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Can I Upgrade the Steering Wheel?


Beta Don
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I've already discovered that I couldn't upgrade from the OEM CD/Radio to the next better one  -  CD/Radio with SD/USB input in my 2014 XLT  -  The radio wiring harnesses are different  -  Mine only has wires for the Aux In in the glove box and no wiring for the SD/USB port that comes with the upgraded radio . . . . So, I've opted to install a Pioneer AVIC 6100NEX Nav/CD/Radio/SD/USB, etc, etc

I would really like to upgrade to the steering wheel with audio/Bluetooth controls on the right spoke like the Titanium Editions came with, so I can use the audio controls with the Pioneer.  My van came with power leather seats, but not the leather wrapped steering wheel.  I found one with the audio controls and am going to swap in the leather wheel and I *hope* the wiring is in the steering column for the audio controls which did not come on my van

What are my chances?

Thanks!

Don

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I'm not an authority, but after dealing with Ford's parts department I came away believing that "if it wasn't there when you bought it, you're unlikely to be able to add it later and retain full functionality". In a later post I talk about this. Having to give up the steering wheel controls might not be so awful with a quality touch screen head unit. Still, it's not an easy decision to make, especially if your van is fairly new like mine.

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Yes, ours is fairly new  -  2014 with 13,000 miles and we've owned it less than a week.  True, if nothing else works, the new Pioneer does have full functionality . . . . it would just be nice to control the volume without having to take your eyes off the road

My experience so far is just as you suggest  -  There's a different wiring harness for every audio option and you can't go up from what you had to the next better sound system.  I really wanted the leather wrapped steering wheel anyway and I found one from a van with only 20 miles on it.  If the audio/Bluetooth controls on the right spoke work, great!  -  If not, I haven't lost anything, but I've gained the leather wheel I wanted

I'll report back with what I found out

Don

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  • 2 weeks later...
On ‎8‎/‎30‎/‎2016 at 1:12 PM, tcconvert said:

I'm not an authority, but after dealing with Ford's parts department I came away believing that "if it wasn't there when you bought it, you're unlikely to be able to add it later and retain full functionality". In a later post I talk about this. Having to give up the steering wheel controls might not be so awful with a quality touch screen head unit.

You were correct.  The new leather wrapped wheel was an easy install and looks great (feels even better!) but it doesn't look like I'll ever be able to do anything with the radio/Bluetooth controls.  The new wheel plugged into the clockspring using the same connector as the old wheel, but it appears the wiring to support the new controls isn't there.  I *could* put the controls from the old wheel into the new one, since the new controls don't function but I don't think I'll bother

On a side note  -  This van isn't easy to install anything in.  Would you believe there is no switched 12 volt accessory wire anywhere behind the radio?  Evidently they're using a digital signal to turn the stock radio on when you turn the key to accessory or to 'on'.  I've gotta find me a switched 12 volt source somewhere to turn my new Pioneer Radio/Nav on.  Nothing's easy . . . . well, I guess the trailer hitch install went pretty smoothly, but that's about it

Don

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2 hours ago, G B L said:

The whole car is controlled By the CAN network It is all done with digital signals. 

Yes, I understand that . . . . but if the wiring isn't there to add the new switches  then it's not going to work, and it appears my new wheel with the audio/Bluetooth controls isn't connected to the CAN network, so the new switches are not usable

I discovered (quite by accident) that the CAN network must be what turns the audio system on and off also  -  There isn't a +12 'accessory' wire in the OEM harness for the headunit

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You are Correct if the harness does not have the signal wires then there is no network connection..  Did you happen to notice if all the pins in the Connector had contacts or the number of wires coming matched the number of pins?                                                              It is going to get even more interesting as the Wires are replaced  with fiber optics.

Edited by G B L
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  • 3 weeks later...

*If the clockspring has the wiring run through it, I *may* be able to use the new steering wheel controls after all.  The 5 switches use only 2 wires (each switch connects a different value resistor between the 2 wires) so if I can find those 2 wires on the steering column somewhere, I can connect them directly to my new Pioneer headunit and control all it's functions  -  It's looking for the same resistor set-up that the steering wheel switches have built into them.  No CanBus connections needed for the Pioneer

We'll see!

Don

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