DIY Cruise buttons with aftermarket steering wheel
Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 4:15 pm
This is a little write-up on how I wired up my aftermarket steering wheel and kept the cruise control functionality.
Tools required:
* It is possible to wire everything up using the existing stalks, but if you want to keep the existing stalks, you will need to modify your boss kit slightly (instructions included below).
-----------------------------------------------------
Step 1: Remove steering wheel
First things first, make sure the car wheels are straight before removing the steering wheel. My car doesn't have airbags so it was just a case of removing the cap in the middle of the steering wheel and then using a breaker bar and 19mm socket to remove the nut. The wheel then pulled straight off exposing the spline and contact rings etc.
Step 2: Remove cowling
You will be unable to remove the light/wiper stalks at this point so unscrew the full cowling (there are six screws underneath, three of them hold on the top part - two of which will require a long screwdriver as they are buried a little way in).
Step 3: Remove slip ring from stalk unit
*** only follow this step if you are replacing the unit, if not – proceed to step 4 below ***
Unscrew the 4 screws holding the ring in place and then pull this forward, unplug the harness that is connected into the bottom rear of this.
Step 4: Cut and splice wires
Unplug the harness behind the slip ring (front of stalk unit), it should have 3 wires in it. Cut these, leaving a little bit left on the plug side in case you ever want to put it back to normal.
Attach a new length of wire to the end of each one (long enough to reach wherever you intend to put your new cruise buttons).
If you are keeping the original stalks, join the wires back to the plug as well so there is essentially a tap off each one and then plug the harness back in.
If you are replacing the stalks, make a 2nd tap off the red/blue wire to connect to the horn.
Note: The blue/red wire is the live, the other 2 (green striped ones) are for cruise control.
Step 5: Swap stalk units
*** only follow this step if you are replacing the unit, if not – proceed to step 7 ***
There are three/four more screws holding the stalk unit in place, remove these. Then there are are a couple of electrical connectors in the back of the unit and another tucked away down the right hand side, unplug all of these and pull the unit forward.
Plug all of the harnesses into the replacement unit as per the previous one and then slot/screw it in place.
Step 6: Connect live feed to horn connector spring
Take the blue/red wire (identified in step 4), strip a little from the end and place this securely under the metal horn contact spring (ideally under the tightening screw).
Step 7: Put lower cowling back
This is held in place with 3 screws, 2 at the front and 1 at the back-centre.
Step 8: Attach wires to new cruise control switch(es)
Take the new wires (created in step 4) and pull them through into wherever you intend to put your new switch(es). I chose to put my switch near the ignition where there was an existing hole from an old immobiliser installation.
Take your SPDT switch and put one of the cruise wires on each of the 2 end terminals and the live feed in the middle. (Please excuse my crude wiring, I need to get some spade connectors and do it properly.)
If you have 2 separate buttons/switches, you will need to separate off the live feed and put a live feed and one of the cruise wires onto each button/switch.
You may wish to attach an LED to each set of wires too so that it illuminates when you press the switch (I did), in which case you would just wire up the LED in line after the cruise control wires (i.e. black end to cruise control wire and the red end attach to the pin on the switch).
Note: The green & red wire is the one that makes it go faster, and the green & black one is the one that makes it go slower.
Step 9: Put upper cowling back
This is held in place with 3 screws (2 deep-set ones on the right and one on the left behind the height adjustment lever).
That's everything wired up, all that's left now is to put the boss kit and wheel on and then permanently fit your switches in place. It might be best to wait until you know which switch is faster/resume and which one is slower/set before fixing them in place (I will update this once I know which colour wire is which).
Step 10: Fit boss kit
Slide the boss kit over the spline and tighten up the nut. If you have kept your original stalks, you will have to modify the boss kit first though...
Take the single spade connector from the middle of the boss and connect it up through the middle of your wheel onto a connector on the horn button. My button had 2 connectors so I had to identify which one connected to the earth point, and then I connected the live wire to the other one.
Step 12: Fit steering wheel
Screw the steering wheel in place with 6 bolts (using appropriate allen key) - lining up the holes on the horn button retainer ring (if you have one), the wheel and the boss kit. Make sure the horn button earth contact point is pulled out as far as it goes and that it makes contact with the boss.
And that's it! Job's a good'n!
Managed to do this in my lunch break today (so under 30 minutes)!
Hope this helps someone!
