Has anyone successfully transplated a B7 wheel into a B6?

13722 Views 27 Replies 12 Participants Last post by hdariotisj, Oct 24, 2008

ScottWells

Discussion Starter · Jan 13, 2006

I could swear there were threads on this, but after a search on the obvious terms, I couldn't find anything terribly useful. Has anyone successfully retrofit a B7 multifunction steering wheel in to the B6? I have the B6 wheel now, but I would be interested in a B7 wheel if it weren't terribly expensive and if it were a very straightforward task.

Feel free to redirect me to an existing thread or FAQ if this is covered somewhere else.

1 - 20 of 28 Posts

NSX JR

· #2 · Jan 13, 2006

Theoretically possible... but you'd need these parts, with approx Audi prices:

Steering wheel: $800
Airbag: $800
Airbag wire harness: $50

If you don't have any buttons on your current steering wheel (multf. or tip) you may also need (depending on your model year):

Self-Canceling ring: $400

Also, you'll need the torx T30 and XZN M12 bolt tools if you don't have them already.

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AudiA4B6US

· #3 · Jan 13, 2006

The B7 airbag is dual stage (or however you call it) using two ignition wires. There was soemone on audi4ever.at who did the swap and simply conected both wires to the single pin available in the B6. However, he has no idea if the airbag works but at leats the warning light is not on.

NSX JR

· #4 · Jan 13, 2006

AudiA4B6US said:
The B7 airbag is dual stage (or however you call it) using two ignition wires. There was soemone on audi4ever.at who did the swap and simply conected both wires to the single pin available in the B6. However, he has no idea if the airbag works but at leats the warning light is not on.

This is a dual-stage, dual-threshold airbag.

I think in this case the second connector is for the "dual-stage" part. The wiring you describe should work in theory, because it will explode fully when triggered by the airbag control module... just like a "single-stage" airbag would behave.

PROXUS

· #5 · Feb 13, 2006

are you sure about that airbag wiring?....because if you are I would buy it.

NSX JR

· #6 · Feb 13, 2006

Proxus, I have had a dual stage airbag connected in my car this way and it did not throw an Airbag fault code.

If you consider how a dual stage airbag works, and how a single stage airbag works, it makes sense.

-the single stage airbag simply deploys on command from the single stage airbag controller. This airbag controller decides when the accident is severe enough for airbag deployment.

-the dual stage airbag deploys either partially (by using only one explosive), or it deploys fully (by using both explosives). Again, this type of behavior can only be controlled by a dual stage airbag controller.

-Thererfore, to use a dual stage airbag with a single stage airbag controller, both of the airbag explosive harnesses should be connected to the single airbag wire pins on the self-canceling ring. By doing this, you are emulating a single stage airbag system by forcing the dual stage airbag to fully deploy upon command from the single stage airbag controller.

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PROXUS

· #7 · Feb 14, 2006

Ok, that is enough info for me to buy it

Thanks

voodooke

· #8 · Aug 29, 2008

hello , could someone give me more advice please ? i hace bought a RS4 2008 steeringwheel ,and want to place it in my a4 cabrio from 2004 ..
i have the single stage airbag in my car , but want to place a dual stage ..
also the horn must work ?cause the plugs are diffrent to ?

thanks and greets from mitch

livefour2day

· #9 · Aug 29, 2008

I can only advise you from my own retro fit of a B7 MFSW to a B6 A4, it was all ok untill the tempreture droped and then it started throwing the air bag warning light.
after alot of debate on this forum doubt entered my mind as to the way the dual stage air bag works with single stage and to the saftey of the whole situation.
so i swapped my wheel back, because no matter how many time you look at it i will not put anyones life in danger most importantly my KIDS.
sorry but if you want my opinion DONT DO IT.

