bringing this one back from the dead.
Some clarification: your current airbag/horn assembly is a match for your current clockspring.
So if you are going from a base model golf plastic steering wheel WITHOUT multi function and WITHOUT paddle shifter, and you do not care about adding multi function nor paddleshifter, then you can use GTI/R wheel(with or without multi function, with or without paddle shifter), and reuse your airbag/horn + harness. It's a 30 minute task(and realistically, after I have done it a few times, i can swap back to my cheap plastic steering wheel in about 10 minutes) to swap it. You will not have multi function, and you will not have paddle shifting after the swap.
To add either multi function or paddler shifter, you will need the appropriate harness and clockspring.
If you are going from a TDI with mutli function and/or paddle shifter, the airbag shape is different, and will not fit. So you will definitely need a new airbag/horn assembly. At this time, I am not sure whether the harness is compatible or not. I will have to see the back side of the TDI airbag/horn assembly to have a better idea.
IF the harness fits, then you can swap in a GTI/R steering wheel + airbag/horn with the same functionality in about 45 minutes.
I do NOT recommend mixing harness and clockspring from different equipment cars. I tried briefly using a multi function steering wheel with the appropriate harness with my non multi function clockspring. I figured at the very least, the horn should work. Turns out it doesn't, and the dash has an airbag error light after the battery is reconnected. Although the error light can be cleared and does not come back, I am not confident that the airbag will deploy when needed.
Here's a mandatory picture of the upgrade.
Peter
Some clarification: your current airbag/horn assembly is a match for your current clockspring.
So if you are going from a base model golf plastic steering wheel WITHOUT multi function and WITHOUT paddle shifter, and you do not care about adding multi function nor paddleshifter, then you can use GTI/R wheel(with or without multi function, with or without paddle shifter), and reuse your airbag/horn + harness. It's a 30 minute task(and realistically, after I have done it a few times, i can swap back to my cheap plastic steering wheel in about 10 minutes) to swap it. You will not have multi function, and you will not have paddle shifting after the swap.
To add either multi function or paddler shifter, you will need the appropriate harness and clockspring.
If you are going from a TDI with mutli function and/or paddle shifter, the airbag shape is different, and will not fit. So you will definitely need a new airbag/horn assembly. At this time, I am not sure whether the harness is compatible or not. I will have to see the back side of the TDI airbag/horn assembly to have a better idea.
IF the harness fits, then you can swap in a GTI/R steering wheel + airbag/horn with the same functionality in about 45 minutes.
I do NOT recommend mixing harness and clockspring from different equipment cars. I tried briefly using a multi function steering wheel with the appropriate harness with my non multi function clockspring. I figured at the very least, the horn should work. Turns out it doesn't, and the dash has an airbag error light after the battery is reconnected. Although the error light can be cleared and does not come back, I am not confident that the airbag will deploy when needed.
Here's a mandatory picture of the upgrade.
Peter
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