Blake@NWAutoSalon

Has anyone done this on their early build date coupes? Is it a direct swap? Thanks!

Don@STaSIS

as the pins are totally different, flat versus round. So you essentially need the entire harness end at the switches, then get the two wiring diagrams out and splice in the plugs. Then you also have an issue, you have no airbag if you have square stalks and all US models with rounded stalks have airbags. The column covers will not work properly for your horn, airbag/non-airbag are incompatible. You can use European column covers that work with the rounded style switches and are for non-airbag use. You could also use phone cord or attempt to adapt the old column covers to the new switches (doesn't work) but I know people will suggest those two options as well so I might as well.

Honestly it's not worth the trouble.

Cheers,

TurboEnvy52

i've been thinking about it, need the wiring from the car i got the stalks from though

quattro.pilot

prolly would be a solid afternoon of work, but really what jobber isn't? And as for the airbag aspect, I'd lay yah odds that most of the bags in our cars are "expired" (however u want to interpret that) so there's no real harm in removing them... and having an airbag is <u>no excuse</u> for not wearing a seatbelt anyways. And the horn issue is naught but an inconvinience which can be solved with a little creativity. Anyhow not looking to shoot down your experience(s), but it doesn't seem like exchanging the column levers ranks high on the "not worth the time" scale. feel free to disagree =)

check yah later

Don@STaSIS

firstly. At least 20-25+ wires to properly reroute to the switches, this meaning you need to be able to properly read the wiring diagrams and understand both the early and late diagrams to get the wiring done. Then you've got the issue concerning the steering column covers and the horn. It seems to me that people have a hard enough time installing non-airbag wheels into airbag cars and getting the horn to work, let alone rewiring both plugs for the column switches properly. Honestly I've been involved in doing just this procedure and for the work, yes it is a PITA, you get switches that are round. Then you get stuck with having to deal with the horn issue, there is no easy bolt on solution except for European column covers. The old covers will not fit even with decent amounts of modification and the new column covers that fit with the rounded switches have a horn button, not a ring. The non-airbag wheel also has a horn button, not a ring. So you now have two buttons and no rings, modifying either the steering wheel or column covers wouldn't be anything I'd get into, gouging out the steering wheel to put in the horn ring from the old column covers or cutting up the column covers to somehow glue in a horn ring, note that the new column covers are a totally different design and you can't just add the horn ring to the bottom column cover without some good hacking of the top cover too.

That is why I say it's not worth it. I can only explain the process from first hand experience and offer an opinion, too bad it can't just be taken that way without someone having to argue with it and "disprove" my opinion. A fatal flaw with posting any useful of helpful information around here is everyone questions it, regardless of whether you provide nice factual information. I am not hamming on you at all qPilot, but generally when I make a statement concerning something like this it doesn't stand as a truth and it also doesn't stand as something that needs to be challenged, it's just my opinion which I only gave after stating the facts on the matter from my first hand experience.

Again not trying to rattle your cage. I haven't posted that type of info in some time for a reason and your response is just the reason why. I would prefer that someone posted a thank you for the information and if they wanted to pursue the modification they can heed my warning and go for it. My opinion is not gospel, but also doesn't need to called into question, it's my opinion, not fact by any means.

Cheers,

quattro.pilot

thank you =]