PC with VW steering wheel controls '02+

**EuroFan** · 10-22-2005, 08:12 PM

Has anyone figured out how to use the VW 'Multifunction' steering wheel buttons with a car pc? '01.5 models and up don't work with the SWI-X, I already have one.

I've searched for this and didn't find anything useful, but I did come accross many people who have software to control a pc in other makes of cars.

Does anone know of a interface for me ('02 VW Passat)?

If it doesn't exist and it's not to difficult I'd probably even pay someone to write something for me.

Thanks!

Eric

**mazooni** · 10-23-2005, 12:43 PM

i dont know if it can be done or not .. i live in the united arab emirates and have a vw bora .. the jettas in the states use a CAN-BUS system to talk to the car .. my bora doest have that .. since ur propably in the states, your radio, and instrument cluster are very likely to operate on the new CAN-BUS system .. an easy way to make sure is by the type of radio ur car came with .. if u have the premium VI then u've definitely got CAN-BUS .. if u have premium IV or V then u most likely dont .. just to make sure u can take ur radio out, have a look at the wiring diagram on it and see if u can see a CAN+ or CAN- signal ..

having said that, if u have CAN-BUS then ur car 'knows' everything u do to it .. even a steering wheel control will trigger a signal on the CAN-BUS .. theoretically, this can be tapped into and some program/driver combo can be written to interpret the signal .. practically, i dont know if it can be done or if anyone has tried it ..

hope the info has been of help ..

**raghavghei** · 10-23-2005, 12:59 PM

FAQ: Hacking Your Steering Wheel Buttons to Control Your PC

**mazooni** · 10-23-2005, 01:09 PM

explaining my life out and there appears to be a soln .. well at least i was right about it being possible (tap on the back) .. lol .. thanks raghavghei ..

well good luck with ur setup EuroFan ..

cheers

**raghavghei** · 10-23-2005, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by mazooni

explaining my life out and there appears to be a soln .. well at least i was right about it being possible (tap on the back) .. lol .. thanks raghavghei ..

well good luck with ur setup EuroFan ..

cheers

lol np
yeha man have funn euro
i need to get a car :-(

**EuroFan** · 10-27-2005, 08:23 PM

Unless I'm missing something, this won't work with my setup. I have a Can-Bus setup which uses a single wire, like 'mazooni' said.

I doubt iBus and CanBus are compatible, so the BMW solution won't work, and like I said I already have a SWI-X and that doesn't work either. The final solution is the USB gamepad setup, but since the VW switches are very small and enclosed, I doubt I would be able to access the individual wire leads inside the switches to connect to the gamepad.

I was really hoping for some kind of interface like the iBus adapter that would interpret the CanBus signals and conver them to PC commands. Something that would hook up to the CanBus wire on the radio harness instead of having to hack up the steering wheel.

With all the VWs and Audi's out there I can't believe no one has come up with anything!

Thanks anyway!

Eric

**mazooni** · 10-28-2005, 06:02 AM

hmm ..

as far as i know, CAN-BUS is a 2 way wire .. + and - .. and ur right about the incompatibility .. iBus is an interface where u can control the whole car .. CAN-BUS in VWs is much more primitive to that ..

did u see this site in ur search ?

http://www.indashpc.org/new/

it says u can connect any audio source to your stock head unit, but more interestingly has a USB output as well to hook up to ur PC .. with the right software the computer will read signals over the USB and make use of them in software (keystroke assignment etc) when u press them on the headunit itself ..