Custom OEM looking WiFi and Garage opener buttons

Hi there been a while since I signed up here and just wanted to share what I've sort of done during the time.

SO I have longed for custom buttons for the MK7 like the ones from http://shop.carstyle4you.com, so i took the bussines in my own hands.

my Golf doesn't have the original Wifi inside, so I decided to add that to it, by just using a Wifi 3G router. I am later thinking of exchanging this agains a Raspberry pi that will also function as a media server. but that might be a later post.

as I also got a garage, i figured id just go ahead and add a button opening that as well.

So first of all what I bought:

1x VW original spare part, just auto-start/stop. ( as a back up if things goes bad, or if you would like to "downgrade")
1x VW original switch module with mode and antispin button.
1x arduino (nano in my case)
Cables and pins for VW and arduino.

pictures and instructions comes later.

the empty buttons that i got , i brought to a laser engraver here in Germany. who engraved my custom designed logos onto the buttons. it was a bit tricky as the surface of the button isn't perfectly flat.

but after 1,5 hour of testing and doing settings we ended up with results that we both were happy with. (tested on my earlier failed attempts).

Karsten, the guy who help me works at http://www.kamavision.de. the website is in german, but hes helpful and speaks good english. he is alos open to doing more of these buttons or any other engravings. (he had done Carbon-fiber engravings for a friends golf).

I also have plans on looking into putting custom switches on the right side of the gear shifter, though I've come to understand that I might need to more mods then.but well see.

the top button will now shine in the original yellow when pressed( after programming on the arduino) and the lower, doesnt have the option as glowing.

Im thinking of making my own mini circuit board in same shape and design as the VW, replacing the original with mine, and then be able to chose to have lights as well on the lower ( garage opener), or change the color of the light.

I im also thinking of them making a adapter plug so its more plug and play for anyone wanting this. or the possibility to exclude the need for the Arduino/ Rasberry Pi.

well this is the first post. any questions let me know.

ill update this later tonight with some pictures of my finished results.

/Thomas

Picture of laser engraved buttons

So here is the first button i made, the WiFi, and then the garage opener button assembled with the auto- start/stop button.

lastly is a picture of it in place with backlight. u can notice that I mistakenly made the logos a little bit large, the light is not as bright in the ends. but its hard to see, and its only noticeable in the lowest setting of interior lights.

I'm very curious how you pulled this off.. so your intention is when you hit the wifi button it turns on your 3G "hotspot" device? Very cool! I would also love to get a garage door opener button as I am presently back to using my clunky looking remote hooked to and mucking up my visor.. ha.

Look forward to readying how you pulled it all off - I trust it will be an education -- in the meantime, I am off to google what "arduino" means.. ha. Looks great, though.

Andolf said:

Hi there been a while since I signed up here and just wanted to share what I've sort of done during the time.

SO I have longed for custom buttons for the MK7 like the ones from http://shop.carstyle4you.com, so i took the bussines in my own hands.

my Golf doesn't have the original Wifi inside, so I decided to add that to it, by just using a Wifi 3G router. I am later thinking of exchanging this agains a Raspberry pi that will also function as a media server. but that might be a later post.

as I also got a garage, i figured id just go ahead and add a button opening that as well.

So first of all what I bought:

1x VW original spare part, just auto-start/stop. ( as a back up if things goes bad, or if you would like to "downgrade")
1x VW original switch module with mode and antispin button.
1x arduino (nano in my case)
Cables and pins for VW and arduino.

pictures and instructions comes later.

the empty buttons that i got , i brought to a laser engraver here in Germany. who engraved my custom designed logos onto the buttons. it was a bit tricky as the surface of the button isn't perfectly flat.

but after 1,5 hour of testing and doing settings we ended up with results that we both were happy with. (tested on my earlier failed attempts).

Karsten, the guy who help me works at http://www.kamavision.de. the website is in german, but hes helpful and speaks good english. he is alos open to doing more of these buttons or any other engravings. (he had done Carbon-fiber engravings for a friends golf).

I also have plans on looking into putting custom switches on the right side of the gear shifter, though I've come to understand that I might need to more mods then.but well see.

the top button will now shine in the original yellow when pressed( after programming on the arduino) and the lower, doesnt have the option as glowing.

Im thinking of making my own mini circuit board in same shape and design as the VW, replacing the original with mine, and then be able to chose to have lights as well on the lower ( garage opener), or change the color of the light.

I im also thinking of them making a adapter plug so its more plug and play for anyone wanting this. or the possibility to exclude the need for the Arduino/ Rasberry Pi.

well this is the first post. any questions let me know.

ill update this later tonight with some pictures of my finished results.

/Thomas

Click to expand...

