Whats the most cost effective way to get paddle shifters in A3

[sporaclic]

Basically as the title states. What is required to upgrade to paddle shifters in 2017 A3?
Do I need a new wheel?

[duvall348]

I'm in the same boat as you. Looking to get paddle shifters on my post-facelift A3. For pre-facelift cars, it looks like all that's needed is to swap out the wheel with one that has paddle shifters (be it the S-Line version, S3 version, etc.) - no coding needed. But according to this thread, that doesn't work with post-facelift cars. The person in the thread looked around in VAG COM but wasn't able to find anything that helped. Right now he's stuck with a flat-bottom wheel with nonfunctioning paddles.

[mroberte]

Look on ebay, especially, overseas sellers, for the wheel. It's plug and play and I did the same with my 2015.

Also on AliExpress, but much too overpriced.http://s.aliexpress.com/EfyMfAvu?fro...y to Clipboard

Details on how to do it...https://www.audiworld.com/forums/aud.../#post24675386

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[[email protected]]

All years, pre and post-facelift, appear to have the same steering wheel control module. The steering wheel control module communicates with the Central Elec module. The Central Elec module is different for the post-facelift models. That would be the first place I would dig into for coding or adaptation changes for adding shift paddles.

Cheers,

[EROtero]

I also have a post-facelift 2017 A3 standard package without paddles (non s-line). I have ordered a steering wheel from Germany (part number 8V0419091CNJAH). Should be delivered in the next few days. I will let you know what I find in terms of coding with VCDS. I did this on my 2006 Passat VR6 with the R36 (European) steering wheel and it was plug-n-play with some coding involved. I can't imagine it will be any different now since the harness part number 4M0971589B is the same for all types of steering wheels on all PFL A3's.

Cheers!

[EROtero]

Got the steering wheel today...

IMG_5336.jpg

This is as PLUG-N-PLAY as it gets. Just removed the old steering wheel and installed the new one. NO CODING NEEDED!!!

IMG_5341.jpg

One thing I have to mention is Audi makes same steering wheels with two distinct button sets. That means, one set of buttons for standard cockpit, and another set of buttons for virtual cockpit. You can see the part numbers here:

https://www.jimellisaudiparts.com/sh...rimLevel=27432

Make sure you buy the correct steering wheel based on what your vehicle is equipped with.

Cheers!

**EDIT**

Just for clarification, see part numbers below:

Standard Cockpit steering wheel models:

Part# 8V0419091CLINU - 2017 W/FLAT BOTTOM; 2017, W/FLAT BOTTOM, w/o perforated leather, from 08/09/2016, w/o virtual cockpit

Part# 8V0419091CNJAH - 2017 W/FLAT BOTTOM; 2017, W/FLAT BOTTOM, w/perforated leather, from 08/09/2016, w/o virtual cockpit, black/gray

Part# 8V0419091CNLCW - 2017 W/FLAT BOTTOM; 2017, W/FLAT BOTTOM, w/perforated leather, from 08/09/2016, w/o virtual cockpit, black/red

Virtual Cockpit steering wheel models:

Part# 8W0419091DFINU - 2017 W/FLAT BOTTOM; 2017, W/FLAT BOTTOM, w/o perforated leather, from 08/09/2016, w/virtual cockpit

Part# 8W0419091DHJAH - 2017 W/FLAT BOTTOM; 2017, W/FLAT BOTTOM, w/perforated leather, from 08/09/2016, w/virtual cockpit, black/gray

Part# 8W0419091DHLCW - 2017 W/FLAT BOTTOM; 2017, W/FLAT BOTTOM, w/perforated leather, from 08/09/2016, w/virtual cockpit, black/red

[CronicPAIN]

I also have a post-facelift 2017 A3 standard package without paddles (non s-line). I have ordered a steering wheel from Germany (part number 8V0419091CNJAH). Should be delivered in the next few days. I will let you know what I find in terms of coding with VCDS. I did this on my 2006 Passat VR6 with the R36 (European) steering wheel and it was plug-n-play with some coding involved. I can't imagine it will be any different now since the harness part number 4M0971589B is the same for all types of steering wheels on all PFL A3's.

Cheers!

Hey can you post or pm de link to buy it ? Thanks also does airbag fit normal

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[EROtero]

Got it from this guy on flea-bay https://www.ebay.com/usr/s469?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2754

[TheMysticWizard]

Hope it's as easy for the 2015 A3 as well, cause I just ordered a steering wheel with paddles from Germany (<$150 shipped). It has the button set that matches the one you purchased, though it is just a standard round wheel (never been crazy about the flat bottom wheels, may regret not getting one of those, who knows)

How exactly does the airbag come off? Haven't messed with mine yet, kind of intimidated about pulling the airbag, I'm sure the rest will be fairly straight forward.

