Stilo Retrofit Steering wheel with buttons

In order to retrofit a steering wheel with buttons on a stilo without buttons you need to follow this guide. If you switch a steering wheel with buttons with another with buttons (maybe put an 11 button instead of 5), use page 2 and 3 to see how to take the steering wheel out, then just follow the steps in reverse order to fit it back.

Some photos in this guide are not taken by me, but have found them on a german site.

Right now getting back to retrofitting, here are is what you will need:

• 
  A steering wheel with buttons
  A clock spring from a car that had buttons on the steering wheel (they have different connections than a normal clock spring i.e. the normal clock spring has 2 airbag connections and a horn connector (white in colour) whereas we need one with 2 airbag connections and a multiplexer connector (will have more that 2 wires and black in colour) )
  A 24mm socket with extension and a ratchet
  A 5 allen bit or screwdriver
  A PZ1/PH1 (+) screwdriver
  A soldering iron with a sharp tip (soldering skills needed as well)
  Solder paste
  3 rolls of wire (3-5 amp wire found at any ICE shop, i.e. Halfords)
  3 wire clamps

NOTE! Before working on the airbag disconnect the battery (negative plug) for at least 20 mins.
This should give you enough time to prepare the new clock spring. As seen from the photos below, you need to solder 3 wires to the corresponding pins.




For the colours of the wires you could use Orange for +12V ignition feed, Black for CAN A and White for CAN B (this is so it will be easy to recognise).

By now 20 minutes should've passed. Remove the airbag from the steering wheel by removing 3 allen bolts (size 5) behind the steering wheel. Remove the airbag connectors (one yellow, one green). Both airbag connectors have locking clips in the middle which need to be taken out before the connector can be disconnected.

Now remove the black plastic cover that covers the wheel nut and use the 24mm socket to unscrew it. Make sure the steering wheel and wheels are pointing straight when taking the sw out.



Unscrew the 3 allen (size 3) on the bottom steering column cover and move it down a bit so you will have more space. Unscrew the clock spring and replace it with the new one (that has the 3 wires in place already).

Now if you have a CN+ then go to page 4, else go to page 5.

If you already have a CN+, that means you have an ignition feed on Pin 4 on the white connector as seen below.




Feed your wires through as seen below (that photo shows one cable only, it's from a different install, but just feed them through there to the back of the CN+).



Now clamp your +12V ignition feed (orange was the colour selected by me) wire to the wire going into pin 4.

If you have the Visteon tape/cd player the you have to take the ignition feed from under the bottom steering wheel cover. Look for this cable and clamp your +12V ignition feed (orange was the colour selected by me) wire to the orange wire (I know, the photo is not great, but that connector has a brown, a red and an orange wire).

If we look at the white connector at the back of the radio (CN+ or Visteon), pin 3 is CAN A (a black/pink wire) and pin 1 is CAN B (a white/pink wire). Clamp the wires to the corresponding ones (black to black/pink and white to white/pink).

Before putting all back in, if you could get a multimeter and check the connections it would be recommended. If not, just follow the steps backwards (fitting the steering wheel and so on) and connect the battery (but after you have reconnected the airbag). It should all work.

If the buttons light up but don't work -> bad CAN connection. Recheck connections.
If the buttons don't light up whatsoever -> bad +12V Ignition feed check. Recheck the ignition connection.
If the buttons light up for a split of a second when turning key on -> CAN A is connected to B and B to A. Check and change them.

That's all, hope it helped!

Andy