voodooke

· #10 · Aug 29, 2008

livefour2day said:
I can only advise you from my own retro fit of a B7 MFSW to a B6 A4, it was all ok untill the tempreture droped and then it started throwing the air bag warning light.
after alot of debate on this forum doubt entered my mind as to the way the dual stage air bag works with single stage and to the saftey of the whole situation.
so i swapped my wheel back, because no matter how many time you look at it i will not put anyones life in danger most importantly my KIDS.
sorry but if you want my opinion DONT DO IT.

yes i know , thank u for the warning !

did u get the horn working ?
i did connect the both orange and green plug from the airbag, to the single cable ,on the plugs 1 to 1 ,and 2-2 ...
but not tested it yet.. cause i want to try to connect the horn also ..
the airbag warning on the dash i don't care .. but the horn is important !

thanks

PetrolDave

· #11 · Aug 30, 2008

voodooke said:
the airbag warning on the dash i don't care ..

Sorry but then you are an complete idiot.

The airbag warning is on because the airbag system has detected a fault.

If you have an accident with you car in this condition, then you are likely to suffer serious facial injuries and it's very possible that your insurance company will refuse any claim - so you will have to pay the costs to repair you and your car, and and third party and their car as well.

Listen to what livefour2day has said ...

voodooke

· #12 · Aug 30, 2008

PetrolDave said:
Sorry but then you are an complete idiot.

The airbag warning is on because the airbag system has detected a fault.

If you have an accident with you car in this condition, then you are likely to suffer serious facial injuries and it's very possible that your insurance company will refuse any claim - so you will have to pay the costs to repair you and your car, and and third party and their car as well.

Listen to what livefour2day has said ...

no because i get a warning from the seat airbag .. it's a known fault of audi .. that the connections are bad !
that's why the light don't bother my anymore !
the drivers airbag works now .. otherwise i only had to put the steeringhweel ,without electronic !!
now the airbagfault is gone from the steeringwheel ,also the seats airbag ..
sorry about the misunderstanding !

i have managed to put the single airbag to the dual airbag , and make the horn works fine ! without the warninglight, so that was the important thing i was searchin for !

thanks from mitch

PetrolDave

· #13 · Aug 30, 2008

voodooke said:
i have managed to put the single airbag to the dual airbag , and make the horn works fine ! without the warninglight, so that was the important thing i was searchin for !

If you read this thread and the others here on this subject you will see that while you might have the airbag warning light off at the moment, you can expect to to come back on when the weather gets either much colder or much hotter and the resistance of the two airbag ignitors in parallel goes outside of the acceptable limit for the single stage airbag controller. Then your airbag system will be faulty again. It's your risk, but the best advice is that fitting a dual stage airbag to a single stage controller is NOT reliable.

Why is it so important to have your horn working? I don't think I have used my horn in the last ten years of driving - whenever possible I anticipate and avoid potential situations before they arise, making the use of the horn totally unnecessary.

voodooke

· #14 · Aug 30, 2008

PetrolDave said:
If you read this thread and the others here on this subject you will see that while you might have the airbag warning light off at the moment, you can expect to to come back on when the weather gets either much colder or much hotter and the resistance of the two airbag ignitors in parallel goes outside of the acceptable limit for the single stage airbag controller. Then your airbag system will be faulty again. It's your risk, but the best advice is that fitting a dual stage airbag to a single stage controller is NOT reliable.

Why is it so important to have your horn working? I don't think I have used my horn in the last ten years of driving - whenever possible I anticipate and avoid potential situations before they arise, making the use of the horn totally unnecessary.

that answer is SO simple !! u life in a very dirrect country , in Belgium the horn MUST work ,or u or not allowed to drive your car !!!
this is yearly checked by the technical checkup ...

grts from mitch

PetrolDave

· #15 · Aug 30, 2008

Good luck with your MFSW retrofit - I hope you never have a accident that should deploy the airbag, because I'm not sure that it will.

