Uconnect Button Relo Proj

**DaddyGoFast** · 10-23-2007, 02:53 PM

Hey everyone,

I have a quick question. I want to move the buttons for my Uconnect from the mirror to the steering wheel. A great place to put them is in the two lowere silver inserts in the wheel.

Can this be done? I can see soldering some leads to the button contacts in the mirror but is it too long of a run, attenuation and all... Tapping into some harness somewhere closer to the wheel?

Has anyone done something similar? Perhaps even using the buttons that Dodge used to use for steering wheel radio controls. You know, the ones mounted in the back of the steering wheel stalk and put them in the back.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions...

**Mr. iNCREDIBLE** · 10-23-2007, 03:05 PM

won't work:

the steering wheel uses what is known as a clock spring to transfer the steering control button data, horn and airbag signals thru the canbus

this is an electronic spring and circuit board system, there are no wires per-say on the front end of the steering wheel,

the wires from the steering controls, airbag sensor, steering control sensor, and horn go into the clock spring.

the back side of the spring is connected to a ribbon cable that is wound like a clock spring (hence the name) around a coil, the coil attaches to electronic sensors, so that the buttons all work as the steering wheel turns.

on the other side of the "coil" is the connector that runs down the column..

unless you use a wireless transmitter (like the Shift-Hammer) you have no way of wiring buttons into the steering wheel...

if you run wires up the column, you risk tangling them in the clock spring and snap them and or the connectors on the steering shaft.

there are 6 electronic modules/components that sit behind that center airbag cover and down into the steering column, and the slightest error can cause the whole thing to snap (trust me, it just happened to me, because a DCX tech forgot to put on screw back in place.. see this thread: my clock spring got sprung...)

your best bet would be to relocate them to the center console..

you would to dissemble the mirror, tap the buttons directly and then run the wires down to where ever and attach them to another set of buttons..

**DaddyGoFast** · 10-23-2007, 03:12 PM

You are the freaking MAN! Thank MR. I!

No need to worry about the length of wire or something being too long if I tap off the mirror buttons and run them down to the Cent Cons? I mean ideally, I would want to tap into a harness down in the "cage" rather than disassembling the mirror, not big deal, I just prefer to tap.

Great call to put them on the Center Console. That would be a great place to put them too! Or the dash.

**Super T** · 10-23-2007, 03:19 PM

I'd contend that you could do something RF (wireless) for not toooo much money. See if you can get with Rev and find out where he sources his wireless stuff for the ShiftHammer. You'd have to put the receiver on the back of the mirror and tie the outputs into the buttons internally in the mirror. You might also mount the receiver to the windshield and run the wires up into the headliner and back down in the mirror harness. Definitely an interesting idea, I'm not crazy about the buttons being on the mirror either, but I assume they package them there because that's the location that works best for the microphone.

**Mr. iNCREDIBLE** · 10-23-2007, 04:30 PM

Originally Posted by DaddyGoFast

You are the freaking MAN! Thank MR. I!

No need to worry about the length of wire or something being too long if I tap off the mirror buttons and run them down to the Cent Cons? I mean ideally, I would want to tap into a harness down in the "cage" rather than disassembling the mirror, not big deal, I just prefer to tap.

Great call to put them on the Center Console. That would be a great place to put them too! Or the dash.

taking the mirror apart is easy, it's all snap together...

you would need to tap them inside the mirror, as the wires on the back of the mirror are only power, ground, and canbus to the various modules. the buttons are on a circut board on the inside of the mirror and there is a processor that then sends the button signals to the canbus.. no direct wires on the back of the mirror for each button...

length shouldn't be an issue until you hit around 200 feet.. so no worries there.

you know what you might consider, is running the wires from the mirror to the dealer installed U-connect switch, (i have considered this myself) then you would have nice matching switches...

of course you would have to dissemble this unit because the only buttons that would work are the Phone and Talk buttons.

the volume and mute would come from the radio, and you already have those thru the steering control...

**Spittin Game** · 10-23-2007, 04:42 PM

I like this idea, I hate having to reach up to the mirror everytime I get a phone call. Bad placement of the buttons on their behalf.

