

Lion Heart

Bump!

 

[Lion Heart]

It seems there is no sraight answer because nobody knows.

It's a case of guesswork. Connect to A, B or both. And hope for the best.

The only way to test it is to crash a car and test the connection works. Not many people, nor garages willing to try that!

So, unless the garage doing the work gives you a written guarantee that their solution will trigger the airbag as normal in the case of an accident - leaving you open to sue them for EVERYTHING (and more!) in the case that you have an accident and it does not go off - then don't risk it!

Also, if they do guarantee the work, worst case scenario the driver dies, that's a big legal case and sue against the garage from spouse etc.

I would say most garages that would do the work would do it only with a disclaimer.

If you don't care about airbags, then just change the wheel and don't hook up the airbag. Just be prepared to die if you have a serious shunt! Nobody to blame but yourself!

 

[Lion Heart]

Oh yes, somewhere on one of the Audi forums there are some great photo's of a guys Audi with swapped wheel (B6 to B7) who had an accident.

Passenger airbag went off no problem. Drivers did not fire AT ALL.

That was a good pressure test, and it failed!

 

[A7788]

Sorry, still new to this - but wasn't there a B6 multi function steering wheel that can be changed over so you won't have issues with the airbags? I am looking at fitting cruise control, so will need the new module for the steering wheel, and if possible want to fit a MFSW but not with any issues on the air bags...

 

[quattrojames]

There is an MFSW for the B6, as far as I know it's a 4 spoke SE one rather than the 3 spoke Sport one. I know for a fact it can have tiptronic buttons, I'm not 100% sure on the other controls available.

 

[Lion Heart]

Yes, the B6 WF wheel has four spokes and controls down either 'side'.

If it's B6 then will also be ok for a B6 car!!

The controls may/may not work (I think) depending on what steering ECU you have fitted. It may be that ALL models are fitted with a WF capable steering ECU as standard. But there also may be several (at least two) versions.

Same for cruise etc. Some cars can be retro fitted no problem, other you can't. Well, you can - you change the ECU as well, but its more expensive.

 

[A7788]

Yeah, have already been told I will need the new ecu controller, but if I am doing that I want to get a MFSW as well

 

[amz]

There is an MFSW for the B6, as far as I know it's a 4 spoke SE one rather than the 3 spoke Sport one.

Agreed :icon_thumright:

 

[deana4]

I was in a crash in a b6 with normal airbags and not one went off. Car rolled a few times at 70mph. Car was a complete wright off as you can imagine. Only walked away with whiplash

 

[A7788]

Nice Glad you got away with minor injuries only.

 

[deana4]

Nice Glad you got away with minor injuries only.

Yeah think luck was on our side that night........well luck on the injury side anyway. Police couldn't believe we were out the car when they turned up. Truck driver not checking his mirrors!

 

[A7788]

Yeah think luck was on our side that night........well luck on the injury side anyway. Police couldn't believe we were out the car when they turned up. Truck driver not checking his mirrors!

Happens all too often unfortunately.. This is the outcome of when a truck driver didn't check his mirrors with me next to him..

Sorry to hijack the post anyhow

 

[deana4]

Ouch could off been a lot worse though lucky. Will try dig the pics out n get them posted up in a new post ha ha

 

[PetrolDave]

I was in a crash in a b6 with normal airbags and not one went off. Car rolled a few times at 70mph. Car was a complete write off as you can imagine. Only walked away with whiplash

That's the thing about airbags, they won't go off in every type of accident.

I spent several years developing airbag systems for one of the US "Big Three" car companies, and the thing that airbags need before they will deploy is a rapid rate of deceleration (longitudinally with normal airbags and laterally with side airbags) that also matches an expected profile for a head-on or side-on crash - so in a multiple roll there's every likelihood they won't go off as there most likely will not be the required deceleration rate or profile.

As in most things, despite our hopes, there isn't a "one size fits all" solution.

The hint of a badly done dual stage to single stage airbag swap is when the passenger side airbag deploys but the driver side one doesn't - by which time it's a bit late as the driver may have left their teeth in the steering wheel...

 

[deana4]

I did think that airbags need to be head on Collision or side on. Our accident must not of been an impact on the right places for them to deploy.

 

[BahnStormer77]

That's the thing about airbags, they won't go off in every type of accident..

