What design features do you wish the A/S8 had?

[Spanker]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

The B5 Passat had a cooled glovebox - the only model I know of that era that did, even though the A4 had the same heater box with a grommet over the cold air hole! I retro-fitted the Passat ducting to my last A4.

I wish the D2 had stereo remote controls available on the 3-spoke wheel rather than just on the ugly 4-spoke. I'm going to re-task my tiptronic buttons for track and volume up/down when I do a manual swap.

You can do this?!?!?
Is this a real thing that can be done??
I never use my Tiptronic buttons because my 2.8 Quattro Sport just isn't sporty enough. I just waft along, quite happy with the auto so I'd love to make use of those redundant buttons.
Steering wheel stereo controls are the only thing I really miss in Big Red.

Have you seen any documentation on this online? (I have a Symphony II and not the RNS-D as you may be aware )

[Audidothat]

Originally Posted by Architex_mA8tey

Widescreen DIS on a D2 would be lovely!

......Although with the widescreen DIS yellow warnings (window wash etc) remain their full, annoying size rather than converting to a smaller version when you toggle between functions like on previous DIS.

[MikkiJayne]

Originally Posted by Spanker

You can do this?!?!?
Is this a real thing that can be done??

I've never seen it done, but I'm confident that it can be. Mine is fairly easy as I have an aftermarket stereo so I just need to wire the tip buttons up to a JVC remote control and job done.

For a Symphony or RNS it would need the multifunction steering wheel module to be installed under the dash (it won't physically fit in the 3-spoke steering wheel) and the tiptronic buttons hooking up to whichever functions you want. The tip buttons are wired in parallel as standard but from memory there are enough free contacts on the clock spring to get them out individually. Hook the module up to the canbus lines and it'll talk to the radio just as if it was a proper multifunction wheel.

[Spanker]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

I've never seen it done, but I'm confident that it can be. Mine is fairly easy as I have an aftermarket stereo so I just need to wire the tip buttons up to a JVC remote control and job done.

For a Symphony or RNS it would need the multifunction steering wheel module to be installed under the dash (it won't physically fit in the 3-spoke steering wheel) and the tiptronic buttons hooking up to whichever functions you want. The tip buttons are wired in parallel as standard but from memory there are enough free contacts on the clock spring to get them out individually. Hook the module up to the canbus lines and it'll talk to the radio just as if it was a proper multifunction wheel.

Thanks MJ!

You make it sound so easy. "Hook the module up to the canbus lines" is a little above my level of competence, so I think I'll continue to stare at my Tiptronics forlornly.

[Dezzy]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

The B5 Passat had a cooled glovebox - the only model I know of that era that did, even though the A4 had the same heater box with a grommet over the cold air hole! I retro-fitted the Passat ducting to my last A4.

mod! love it
Tractors and combines have them, some big enough for a huge amount of food and cider I'm sure the luxury car market will catch up soon prolly best not to fill it with cider.
Disco and rangie had options I think also alfa 156.

[tc4332]

Cor blimey MJ, you don't half start my two brain cells working overtime.
A cold air outlet on the heater box!!
Wonder if that was repeated on the D3?
Somewhere to keep Gwen's choccy solid.

[Johnmed]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

The B5 Passat had a cooled glovebox - the only model I know of that era that did, even though the A4 had the same heater box with a grommet over the cold air hole! I retro-fitted the Passat ducting to my last A4.

I wish the D2 had stereo remote controls available on the 3-spoke wheel rather than just on the ugly 4-spoke. I'm going to re-task my tiptronic buttons for track and volume up/down when I do a manual swap.

I’m pretty sure my mate’s civic (same era as D3) had an air conditioned glovebox. Some of the omissions on the 8s are odd.

IDK if anyone’s mentioned this already, but I’d really appreciate autofolding mirrors.

[IT]

Originally Posted by MikkiJayne

I've never seen it done, but I'm confident that it can be. Mine is fairly easy as I have an aftermarket stereo so I just need to wire the tip buttons up to a JVC remote control and job done.

For a Symphony or RNS it would need the multifunction steering wheel module to be installed under the dash (it won't physically fit in the 3-spoke steering wheel) and the tiptronic buttons hooking up to whichever functions you want. The tip buttons are wired in parallel as standard but from memory there are enough free contacts on the clock spring to get them out individually. Hook the module up to the canbus lines and it'll talk to the radio just as if it was a proper multifunction wheel.

From my long distant memories of MFWS retrofitting, the Tiptronic wheel has 4 lines (illumination, ground, up and down) through the slip ring, the MFSW has only 2 - databus and ground. (ignoring the airbag and horn which are hardwired in both cases)

The MFSW has an onboard controller than converts the button presses, tipronic switches, illumination, and heating into data signals that all travel over that 1 wire to the MFSW controller under the dash.

So, in theory, you'd need the MFSW controller, and the the gubbins from inside a MFSW to interpret the button presses from the tiptronic buttons as something else, that it will then squirt onto the canbus.

Do-able, but not totally straightforward....