**Mr. iNCREDIBLE** · 10-23-2007, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by Spittin Game

I like this idea, I hate having to reach up to the mirror everytime I get a phone call. Bad placement of the buttons on their behalf.

yep it's a pain in the Arse, my Camry has the button on the steering wheel..

I wish there was an open port on the clock spring, as that would be ideal, but there isn't...

**Todd RT** · 10-23-2007, 08:37 PM

I've been WAITING For someone to do this! Can't we just get someone to reprogram the buttons CAN bus signal on the steering wheel controls?? That should be EASY!!

I'll be watching this thread for sure.

Even in the 08 models with the MyGig, DC put the "answer phone" button on the PASSENGER side of the radio... WTF???

**Mr. iNCREDIBLE** · 10-23-2007, 08:50 PM

Originally Posted by Todd RT

I've been WAITING For someone to do this! Can't we just get someone to reprogram the buttons CAN bus signal on the steering wheel controls?? That should be EASY!!

I'll be watching this thread for sure.

Even in the 08 models with the MyGig, DC put the "answer phone" button on the PASSENGER side of the radio... WTF???

well Chrysler didn't do it the radio manufacturer did, but shame on Chrysler for not having it designed better....

**DaddyGoFast** · 10-24-2007, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by Mr. iNCREDIBLE

taking the mirror apart is easy, it's all snap together...

you would need to tap them inside the mirror, as the wires on the back of the mirror are only power, ground, and canbus to the various modules. the buttons are on a circut board on the inside of the mirror and there is a processor that then sends the button signals to the canbus.. no direct wires on the back of the mirror for each button...

length shouldn't be an issue until you hit around 200 feet.. so no worries there.

you know what you might consider, is running the wires from the mirror to the dealer installed U-connect switch, (i have considered this myself) then you would have nice matching switches...

of course you would have to dissemble this unit because the only buttons that would work are the Phone and Talk buttons.

the volume and mute would come from the radio, and you already have those thru the steering control...

That is a great idea! Ok, I am doing it! I will begin the project when I get back from SEMA. This is my plan:

Order the buttons from above and disassemble it. I will then modify the front housing for flush mounting. I was thinking about putting it right behing the cup holders and in front of the armrest handle. There is a little flat flange there. (Taking thoughts on the placement)

Tapping the wires from the inside mirror using T-connectors and running the wires down the A-pillar.

Does anyone have a "cracker" to separate the mirror? I do not want to mar the mirror housing trying to take it apart. Also, I wonder if the mute button will work to mute the mirror mic. I do not see a mute button cept on the radio and that just mutes the audio not the mic.

**Mr. iNCREDIBLE** · 10-24-2007, 04:15 PM

i took my mirror apart without damaging it, I used a very very small jewelers screwdriver, started from the bottom, there are 10 places where there are "clips" once you pop the first couple across the bottom the rest come apart with ease..

go slow and be careful.. it's not that hard..

**DaddyGoFast** · 10-24-2007, 04:19 PM

Thank you Sir! I think I am gonna go buy me some of those poly trim removal kits. They are hard enough to pry stuff open with yet soft enough to not mar.

I will go very slowly.

**hazmat** · 10-24-2007, 06:29 PM

I've been looking at adding bluetooth to my ride and came aross this option from Parrot. I like the idea of being able to use my factory buttons and have the car appear stock.

Parrot multican

Here's the manual on the thing.

manual

It ties into the CAN-BUS and allows me to use my hand controls. Now I just have to figure out how to connect the CK3000 to my car since I have the Boston package. It's not really plug and play.

**Mr. iNCREDIBLE** · 10-24-2007, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by hazmat

I've been looking at adding bluetooth to my ride and came aross this option from Parrot. I like the idea of being able to use my factory buttons and have the car appear stock.

Parrot multican

Here's the manual on the thing.

manual

It ties into the CAN-BUS and allows me to use my hand controls. Now I just have to figure out how to connect the CK3000 to my car since I have the Boston package. It's not really plug and play.

very easy, you can tap the Canbus + and - in the drivers side "A" pillar, where the OEM U-connect is normally connected, chances are the wiring is already there.....

I'll have to dig up the wire pinout to tell you exactly which to tap... I just read the install instructions on the parrot, look like a 30 minute job even for a novice...