Paddle shift on a B6

[mrmule]

Hi all,

First post.

Anyone know if one can fit a steering wheel from a CVT B7 with paddle shifters, to a CVT B6 and make the paddles work????

Sam.

[blackpool1974]

One is not sure

I would like to know as well, I have B6 steering wheel with gear change on it, but on the 2 buttons it has up and down gears on both

[Marc1]

I think you've be better with one of the older A3 auto steering wheels with paddle shift (rather than A4 button shift). The B7 wheels (and newer A3) are dual stage airbags, where as your B6 is single stage. SOme people say you can just wire the single wires to one of the wire sets on the B7, others say the airbag will not go off. There was a post on another forum not that long ago where the driver had done this and his steering wheel airbag did not go off. For that reason I don't think it's worth the risk. LIke I say older A3 with paddle shift should be ok though I think.

[shark_90]

Yes it can be done but for the same reasons as Marc1 stated, don't. A member on Tyresmoke smashed his car up recently, it was a real mess and every airbag apart from the driver's one went off.

[mrmule]

Thanks for the words chaps. According to Gareth at Hazzy Dayz it can be done also. If it was dangerous I'm pretty sure he wouldnt endorse it, right?

Any idea what wheel would be used? Marc you're saying an A3? Do you know the part number? Or the year it would be found on?

[Issac Hunt]

If it was dangerous I'm pretty sure he wouldnt endorse it, right?

I wouldn't bet on it! If there is money in for them, then who knows? Has he carried out any conclusive tests to prove the airbag system works properly after modification? I bet they haven't.

You must be nuts to consider this, did you read the thread on tyresmoke about the guy who did this and his airbag didnt go off in a crash he had?

What if your Mrs was driving at the time? Could you live with that? I know I couldn't.

[shark_90]

Thanks for the words chaps. According to Gareth at Hazzy Dayz it can be done also. If it was dangerous I'm pretty sure he wouldnt endorse it, right?

I wouldn't dream of offering it to a customer as a service and I've turned down a lot of work because of it. I did it to my own car 4/5 years ago when the B7 first came out, but knowing the implications I wouldn't ever do it for a customer and I think anyone who does has some serious moral issues, or doesn't understand what they're doing well enough to know that it could cause issues with the airbag or indeed why it could cause those issues.

[a8 tech]

Dual stage airbag will not deploy with single stage system, so no matter what Hazzy days say's it is a big no no and he would be liable if has public liability insurance.Please dont do this its not approved or even tested by a governing body so hear say is simply not good enough no matter how the wiring is bypassed the dual stage deploys depending on impact severity.

single stage
Attachment 7530 N95 is the single stage igniter




dual stage

Attachment 7529
Here there are two with different commands for two igniter's from the airbag control unit for deployment so the earlier system although it can be wired to extinguish the warning light the airbag will not react to impact and that means the driver will hit the steering wheel with possible fatality


A two-stage gas generator is used as the
driver's airbag.
The radial opening of the airbag and the delayed
ignition of the propelling charges reduce the loads
acting on the driver when the car crashes.
Depending on the seriousness and type of accident,
the time lapse between the two ignitions can be
approx. 5 ms to 50 ms.
The radial opening and stepped actuation of the
front airbag is particularly advantageous when
there is no sufficient clearance between the
steering wheel and the upper part of the body.
In general, both propelling charges are always
ignited. This prevents one propelling charge
remaining active after the airbag has been actuated.
The gas generator in the driver's airbag is bedded
in a rubber ring and swings.
This minimizes any vibrations at the steering wheel,
as the gas generator acts as a vibration damper

[shark_90]

And I hope he has got public liability insurance, as one day he'll no doubt need it.