Steering wheel controls
- Thread starter Derfuk
- Start date
brassmonkey001
UK 2008 NCV3 518 CDI
Can anyone answer this? I'd like steering wheel controls for my stereo too.
D
Deleted member 50714
Guest
No, not prewired and don't bother, another newfangled electronic gadget not used often.
I added steering wheel controls to my 2008 Sprinter without steering wheel controls. I got an airbag from eBay with the controls. The wiring is there and the buttons put out messages on the interior CanBus. There isn't anything listening for those messages since I have the basic instrument panel. I used a Maestro iDatalink attached to the CanBus to convert the button presses to control a Pioneer head unit.
The Grand Tour
Banned
I hate multifunction steering wheels. The only thing the steering wheel on my Porsche does, is steer. 
danski0224
Active member
There is a poster "Sprinter man Sam" that claims that the high line instrument cluster and steering wheel buttons are "plug and play" as far as the wiring is concerned.
Somehow, he got it coded and operational at a Mercedes dealership.
Probably important that he is not located in the USA.
Not really sure how he pulled it off.
Somehow, he got it coded and operational at a Mercedes dealership.
Probably important that he is not located in the USA.
Not really sure how he pulled it off.
elemental
Wherever you go, there you are.
The use of the Controller Area Network (CAN) bus in vehicles makes it possible to have multiple devices in a vehicle communicate over a single pair of wires, the same as how an Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN) or Wi-Fi LAN permits a bunch of computers to communicate over a shared medium. If a manufacturer uses a CAN bus network for controllers and controlled devices, retrofitting controls may be simpler since it only requires access to the CAN bus rather than individual control wires. (Trivia: CAN bus is used for more than vehicles, including industrial automation. The high-school level FIRST Robotics Competition makes use of the CAN bus to interconnect the robot controller (National Instruments RoboRio) with sensors and controllers.)
I have the multi-function wheel in my van, along with the pixel display in the instrument panel. I like being able to check things like tire pressure, DEF level, water temperature, fuel mileage, etc. while driving. It's particularly handy to see how outside temperature and/or driving conditions have affected the tire pressure. It also makes answering the phone or making phone calls to frequently-used numbers a lot easier. I don't use it to control the radio/music playback very often.
It would be interesting to know (intellectual curiosity) how much of that could be retro-fitted if not ordered as a factory option, but at a minimum it would require the display in the instrument panel as well as the steering wheel controls to make it work, I think.
I have the multi-function wheel in my van, along with the pixel display in the instrument panel. I like being able to check things like tire pressure, DEF level, water temperature, fuel mileage, etc. while driving. It's particularly handy to see how outside temperature and/or driving conditions have affected the tire pressure. It also makes answering the phone or making phone calls to frequently-used numbers a lot easier. I don't use it to control the radio/music playback very often.
It would be interesting to know (intellectual curiosity) how much of that could be retro-fitted if not ordered as a factory option, but at a minimum it would require the display in the instrument panel as well as the steering wheel controls to make it work, I think.
I have been wondering this as well. I hate the fact that my van does not have the multifunction steering wheel and display. DEF levels and other functions would be very helpful, heck, just answering a phone call or changing radio channels without having to reach way over would be great. Considering it was really a small price difference from the factory, they should have come standard on all vans. I have been thinking on trying to duplicate what "Sprinter Man Sam" did but getting the dealer to program the new instrument cluster with the correct miles, etc., is probably a no go in the US. My dealer said no.
pfflyer
Well-known member
My 2013 crew has the steering wheel buttons and my 2015 class c does not. When driving the motorhome I wish I had a dollar every time I tried to adjust the volume with non-existent buttons. If anyone does it in the states let us know how easy it was and what kind of cost.
brassmonkey001
UK 2008 NCV3 518 CDI
I hate that there's no temperature gauge! The only way I can tell how warm the engine is is by switching the blower on!
Cheyenne
UK 2004 T1N 313CDi
brassmonkey001
UK 2008 NCV3 518 CDI
That looks ace! I'm going to order one of those! [emoji106]
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Cheyenne
UK 2004 T1N 313CDi
Make sure to get an SG II and NOT an SG D!
brassmonkey001
UK 2008 NCV3 518 CDI
Will do. I'll read up on them properly later on.
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TrackSprinter
2016 Motovan Boondocker
So to confirm, when replacing no-button-steering wheel with a wheel that has buttons, do you have to perform a dealer programming to activate the newly installed feature?
Or will the buttons perform immediately after replacement?
Or will the buttons perform immediately after replacement?
brassmonkey001
UK 2008 NCV3 518 CDI
What stereo was fitted originally? I.e. from factory?
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Dealer programs it,actually a download form Germany believe it or not,had it done twice.