After Market Steering Wheel and CC

[Inferno]

I've always wondered why no-one seems to take the cruise control buttons from Renualt steering wheels and put them on after market wheels. I thought I'd give it a go today and it was pretty easy. Here's what I did. It's tested, but it's not finished yet.

I started with a wheel with the air bag removed:

Removed the buttons - they just pull off and are on clips that didn't break:

The two part U shaped plastic needs to come off to get proper access to the torx screws that hold the control button brackets on to the wheel. The top part is held on by three clips and came off easily:

The second part underneath it was harder work with no visibly obvious was of removing it. Man force came in to play and I ripped it off. It broke, but there's nothing you need from it anyway:

I was then left with easy access to the four torx screws needed to remove the buttons and their brackets (button covers removed in this shot, but I don't think you need to):

Once the torx screws were out, the whole unit came out easily:

I then went out to the car, took the momo wheel off the hub and had a look at the remaining wiring. As I thought, there was a connector left there for it to plug straight into:

I then made sure that the wiring wasn't going to be pinched between the hub and wheel by following the same route as the horn buttons and put it back on:

For testing purposes I used blu tack to attach the brackets to the rear of the wheel, and to be honest I think it looks ok:

Went out and tested it, and it's all functioning as it should. Now all I have to do is is either drill the steering wheel to fix the mounts solidly or find some suitable buttons that will look a little bit better than having the Renault controls.

I can't see me doing this anytime soon, but it all works and only took around half an hour to do. I'll update here when I've mounted it all permanently.

 

[StevenMc29]

Nice idea. Good work

 

[powey]

I shall be giving this a go

 

[The Boosh!]

awesome thanks for the write up

 

[Turkish]

I'd like to retain mine when I swap back to my momo but that looks a bit clumsy. If I could find some suitable small rocker switches and make up a couple of bits of plate to fit to the back of the wheel to house them I'd probably be inclined to do it. Fair play for giving it a bash though.

 

[Bondie]

Looks lovely mate!

 

[Paul.M]

very nifty idea that
can see a few people copying

 

[Inferno]

I'd like to retain mine when I swap back to my momo but that looks a bit clumsy. If I could find some suitable small rocker switches and make up a couple of bits of plate to fit to the back of the wheel to house them I'd probably be inclined to do it. Fair play for giving it a bash though.

I agree. Whilst I think the way I set it up would be functional and simple, I won't have it like that unless I have no choice. The switches are my current sticking point, because I don't understand the type of switch that's used. If I can work out exactly what I need I'll be looking to install it in a similar way to the photoshop below.

 

[Turkish]

That looks spot on. TBH I wouldnt be overly bothered if the switches were smaller and housed in the brackets you get with some wheels for horns/nos switches that are located above the switches in that Photoshop.

 

[Steviant]

Good effort N!

I've looked into getting some rocker switches for this before, but couldn't work out how to wire them in as individual ones, as there are three wires going into the OE buttons.

Who needs a speed limiter anyway.

 

[Inferno]

Good effort N!

I've looked into getting some rocker switches for this before, but couldn't work out how to wire them in as individual ones, as there are three wires going into the OE buttons.

Who needs a speed limiter anyway.

Cheers! Only two wires on mine - mind you, you have a posh 182 - I only have the cheap version!

 

[Mark One]

the photoshop looks bang on. For a min I thought you were going to drill the steering wheel to mount those oem brackets.
Why not buy new switches? There are little push-to-make red toggle switches in maplin.

 

[Steviant]

Cheers! Only two wires on mine - mind you, you have a posh 182 - I only have the cheap version!

I'll have to have another look at my wheel then. I have some push to make buttons lying around too.

I might just sell my OE wheel though, and go to pub with funds.

 

[Fletcher]

The photoshop looks great.

 

[paul]

great work inferno!

 

[Ali]

The PS looks good. But having the buttons as above looks crap!

 

[richy22]

Im guessing the buttons will be normal "non contact-less push buttons"??

Thats not there actual name. From memory when I had my luguna you just pushed it in... there was no clicking... I could probably source some decent ones for you if you want??

 

[richy22]

I.e something like this..

http://uk.farnell.com/multicomp/r13-509a-05-br/switch-push-button-spno-mom/dp/1634684

Or

http://uk.farnell.com/multicomp/ts0b23/switch-push-button-round-spst-red/dp/1550258

http://uk.farnell.com/multicomp/r13-502ma-05-r/switch-red-push-button-spst/dp/1634623

 

[VeinAST]

I did do a guide on how to remove cruise control buttons but looks like it'd been missed

Good effort though, I'm sure most will take inspiration from this

 

[richy22]

Link dude?

 

[Inferno]

The buttons look like they actually have a simple circuit underneath, so I'm not sure that a couple of push button switches will be a straight swap. I'll take the switch out of it's housing later and get some pics.