BTW I spent several years developing and testing airbag systems for one of the "big three" US auto-makers - I do know what I'm talking about.

hdariotisj

· #16 · Sep 11, 2008

mfsw conversion part 3"s

hope im not beating this topic to death, but.... i have an '06 s4 cab auto no audio controls but cruise and tip, b6 style. after research told me i had "driver airbag with dual stage deployment" (theautochannel.com), i purchased audi mfsw 8j0 419 091 h, and airbag 8j0 880 201 j 6ps. after i pull the old airbag, looks like only one charge on the airbag

new airbag harness 8j0 971 589 b is no match for my 8e0 953 541 d slip ring, and while im ripping my car to shreds, guess i'll need to toss my 8e0953 549 n control module in the spare parts bin too. i would like to have the mfsw, and airbag play nicely in the car, any help on the part numbers i would need to make this happen? audi parts guys are only really good at telling me what parts i am ripping out. would the tt or the new b7 parts work better in this setup? i would appreciate any help. i pulled a couple of vin#'s from the showroom floor that had mfsw's in them. maybe their slip ring and control modules would cross reference with available items that would work in my setup? tt vin: truxf38j791008136, a5 vin: waudk78t29a009953, rs4 vin: wuadu78e78n901091 thanks for your efforts

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PetrolDave

· #17 · Sep 11, 2008

hdariotisj said:
hope im not beating this topic to death, but.... i have an '06 s4 cab auto no audio controls but cruise and tip, b6 style. after research told me i had "driver airbag with dual stage deployment" (theautochannel.com), i purchased audi mfsw 8j0 419 091 h, and airbag 8j0 880 201 j 6ps. after i pull the old airbag, looks like only one charge on the airbag new airbag harness 8j0 971 589 b is no match for my 8e0 953 541 d slip ring, and while im ripping my car to shreds, guess i'll need to toss my 8e0953 549 n control module in the spare parts bin too. i would like to have the mfsw, and airbag play nicely in the car, any help on the part numbers i would need to make this happen? audi parts guys are only really good at telling me what parts i am ripping out. would the tt or the new b7 parts work better in this setup? i would appreciate any help. i pulled a couple of vin#'s from the showroom floor that had mfsw's in them. maybe their slip ring and control modules would cross reference with available items that would work in my setup? tt vin: truxf38j791008136, a5 vin: waudk78t29a009953, rs4 vin: wuadu78e78n901091 thanks for your efforts

You have a B6 with a single stage airbag controller and you want to retrofit a TT wheel with a dual stage airbag -as already explained above, please DO NOT DO IT.

voodooke

· #18 · Oct 19, 2008

hello, i have put the R8 multifunction steeringwheel in my car (a4 cabrio 2004 B6),also with the new ring 4E0 953 541 B and module 8E0 953 549 R..
now i have learned the ABS ,and have no more faults .. but the mulitfunction buttons don't work ,also no light on the buttons ...
i have the fault 'Controls in Steering Wheel (E221)'
everything is still the same, exept the connector for the ring, that must be changed , the pin1 is yellow ,other one is white .. the pin numbers are writen on the connector itself .. don't know if the fault is there?
airbags still the same .. both connectors installed and plugged in ,without any change !
before i had a non multifunction steeringwheel ...

thanks and greets from mitch

hdariotisj

· #19 · Oct 20, 2008

hey mitch, i think it was hx_guy that listed the airbag rewire for our b6 cars with the newer wheel and airbag. do not rewire the airbag wires at all. only the multi function and horn wires. search here. it was very good, and my tts wheel is working perfectly now. harris

voodooke

· #20 · Oct 20, 2008

hdariotisj said:
hey mitch, i think it was hx_guy that listed the airbag rewire for our b6 cars with the newer wheel and airbag. do not rewire the airbag wires at all. only the multi function and horn wires. search here. it was very good, and my tts wheel is working perfectly now. harris[/QUOTE

what do u mean with rewire the multifunction and horn wires ? they told me that everything is plug and play ,
now i have no lights on the steeringwheel ,also the cruisecontrole and bordcomputer i have installed are not working ..
i can't login on some parts of this site now .. cause of a password asked ..

i have done the install ,with the idiots manual on this site ..

greetz and thanks from mitch augustus

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