Randy M

I'd like all the same buttons as on my stock wheel, and I'd like them to work as well

I saw a nice flat bottomed wheel w/ red stitching w/ the same buttons on a new TT this morning at my dealer. Just wondering if any of the new wheels will fit without drama?

Fluffhead

This might mean that if the airbag goes off it might not work properly, but to be honest anyone who has a Euro RS4 wheel is taking that chance.

Reggie

I think the TT one works and you keep the functioning buttons

Alex@Europrice.us

All sorts of choices for flat-bottom units, however they all take either a TT or R8 airbag unit. Untested combination, however folks have been running untested combos in all sorts of Audis for quite a while and I have yet to hear anyone with apparent issues, touchy subject considering it involves safety equipment.

Cheers,

Randy M

The TT wheel would look great in either silver or red stitching.

Alex@Europrice.us

The only way to test the combination is to crash a car into a wall like Audi does, to really test the function.

As for using airbags from one model in another. Most folks know my stance that from my knowledge and hypothesis is that using the airbag that is designed for that exact model is the way to go, however there was other second hand information that is a claim that airbags are cross platform and all fire at the same rate, however I would think that if these units were all the same they'd all use the same part numbers. Audi does not regularly change part numbers just to be chassis/model specific, ie there are parts with A3 prefixes in TT parts lineup, A4 B6/7 parts in A4 B8, etc.

Again no one genuinely knows from what I have heard and seen, which is a shame. I have gone to just letting my customers make the choice for themselves based on the available information.

Cheers,

Randy M

I would think that the general shape of the steering wheel airbag is the same but I never thought about a fire rate that would differ from bag to bag and car to car. Differing specs could cause one bag to perhaps trigger when braking really hard (doubtful) whereas another may not trigger at all.

Alex@Europrice.us

The controller takes the data in and it decides what stage to set the airbag off on, sends voltage up to the bag and the bag ignites. Now it's my understanding that each bag has different sized charges in it to suit the chassis/motor combination. An RS4 versus an A4 2.0t for instance, same control module, same sensors, different airbags though. However an RS4 and S4 share all the same parts, same chassis, very similar motor and assuming very similar crash characteristics.

Others have stated that the part numbers are merely just for a designator of what model they belong with but they all behave the same way. No one can 100% prove either theory so far.

No worries about the airbag firing improperly while driving or anything like that, it's just how it will behave in a crash. Likely at that point I suspect we are talking differences of sub second timing in how the bag deploys, regardless most get some injuries from the bag. Bags are designed to be deflating as your face hits it and imagine how fast a crash occurs at 60mph versus even something stationary and what the whole system has to do before you start to travel forwards, it's wild how fast it all has to work.

Cheers,

MARKNMTT

<good advice>