At the moment I'm at work taking a calculator apart for research purposes

 

[richy22]

I cant see the circuit doing much.. unless its there for illumination purposes? I cant make it out from any of the photo's. I dont have CC so cant comment! Too much

The must be normal push button NC switches (like what I linked) thats the only way the circuit would work. The ones that are on thre already will be that albeit slightly smaller?? They dont click and stay pushed down from memory.

 

[Inferno]

There's one wire in and one wire out. The switch has two contact points on it that are depressed by little rubber buttons that also act as the spring mechanism to push the button away from the contact after pressing it.

There's no illumination, so that's one complication gone. It's the fact that there are two contact points that's causing my confusion.

 

[richy22]

They are definitely going to be a push button switch. When you push it it makes the contact between the 2 wires I reckon. If you had/have a circuit tester that beeps, connect to between those 2 wires and it should not beep until you press the button?

 

[richy22]

Or do you mean 2 contact points on each side??

 

[Inferno]

I'm not good with electronics! Pics tonight!

 

[richy22]

Good man!

 

[kevinhall]

Been meaning to do this for ages so really interested to see how it works out. Buttons on the wheel as per the photoshop looks a great idea

 

[Inferno]

This may be rubbish, but I'm starting to think it might be a membrane switch. After reading about how calculators work and what happens when you press a key it appears to be very similar to the CC buttons:

Press down on one of the number keys on your calculator and a series of things will happen in quick succession:

1. As you press on the hard plastic, you compress the rubber membrane underneath it. This is a kind of a miniature trampoline that has a small rubber button positioned directly underneath each key and a hollow space underneath that. When you press a key, you squash flat the rubber button on the membrane directly underneath it. The rubber button pushes down making an electrical contact between two layers in the keyboard sensor underneath and the keyboard circuit detects this.
2. The processor chip figures out which key you have pressed.
3. A circuit in the processor chip activates the appropriate segments on the display corresponding to the number you've pressed.

So as I know that there are little rubber membranes under the buttons and that there are two circuit contacts under that - I'm assuming that there is a a processor chip that figures out which button has been pressed.

As I say though - pics tonight!

 

[richy22]

Yeah but you can get rid of the membrane s**t and fit a NC momentary push button in its place.

The push button will be doing the same as the switch (same as in a remote control) which is making a momentary contact. What type of switch is irrelevant really if you follow me?

 

[Inferno]

Ok, here's what I have - I still don't understand the switch, but I was pleased with the photos. Ace.

 

[Tom]

Multimeter?

Try earthing out the switch to see if it works( the pain is you'd need to be moving)

 

[Inferno]

I may have to speak to an electrician friend of mine tonight. Just looking at the other side and it's a different colour and has slightly different markings. I have no idea if that makes any difference or whether it's just left and right to suit the housings.

The green is the on/off side. The red is the speed +/- side.

 

[MikesDman]

One of the best projects iv seen on this site tbh! something different, what id do is drill 2 holes to fit the button membrane and mount the circuit board underneath, thats what i think would be the easiest way, you could tart it up abit more but it all depends on how much time you want to spend on it.

 

[richy22]

Easy peesy!

If you had a switch like I said earlier and soldered it between the 2 contact... when you press the switch down it makes the connection thus activating either the on/off switch or the - / + speed part.

All the membrane switch is doing is momentarily making the contact like a normal switch. I know you dont have one but if you had a multimeter between the points shown below... put the membrane switch on and press it you would see the connection is made and this would go to the ecu or where-ever to activate what thats switch is designed to do (on/off speed up/down)

The switch/membrane your on about is easily replaceable and tbh the hardest part you have to overcome is how to mount everything.

If it were me id get some small momentary push button like i linked up.. drill and mount that then attach the wires from that to the pcb then try and use the existing housing to cover things up behind.

 

[kevinhall]

Sounds easy when you put it like that!! Might have to have a crack at this myself over the bank holiday. Looks like if the wires to the pcb were longish you could just mount the old buttons inside the boss.

 

[Inferno]

Some good ideas and information coming! Thanks Rich and Kevin.

Now the search starts for the right momentary switches! I've been at it most of the day and found a few switches that I like the look of (the aesthetic appearance is equally as important as the function as far as I'm concerned), but nothing in the right size as yet.

Ideally I'm looking for switches with a button diameter of 8mm maximum. The best supplier I have found so far is linked here and they provide all of the specs and dimensions in their PDF files. http://www.apem.co.uk/pushbutton.html

The 9000 series in a mounting bezel seems my best bet. Any other suggestions?

 

[Jay Payne]

Great work mate. Ive not had to do this for anyone yet but it had entered my mind on a few occasions.

I was thinking of relocating them altogether to the dash somewhere

 

[richy22]

Hmmm you seen how much those APEM ones are?! Not cheap for the type you would want.

Im guessing you want something thats got a red button in keeping with the Momo theme? Ideally you NEED a Panel mounted switch with a black securing ring... il go have a gander at some places I know and use and link a few up for ya.....brb!

 

[MistaT]

If someone wants to post me one i can give you the 100% low down on how it works, and can supply suitable switches to replace them also. Been in electronics for years, this should hopefully be simple!