A arduino is a cheap easy to use microcontroller.

u can see it as a simple "computer" that can control and read all kids of things. quite common among hobbyist and home automatisation. you get quite some bang for you buck, and especially the nano, as its quite small.

ur welcome to read more later, ill put together an mini how to. pulling parts from various threads exciting and adding new info.

and also add the simple code needed for the arduino. ( though not being the best programmer, its probably some redundant code in it)

and regarding the Wifi button, yes it turns on the Router as i push the button, and the button glows orange, like original buttons, when it's on, and when pushed again it turns off the router.

Very cool stuff. Thanks for sharing the project.

This is brilliant. Definitely interested to see where this goes. I just picked up a 2015 Golf Sportwagen TDi and would love to add this. I love how you engraved those buttons.

A wifi button is awesome. Where are you storing the router? Under a seat? Glove compartment?

A few questions though- Were they already buttons? Mine just has 'blank' plastic pieces there and I am not sure how I'd create the tactile button... Also, was the illumination already there? Or did you mount an LED under there that you are driving from the audrino?

Also, I might be missing something simple here, but what is the middle "A" button for?

Impressive work, thanks for sharing!!

I'm defo looking at filing in the two blank buttons on the right side of the gear stick, as my left side has, Mode, Stop/start, ESC, & right side just has the park sensors. Would like to fit illuminating "fake" buttons like the ones you canget for MK6 eg oil slick, tacks, missile, or passenger eject

This is totally cool looking forward to your full write up.

Great work!

10 cool face awards!

I'd love a plug and play solution....not looking to build my own boards are tap power unless its super easy to do.

Subscribed this is dope

sorry for the long wait, I've been struggling to find all the pictures of my installation, and to get the Raspberry Pi to work. (the Arduino is working perfectly fine.) its also partially that i enjoy playing with the car, rather than writing stuff, which i have to do anyways for work

so to answer all the questions:

the buttons are made out of the blanks, with a a laser engraver, and combined with an original part witch got the buttons already.

the middle "A" button is i guess maybe only european thing? where we have auto -start and -stop of the engine when you stop at say a red light or such. so that is a original button and is just kept as is. though it would be possible to make this your own design as well( you can turn this feature on and off in the car menu on the multimedia unit).

Im storing my router back in the trunk, there is a "secret" compartment under the floor. though this goes away if you decide to lower the floor to maximise space. something not necessary on the daily basis.

regarding the LED, if you do like me, buy the set of buttons (with mode antispin and all, cost around 30€ on eBay, but check with your VW dealer, i noticed that they were cheaper than Ebay, at least in Germany.) and just transfer your blanks to it, you get the possibility of having the original orange light on the upper and middle button. the lower wont let you, though thats why I've been thinking of maybe make a PCB board design, where you can either change the colour, and also add a light to the 3rd ( lower) button.

when it comes to the blanks on the right side. I haven't had a close look at it, but I suspect it would only be to get the full button arrangement as on left, and then just steal the PCB from it and plant it in the right side ( but upside down i think)

I'm thinking of looking into this as I need some extra lights for the cold dark winters in Sweden and being the only country in EU without power restrictions id have to restrict them or turn them of when going along in Germany.

as i can't find the pictures just yet, u have to do with some from a fellow mate on here.

http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7908

I used this thread to start of my little project.

anyone who wants to start already, i could say that the pins he shows are not complicated, you can hook it up in your circuit. without its being connected to the car, its just a regular switch.

the other on the other hand work as pull-up or pull down switches ( can't remember, will check it out.) where you have to do little more to get it work. especially if you want it to function with the orange LED.

I'm going to try to take some new pictures and wrap this up today. sorry all for waiting.

/Thomas

here is some pictures of the PCB board, which is the actual buttons, on the back you see 10 pins, ill update later with a description of what each pin is. but short words is that there is 2 unused pins, 1 Ground, 2 for each orange light( not on this particular PCB) and 2 pins, one each for middle and top button. 2 pins for the 3rd button( as it doesn't share ground with the others) and one last pin for back light.

on the front you see 6 "touch surfaces" which when pushed with the button rubber connected the circuit. in this circuit board, just remembered thats the proper name and not PCB, there is a small tiny diod and a larger, the small is the back light and the larger is the orange light. if you know what parts they are and what the small resistors needed and such you would be able to convert this from 1 button to 3 button. though you would still need some plastic parts and such so you can actually push the buttons. but thats way more complicated than buying

but as i said in first post, I've been thinking of making brand new ones like this, with the possibility of adding different colours and adding the activation light on the 3rd button.

Ill show later how the cables look, and where i pulled them, i opted not to do it as perfect as the guy who retrofitted the ESC button, as i want to easily put things back together when selling it, if needed

here is some comments to the pictures, but as i installed my real PCB u'll have to have some imagination. all is colour coded, and hopefully understandable. there is 2 pins with no colour, which is not used.