[EROtero]

Hope it's as easy for the 2015 A3 as well, cause I just ordered a steering wheel with paddles from Germany (<$150 shipped). It has the button set that matches the one you purchased, though it is just a standard round wheel (never been crazy about the flat bottom wheels, may regret not getting one of those, who knows)

How exactly does the airbag come off? Haven't messed with mine yet, kind of intimidated about pulling the airbag, I'm sure the rest will be fairly straight forward.

You can't go by the looks of the buttons as both set of buttons look identical. You HAVE to match the proper part number from the link I added above. When in doubt, ask the seller for the part number and if the donor vehicle had standard or virtual cockpit. If the part numbers don't match, I would not bother purchasing. Audi/VW steering wheels/air bags can differ per country/region as regulations and law requirements change from one to another.

For pre-facelift models I believe you need some coding, but I am not 100% sure. As for removal, just do a search on youtube for "audi a3 8v airbag" and you should have your answer.

[CronicPAIN]

Will quick question this one fit?
It has the paddle I contacted the seller he told me it will fit but I might need some coding

I have the same steering but no paddle
My car is an Audi A3 2015 Quattro sedan


Should it work plug and play or I need to code it Screenshot_20180906-184824_eBay.jpegScreenshot_20180906-184629_eBay.jpeg

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[mroberte]

Will quick question this one fit?
It has the paddle I contacted the seller he told me it will fit but I might need some coding

I have the same steering but no paddle
My car is an Audi A3 2015 Quattro sedan


Should it work plug and play or I need to code it Screenshot_20180906-184824_eBay.jpegScreenshot_20180906-184629_eBay.jpeg

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That will work, but you will lose some functionality because it's missing the nav and the options button.

Look on eBay outside of the u.s. for cheap solutions and it's plug and play. Here is my write up from a few years ago.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/aud...addle-2881798/

I also went with a leather preferatted "skin" to go over the wheel from AliExpress that girthed up the wheel. Love it still.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/aud.../#post24812932

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[CronicPAIN]

That will work, but you will lose some functionality because it's missing the nav and the options button.

Look on eBay outside of the u.s. for cheap solutions and it's plug and play. Here is my write up from a few years ago.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/aud...addle-2881798/

I also went with a leather preferatted "skin" to go over the wheel from AliExpress that girthed up the wheel. Love it still.

https://www.audiworld.com/forums/aud.../#post24812932

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Awesome thanks for that tutorial I saw the steering again and yes it does has the options button and the nav button same as mine I will try to look outside of USA to see if I get it cheaper thanks again

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[ourlee]

Is 2016 pre-face lift? I’m looking at a 16 non-virtual A3 and I’m hoping for plug and play.

[Mr.Tan]

Is 2016 pre-face lift? I’m looking at a 16 non-virtual A3 and I’m hoping for plug and play.

yes, post facelift is 2017+ models

[ourlee]

Mr Tan. What a gentleman.

[jamper]

I have a 2017 A3 (post facelift) and swapped in an OEM flat-bottom wheel with paddles and they were plug-n-play, no coding needed.

[scooterx517]

got a steering wheel with paddles going to try to put it in tomorrow.

the 2 of you who swapped yours do you guys have quattro or fwd. Just wondering because there was a report on vortex from someone who was missing the paddle shift wire.

[CronicPAIN]

I have Quattro and I added paddle shifter it just plug and play

Audi A3 2015 Unitronic Stage 2

[mroberte]

Find the cheapest steering wheel you can find on eBay uk. Install, done.

First thing I did to my A3.

Here's my write from awhile ago.
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/aud...addle-2881798/

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[larbel]

Actually.. the button sets all have connector for paddle shifter built in, if you’re adventurous, you can order a set of paddle shifter and just dremel a hole at the back of the steering wheel to fit... And I’ve seen steering wheel converted from round to flat bottom if you really want to go cheap... A brand new converted FL steering wheel is like $300ish now...

[scooterx517]

I got a RS3 steering wheel, alcantra, flat bottom, large paddles, menu button vs view button. Plugged it all in and it works perfect. My car also only had 3 wires on the airbag to wheel connector. Everything still worked fine, including the paddles. Makes me wonder what the 4th wire is actually for.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fWpCUrGocSX2LLJ79

[misterdood]

Hi guys, I have a 2015 A3 Prem Plus with no paddles and really want to add paddles (former MKV R32 owner - had S2T billet paddles on that car).