Tools required:
- Phillips head screwdriver
19mm socket and wrench
Wire cutters/strippers
Allen keys
- Steering wheel boss kit
Aftermarket steering wheel with horn button
Steering wheel bolts
SPDT Momentary-on switch (or 2 SPST momentary-on switches) (I used these)
Some thin wire
Spade connectors or electrician tape
Optional - pre-wired LEDs (green & orange perhaps)
* Optional - Light/wiper stalks from non-cruise control Prelude
* It is possible to wire everything up using the existing stalks, but if you want to keep the existing stalks, you will need to modify your boss kit slightly (instructions included below).
-----------------------------------------------------
Step 1: Remove steering wheel
First things first, make sure the car wheels are straight before removing the steering wheel. My car doesn't have airbags so it was just a case of removing the cap in the middle of the steering wheel and then using a breaker bar and 19mm socket to remove the nut. The wheel then pulled straight off exposing the spline and contact rings etc.
Step 2: Remove cowling
You will be unable to remove the light/wiper stalks at this point so unscrew the full cowling (there are six screws underneath, three of them hold on the top part - two of which will require a long screwdriver as they are buried a little way in).
Step 3: Remove slip ring from stalk unit
*** only follow this step if you are replacing the unit, if not – proceed to step 4 below ***
Unscrew the 4 screws holding the ring in place and then pull this forward, unplug the harness that is connected into the bottom rear of this.
Step 4: Cut and splice wires
Unplug the harness behind the slip ring (front of stalk unit), it should have 3 wires in it. Cut these, leaving a little bit left on the plug side in case you ever want to put it back to normal.
Attach a new length of wire to the end of each one (long enough to reach wherever you intend to put your new cruise buttons).
If you are keeping the original stalks, join the wires back to the plug as well so there is essentially a tap off each one and then plug the harness back in.
If you are replacing the stalks, make a 2nd tap off the red/blue wire to connect to the horn.
Note: The blue/red wire is the live, the other 2 (green striped ones) are for cruise control.
Step 5: Swap stalk units
*** only follow this step if you are replacing the unit, if not – proceed to step 7 ***
There are three/four more screws holding the stalk unit in place, remove these. Then there are are a couple of electrical connectors in the back of the unit and another tucked away down the right hand side, unplug all of these and pull the unit forward.
Plug all of the harnesses into the replacement unit as per the previous one and then slot/screw it in place.
Step 6: Connect live feed to horn connector spring
Take the blue/red wire (identified in step 4), strip a little from the end and place this securely under the metal horn contact spring (ideally under the tightening screw).
Step 7: Put lower cowling back
This is held in place with 3 screws, 2 at the front and 1 at the back-centre.
Step 8: Attach wires to new cruise control switch(es)
Take the new wires (created in step 4) and pull them through into wherever you intend to put your new switch(es). I chose to put my switch near the ignition where there was an existing hole from an old immobiliser installation.
Take your SPDT switch and put one of the cruise wires on each of the 2 end terminals and the live feed in the middle. (Please excuse my crude wiring, I need to get some spade connectors and do it properly.)
If you have 2 separate buttons/switches, you will need to separate off the live feed and put a live feed and one of the cruise wires onto each button/switch.
You may wish to attach an LED to each set of wires too so that it illuminates when you press the switch (I did), in which case you would just wire up the LED in line after the cruise control wires (i.e. black end to cruise control wire and the red end attach to the pin on the switch).
Note: The green & red wire is the one that makes it go faster, and the green & black one is the one that makes it go slower.
Step 9: Put upper cowling back
This is held in place with 3 screws (2 deep-set ones on the right and one on the left behind the height adjustment lever).
That's everything wired up, all that's left now is to put the boss kit and wheel on and then permanently fit your switches in place. It might be best to wait until you know which switch is faster/resume and which one is slower/set before fixing them in place (I will update this once I know which colour wire is which).
Step 10: Fit boss kit
Slide the boss kit over the spline and tighten up the nut. If you have kept your original stalks, you will have to modify the boss kit first though...
- Remove contact ring from bottom of OEM steering wheel
- Remove contact ring from bottom of boss
- Place OEM contact ring over boss (in place of one just removed)
- Connect a wire to the live pin on contact ring (bottom pin in pic below) and then up through middle of hub (attach spade connector to the end)
Take the single spade connector from the middle of the boss and connect it up through the middle of your wheel onto a connector on the horn button. My button had 2 connectors so I had to identify which one connected to the earth point, and then I connected the live wire to the other one.
Step 12: Fit steering wheel
Screw the steering wheel in place with 6 bolts (using appropriate allen key) - lining up the holes on the horn button retainer ring (if you have one), the wheel and the boss kit. Make sure the horn button earth contact point is pulled out as far as it goes and that it makes contact with the boss.
And that's it! Job's a good'n!
Managed to do this in my lunch break today (so under 30 minutes)!
Hope this helps someone!
