Retrofitting Heated Steering Wheel

[Cuzoe]

Did you change your climate control panel to the Heated wheel one?

I did not and my car does not have climatronic. I have seen it posted here that someone with basic climate control had the panel with heated seat/heated wheel buttons, an early EU Mk7 with "winter pack" but I never could find a part number for that panel. Even in the EU heated steering wheel was later tied to having climatronic. I'm sure part of that is that climatronic can press the A/C menu button which brings up the infotainment climate control screen and there are heated wheel options in there. No way (that I know of) to access that menu on car with basic climate control.

Luckily the Mk8 wheel has its own steering wheel heat button (it's a CAN bus command in any case, or in the case of the steering wheel it's LIN bus to CAN bus). I have also heard that climate control panels without the heated wheel button will turn on the heated wheel anytime seat heat is on, have not tried it.

 

[Nuje]

I have also heard that climate control panels without the heated wheel button will turn on the heated wheel anytime seat heat is on, have not tried it.

I'd read that in a couple of threads as well, but at least in my car (2015 NAR GSW Highline/SEL), turning on heated seats (Climatronic) doesn't turn on the steering wheel - I have to go into the MENU on the HVAC panel.

 

[Cuzoe]

I'd read that in a couple of threads as well, but at least in my car (2015 NAR GSW Highline/SEL), turning on heated seats (Climatronic) doesn't turn on the steering wheel - I have to go into the MENU on the HVAC panel.

Yea... I do wonder if that specific function is only for non-climatronic panels as a way to turn on heated seats. Climatronic are available with the heated wheel button, and of course you have the menu.

Even on the climatronic panels its not a separate button, so it probably comes down to HVAC panel software and possibly coding... experimental in VCDS might be of use here. It's just a matter of whether the CAN command is sent to the clockspring.

 

[xabhax]

I did not and my car does not have climatronic. I have seen it posted here that someone with basic climate control had the panel with heated seat/heated wheel buttons, an early EU Mk7 with "winter pack" but I never could find a part number for that panel. Even in the EU heated steering wheel was later tied to having climatronic. I'm sure part of that is that climatronic can press the A/C menu button which brings up the infotainment climate control screen and there are heated wheel options in there. No way (that I know of) to access that menu on car with basic climate control.

Luckily the Mk8 wheel has its own steering wheel heat button (it's a CAN bus command in any case, or in the case of the steering wheel it's LIN bus to CAN bus). I have also heard that climate control panels without the heated wheel button will turn on the heated wheel anytime seat heat is on, have not tried it.

Alright, so the button on the wheel does work. I wasn't keen on getting another climate panel. They weren't alot of webasto/heated wheel panels on eBay. And none of them were cheap.

 

[Cuzoe]

Yeah in the gateway adaptations you select that you have the button on the wheel. That's one of the "extended" MFSW channels only present in the later Gateway software.

I really wish there was a way to access the climate menu on non-climatronic cars. Although I do understand that would only make it possible to have A/C settings not match the physical switch positions which would drive me nuts, haha.

 

[xabhax]

This airbag is starting to annoy me. Two sellers tried to ship it. Both where returned to sender. And I'm not even sure I can get one from a dealer. Is it even possible to ship an air bag internationally legally?

 

[Cuzoe]

FedEx will ship one, or at least that's how mine came. Granted I don't know if the forms were filled out properly, I just know it got to my house. I'm sure it can be shipped but I know most shippers don't want to deal with it. Depending on the country they may have to register as a hazmat shipper. I work at an aircraft maintenance company and we don't ship aircraft batteries, despite dealing with a fleet of 100+ aircraft that have anywhere from 2-10 batteries each. We pay someone to deal with hazmat shipping, and they come pick up the batteries.

Back on topic sorta... when I got my seats from the EU they told me straight up they were not shipping them with the side airbags. The wouldn't even entertain it for a moment. I can't see any reason a dealer wouldn't sell an airbag. Although might be best to order through the website of your local dealer for pickup. That way VW handles the internal shipping between their facilities (as needed) and your dealer doesn't have to ship it themselves.

 

[xabhax]

FedEx will ship one, or at least that's how mine came. Granted I don't know if the forms were filled out properly, I just know it got to my house. I'm sure it can be shipped but I know most shippers don't want to deal with it. Depending on the country they may have to register as a hazmat shipper. I work at an aircraft maintenance company and we don't ship aircraft batteries, despite dealing with a fleet of 100+ aircraft that have anywhere from 2-10 batteries each. We pay someone to deal with hazmat shipping, and they come pick up the batteries.