I have done some searching and found a few other threads about steering wheel swap in addition to this (including mroberte's audiworld post noted above) so took the plunge and got a wheel on ebay which was supposed to have come from a 2016 A6. It looked identical to my existing wheel aside from having paddles (same 3 spoke, round shape, buttons) but as soon as I pulled my airbag out and looked at the inside of my existing wheel versus the one I bought, I realized they were not compatible - at least - my existing airbag was not compatible. My wheel had the 2 hook points which you have to unhook while pulling forward to get the airbag out. The A6 wheel did not have those hook points. My airbag wouldn't even fit in the airbag hole of the A6 wheel. It seems there is a different style of airbag attachment and slightly different size/shape airbag in some cars. I haven't seen this mentioned in any of these threads so wanted to bring it up to ask if anyone knows more / can shed light on what to look for there, and in case it helps anyone else looking for a wheel. From my experience, I would say look for pics of the inside of the wheel and make sure you see the hook points.

On the question of coding - several posts seem to indicate no coding is needed (plug and play), but a couple of said it is (though I can't find any info about how to do it VCDS so far). One vendor in Europe selling a wheel which I'm pretty sure will be compatible told me I will need to bring to an Audi tech to have the paddles enabled. Is it possible it is required in some cases but not others? Guessing no one will know more than beyond rather it worked for them or didn't, but just hoping I don't end up paying shipping from Europe and get a wheel I can't use (the other I bought was US at least, vendor accepted return, just out shipping).

Last, anyone happen to know if a 2013-14 S4 wheel will work on an A3? The side button panels are not in it, so guessing I could pull them out of my A3 wheel to put those in there? Anyone happen to know? Thanks all!

[mroberte]

Hi guys, I have a 2015 A3 Prem Plus with no paddles and really want to add paddles (former MKV R32 owner - had S2T billet paddles on that car).

I have done some searching and found a few other threads about steering wheel swap in addition to this (including mroberte's audiworld post noted above) so took the plunge and got a wheel on ebay which was supposed to have come from a 2016 A6. It looked identical to my existing wheel aside from having paddles (same 3 spoke, round shape, buttons) but as soon as I pulled my airbag out and looked at the...

You need to look for a wheel with the same button layout (exact number of buttons) and the same size airbag. 17+ cars use the smaller bags.

Looked on eBay, not finding much at a decent price and paddles. Search using variations of part number 8V0-419-091

If you are in the states, coding is not required. Overseas it is depending on trim model and if cruise control is present.

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[AIK]

Hi guys, I have a 2015 A3 Prem Plus with no paddles and really want to add paddles (former MKV R32 owner - had S2T billet paddles on that car).

I have done some searching and found a few other threads about steering wheel swap in addition to this (including mroberte's audiworld post noted above) so took the plunge and got a wheel on ebay which was supposed to have come from a 2016 A6. It looked identical to my existing wheel aside from having paddles (same 3 spoke, round shape, buttons) but as soon as I pulled my airbag out and looked at the inside of my existing wheel versus the one I bought, I realized they were not compatible - at least - my existing airbag was not compatible. My wheel had the 2 hook points which you have to unhook while pulling forward to get the airbag out. The A6 wheel did not have those hook points. My airbag wouldn't even fit in the airbag hole of the A6 wheel. It seems there is a different style of airbag attachment and slightly different size/shape airbag in some cars. I haven't seen this mentioned in any of these threads so wanted to bring it up to ask if anyone knows more / can shed light on what to look for there, and in case it helps anyone else looking for a wheel. From my experience, I would say look for pics of the inside of the wheel and make sure you see the hook points.

On the question of coding - several posts seem to indicate no coding is needed (plug and play), but a couple of said it is (though I can't find any info about how to do it VCDS so far). One vendor in Europe selling a wheel which I'm pretty sure will be compatible told me I will need to bring to an Audi tech to have the paddles enabled. Is it possible it is required in some cases but not others? Guessing no one will know more than beyond rather it worked for them or didn't, but just hoping I don't end up paying shipping from Europe and get a wheel I can't use (the other I bought was US at least, vendor accepted return, just out shipping).

Last, anyone happen to know if a 2013-14 S4 wheel will work on an A3? The side button panels are not in it, so guessing I could pull them out of my A3 wheel to put those in there? Anyone happen to know? Thanks all!

Send me a message if you want to upgrade to a carbon fiber steering wheel with paddle shifters. You can reuse your airbag, trim & buttons.

[misterdood]

Thanks mroberte. The wheel I tried was supposedly from a 2016 A6, but maybe bad info - maybe was actually from a 17. Or could the 6's have updated a year earlier?

The S4 wheel I am looking at now originally had different buttons (appear to be same shape panels, just fewer buttons). The seller says I can plug the button panels from my wheel into that wheel, and all my buttons should still work. Has anyone tried that?

AIK thanks, but the carbon wheels are $$$$ right? I'm not looking for bling, just paddles, and hoping to not spend too much.

[scooterx517]

Thanks mroberte. The wheel I tried was supposedly from a 2016 A6, but maybe bad info - maybe was actually from a 17. Or could the 6's have updated a year earlier?