Agreed on front airbags not deploying unless there is rapid longitudinal decelleration, but assuming they were fitted, I would have thought that the front curtain airbags would have deployed in a roll...

 

[PetrolDave]

I would have thought that the front curtain airbags would have deployed in a roll...

It would have to be a very fast roll, to generate sufficient lateral acceleration, and even then would be very unlikely to match the acceleration profile of a side impact.

 

[Funkyfin2000]

Anyone got a picture of the B6 4 spoke MFSW?

And confirming, there is no B6 3 spoke MFSW that fits as standard?

 

[Lion Heart]

Took some finding!!! Found this B6 with 4 spoke MFW:

Audi S4 Quattro Cabriolet - 2005 - 1st Class Marques

 

[Funkyfin2000]

Bob on!!! Bet they are like rocking horse dung!!!

Anyone know how much new??

Rich

 

[Funkyfin2000]

PS - Thats one sweet motor.....very tasty indeed! Wander how much it was!

 

[BahnStormer77]

Bob on!!! Bet they are like rocking horse dung!!! Anyone know how much new?? Rich

I stand corrected (on my previous estimate of €550!)

Soul Black Leather, multifuntion, no airbag:
BASIC GERMAN PRICELIST part number 8E0419091C 25D Partnumber Title Price 8E0419091C 25D LENKRAD 381 Euro

Soul Black Leather, multifunction, tiptronic paddles, no airbag:
BASIC GERMAN PRICELIST part number 8E0419091D 25D Partnumber Title Price 8E0419091D 25D LENKRAD 417 Euro

plus the airbag (£45?) and control module (£15?)

 

[BahnStormer77]

there is another version of each of those with heating elements too, but no prices on VAGCAT.com...

 

[Funkyfin2000]

Very Interesting I wander if the heating element is switched on from the wheel itself or additional button on dash....

Wander what UK Price is...as 380 euros isn't actually too bad... about £300

 

[BahnStormer77]

If you're looking at Audi official prices (and given their rarity, you probably are), then you can probably get them from ebay.de from new parts resellers for that sort of price or the same number £'s thanks to the usual rip-off Britain pricing that we have...

 

[Funkyfin2000]

Cheers mate..

Next question, can you just get a standard 4 spoke wheel trim/actual wheel and checking, it seems the airbag has the button attached to it, and buy that seperate.

Does that make sense?

 

[BahnStormer77]

Sorry, not sure: mine came with the 3 spoke (non-MF) and once I saw how much the 4-spoke wheels were going to be, I decided to go for the R8 wheel... yes, it's even more, but at least its special: I waws jsut passing on the info I'd gathered (with updated prices)... I never seriously pursued the 4 spoke MF wheel.

That said, I'm pretty sure that the wiring for the MF buttons is very speciifc to the MF wheel (as is the airbag), so you can't really swap parts back and forth between the 4 spoke MF and non-MF wheels... if anybody has had experience of doing this, please feel free to correct me!

 

[Funkyfin2000]

Wow.... what does the R8 wheel look like and how much was that? Where did you get it!

Thanks for the info mate!

 

[A7788]

Wow.... what does the R8 wheel look like and how much was that? Where did you get it!

Thanks for the info mate!

Yeah how much was it out of interest :-D - Steering Wheel – Audi R8 – Audi.co.uk

 

[BahnStormer77]

The wheel alone was about £800 at the time, plus airbag, slipring and then setting up the SDS-high stuff: but HazzyDayz seem to get their hardware at staff prices or it's some sort of trade discount (which doesn't sound like Audi to do that)...

Bear in mind I was getting a fair bit of other work done, so they took the overall price down by a bit, but I think they were quoting £850 (incl ancillaries + installation) for it at the time and I paid closer to £750... it was nearly 4 years ago, but even then was silly money in relation to the value of the car, but then I got a decent price on the car because the steering wheel, window buttons and CD dials had severe wear: so I replaced the window buttons (>£30) and upgraded the CD to RNS-E, so it was the final part on replacing the visibly worn parts of the car

Now it's more like £1050!! Audi Flat Bottom MultiFunction Steering Wheel - Vw & Audi Sat Nav, Bluetooth , TV Tuners, Cruise Control Installations UK