Back on topic sorta... when I got my seats from the EU they told me straight up they were not shipping them with the side airbags. The wouldn't even entertain it for a moment. I can't see any reason a dealer wouldn't sell an airbag. Although might be best to order through the website of your local dealer for pickup. That way VW handles the internal shipping between their facilities (as needed) and your dealer doesn't have to ship it themselves.

I asked the parts guys at the honda I work at. They said they require a Vin to order a bag. I would rather not pay 500-700 for an airbag.

I'm gonna try calling the dealer, see what happens

 

[gixxerfool]

Dealers are required to file all hazmat paperwork, be certified in order to send them back. They only ship ground as well.

 

[Cuzoe]

You could walk a dealer lot and find a VIN if they have any Mk8's in stock. Or if any are listed on the various car websites they normally have the VIN as well... if that's all the dealer wants.

The reason I say pick up at your dealer is so the dealer doesn't have to be/get certified to send hazmat. Let VW internal logistics handle all the shipping, just as they would if they had a car in their shop that needed a new airbag. Ground, air, courier, public transit... I don't care how they move parts between their warehouses and services centers, not my/your concern. Signing for hazmat won't be a problem for them, it's only the shipping that's a headache.

That of course means you're paying dealer price for an airbag... can't help you there .

 

[xabhax]

You could walk a dealer lot and find a VIN if they have any Mk8's in stock. Or if any are listed on the various car websites they normally have the VIN as well... if that's all the dealer wants.

The reason I say pick up at your dealer is so the dealer doesn't have to be/get certified to send hazmat. Let VW internal logistics handle all the shipping, just as they would if they had a car in their shop that needed a new airbag. Ground, air, courier, public transit... I don't care how they move parts between their warehouses and services centers, not my/your concern. Signing for hazmat won't be a problem for them, it's only the shipping that's a headache.

That of course means you're paying dealer price for an airbag... can't help you there .

So, i just broke down and ordered from the VW dealer down the road from my job. Was not that much more expensive then the airbag from ebay. The wheel sitting on my dining room table is getting to me. Couldnt wait for the ebay seller to get back to me.

 

[gixxerfool]

So, i just broke down and ordered from the VW dealer down the road from my job. Was not that much more expensive then the airbag from ebay. The wheel sitting on my dining room table is getting to me. Couldnt wait for the ebay seller to get back to me.

Any chance they would charge it through your job to save you some money? I know some dealers will give you a discount as a professional courtesy sometimes. Others don’t have that freedom.

 

[xabhax]

Any chance they would charge it through your job to save you some money? I know some dealers will give you a discount as a professional courtesy sometimes. Others don’t have that freedom.

We have to pay 5% over cost. I saved like $150. The only problem is they ordered from VW Parts Vortex (Burlington VW). They have fallen hard from what they were a couple of years ago.

 

[xabhax]

Anyone doing this swap and ordering an airbag from eBay. Beware of seller Partecha. They are a seller out of Lithuania. They say they will ship to the US by air. But according to FedEx they aren't certified to do this. I think they just sent in a regular,unlabeled box. Which as I learned it a big nono if you get caught.

My order was returned to them, and they are denying they received it.

Sucks because European sellers are the only ones who have the golf airbags at this point. Plenty of passat airbags, but they won't work in a golf wheel.

 

[Cuzoe]

Good information. Trash that they are acting like they didn't receive it. I learned the hard way to use Amex for PayPal, even when going goods & services. Amex returns my money and then they deal with the vendor.

Spoiler: Long story, attempted scamming, uggghhhh.

I had to return something to a seller in the France a few years ago. They sent me a box with a bunch of broken parts (none of which were what I had ordered). F***in PayPal... I opened a case with them which dragged on for 2+ months while they allowed the seller time to respond. Then they said I had to return the "item" to the seller, at my cost of course. And because it had now been a couple months I had to send a box of actual garbage International Priority back to France to guarantee it made it back during the return period .

Then the POS seller never went to his local post office to pick it up. So it sat in France, in his town, a few miles from the original shipping address. PayPal claimed they could not guarantee I sent it back until it was signed for, even though they could see the tracking and when it got to the seller's local post office. They closed my case twice in favor of the seller, without refunding me. I was finally able to get someone to un-ass their head re-open the case (again) and close it my favor, refunding me.

And that folks, is the last time I used anything other than my Amex for PayPal. I've always made purchases "goods and services" for the protection but would occasionally pay with my bank account. NEVER again, PayPal's interpretation of buyer protection as absolute shit.

I won't actually tag them but the seller was @ Ridacx... since banned I assume, who has not been seen on the forum since they stopped responding to my requests (here and via PayPal) for updates. They initially told me the shipper grabbed the wrong box and that's why I had received a bunch of broken parts. Turns out that was false, haha.