The S4 wheel I am looking at now originally had different buttons (appear to be same shape panels, just fewer buttons). The seller says I can plug the button panels from my wheel into that wheel, and all my buttons should still work. Has anyone tried that?

AIK thanks, but the carbon wheels are $$$$ right? I'm not looking for bling, just paddles, and hoping to not spend too much.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-Audi-A3...kAAOSwtgNeIWC-

not flat but less expensive.

15-16 flat bottom paddle shift steering wheels seem to be getting harder to find for a reasonable cost

[misterdood]

I was looking at that wheel actually but managed to snag a '15 S3 wheel (bigger paddles and flat bottom) from a Canadian seller on EBay for slightly less than that one. Just installed it. It works.

[TreizeRXH]

Thanks mroberte. The wheel I tried was supposedly from a 2016 A6, but maybe bad info - maybe was actually from a 17. Or could the 6's have updated a year earlier?

The S4 wheel I am looking at now originally had different buttons (appear to be same shape panels, just fewer buttons). The seller says I can plug the button panels from my wheel into that wheel, and all my buttons should still work. Has anyone tried that?

AIK thanks, but the carbon wheels are $$$$ right? I'm not looking for bling, just paddles, and hoping to not spend too much.

Not all wheels are created equal. On top of ensuring the same button configuration, you also need to pay attention to the airbag configuration. Some are dual stage vs single stage (the 8v A3's are all single stage). Be careful about which one you get

[AardvarkSpleen]

Some are dual stage vs single stage

As a simpleton who hasn't done any research on air bags but wants to bang gears with the flippy flappy paddles, what's that mean?

If I had dual stage, wouldn't that mean I'm less likely to die if I run into a brick wall over a simpleton who had single stage? Is single better than dual?

My special ed classes in skool tought me numbers could go up and mean less death, but they could also go down and be mean less death.

[TreizeRXH]

As a simpleton who hasn't done any research on air bags but wants to bang gears with the flippy flappy paddles, what's that mean?

If I had dual stage, wouldn't that mean I'm less likely to die if I run into a brick wall over a simpleton who had single stage? Is single better than dual?

My special ed classes in skool tought me numbers could go up and mean less death, but they could also go down and be mean less death.

Or you can’t connect your airbag and it won’t work in a crash. But hey, who needs function over form, right?


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[AardvarkSpleen]

Or your airbag and it won’t work in a crash
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But I'd be flippy flappin' into 5th gear with a smile on my face before I deathed.

I'm with you, man. Will the airbag work is a big and important question. I get what you're saying, and I appreciate your point.

[Grey3]

Looking for confirmation if I need to order the steering wheel buttons compatible with paddle shifters? have 2015 A3 premium and trying to install 2015 s3 flat bottom wheel with paddles but my A3 buttons have nothing to plug the paddles into



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[CronicPAIN]

Looking for confirmation if I need to order the steering wheel buttons compatible with paddle shifters? have 2015 A3 premium and trying to install 2015 s3 flat bottom wheel with paddles but my A3 buttons have nothing to plug the paddles into



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They are a bit expensive I bought mine on Aliexpress for around $89 for the pair and never had a problem they work great

Audi A3 2015 Unitronic Stage 2

[Grey3]

They are a bit expensive I bought mine on Aliexpress for around $89 for the pair and never had a problem they work great

Audi A3 2015 Unitronic Stage 2

You mean your actual paddles? Or the steering wheel buttons themselves? Did u ever have your steering wheel apart to see where the paddles plug in? Or did you just buy a complete wheel fully assembled and swap the whole thing


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[mroberte]

No, they are not needed. Just make sure you have cruise control if outside of the states. Then you'll need to enable whatever in obd11 to make work.

If in the states, you should just be able to plug and play. My non paddle wheel, I used the original buttons in the paddle wheel and worked with no issues or coding.

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[Grey3]

No, they are not needed. Just make sure you have cruise control of outside of the states. Then you'll need to enable whatever in obd11 to make work.

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But where do these wires plug into?


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[Grey3]

the buttons/ controls from my A3 premium don’t fit and have nowhere to plug in those paddle wires....


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[mroberte]

the buttons/ controls from my A3 premium don’t fit and have nowhere to plug in those paddle wires....


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There is a pin connector in the front buttons on the back... When I get home I'll try and take a pic of my old wheels buttons...

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[mroberte]

the buttons/ controls from my A3 premium don’t fit and have nowhere to plug in those paddle wires....


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Should look like the back of these... Or just buy these for 55 bucks

#Aliexpress US $52.19 10%OFF | PAIR Multifunction steering wheel buttons SWITCH BUTTON FOR AUDI A3 Q3 A7 A6 C7 4G0 951 523 G
https://a.aliexpress.com/_scfm1i

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