When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Surprisingly I am still around. And still have the TL. But if you want to move the control buttons for the information screen, you have to change the reel/clock spring because the 05 reel doesnt support it. And there is no way to get those connections thru to the steering wheel without the 07/08 reel because the 05 reel has fewer connections and a different style of a connector. I would suggest not changing your speedometer because to keep the airbag light from coming on and to keep the tpms light from coming on, you have to mod the entire airbag system which involves a passenger seat swap, and swapping the airbag module on the front center floor (forgot what it's called) and you have to literally install the whole tpms system and brain and wire up power for it and connect both the airbag module and the tpms brain to the FCAN. So, therefore, it would be advised to not do all that. Just replacing the steering wheel is simpler by a long shot. The only thing I cannot remember is IF the 08 Reel will allow the 05 steering wheel. The connector is the only issue. Oh, that reminds me.. the connector on the reel is different than the plug on the steering wheel.. So it won't fit. So to do it, you would have to cut the plug off the doaner 08 steering wheel and splice in your plug from your current steering wheel. Even then I am not 100% if the physical attributes of the new steering wheel will fit around the 05 Reel.. But I think it will. I would have to check ,to see if I still have my old pictures and I know I used to have both 05 and 08 reels.. I don't remember if I sold them or still have them. I will check later..
But here is the other option, since the plug is different on the new steering wheel and since it will not connect to your 05 Reel, instead of splicing between the steering wheel connectors and the front of the reel, you can make your wiring changes on the backside of the reel as it connects into the harness. And that is what I did! I used the new steering wheel as is. I used a new Reel, as is... then on the backside of the reel, where it connects into the harness, there is another plug that goes straight into the reel. That is where I changed. Plus, I also did not cut my factory plug on the harness. I bought a used 08 steering column from salvage and pulled out the pigtail on the back of that reel, and then used little jumper wires to poke into my own plug, and wrapped it up.. the jumper wires are on Frys website. Search for part number 8521609. They are male to make and male to female and you can cut them too.. great for making connections into oem devices.
the airbag connector is separate and identical between the years.
the advantage of making the wiring change on the backside of the reel, is for extra room. It all tucks away nicely in the upper steering wheel cover.
I will post later to let you know what I have. But you still need the pinouts... I bet you don't have a helm book.
You will need the pinouts to connect he jumpers or splice.. I actually bought both helm books for 05 and 08. I might be able to assist with a few pics if you decide to tackle he job..
From the first line above in my response, If you do not change the speedometer, then you will have fewer wires to reconnect in the steering wheel. And that is good. But you still need to change the reel because connector on the newer steering wheel is different. And i chose to make the "splice" behind the reel instead of i front where the steering wheel sits because of extra room to work.. But technically it was not a splice. I used those little jumper wires as I mentioned from frys..
but you need a new REEL. I may have 1 to sell ya.. And i have the pinouts. From both models to compare. That's how you do it. Just compare. And look at it.
Surprisingly I am still around. And still have the TL. But if you want to move the control buttons for the information screen, you have to change the reel/clock spring because the 05 reel doesnt support it. And there is no way to get those connections thru to the steering wheel without the 07/08 reel because the 05 reel has fewer connections and a different style of a connector. I would suggest not changing your speedometer because to keep the airbag light from coming on and to keep the tpms light from coming on, you have to mod the entire airbag system which involves a passenger seat swap, and swapping the airbag module on the front center floor (forgot what it's called) and you have to literally install the whole tpms system and brain and wire up power for it and connect both the airbag module and the tpms brain to the FCAN. So, therefore, it would be advised to not do all that. Just replacing the steering wheel is simpler by a long shot. The only thing I cannot remember is IF the 08 Reel will allow the 05 steering wheel. The connector is the only issue. Oh, that reminds me.. the connector on the reel is different than the plug on the steering wheel.. So it won't fit. So to do it, you would have to cut the plug off the doaner 08 steering wheel and splice in your plug from your current steering wheel. Even then I am not 100% if the physical attributes of the new steering wheel will fit around the 05 Reel.. But I think it will. I would have to check ,to see if I still have my old pictures and I know I used to have both 05 and 08 reels.. I don't remember if I sold them or still have them. I will check later..
But here is the other option, since the plug is different on the new steering wheel and since it will not connect to your 05 Reel, instead of splicing between the steering wheel connectors and the front of the reel, you can make your wiring changes on the backside of the reel as it connects into the harness. And that is what I did! I used the new steering wheel as is. I used a new Reel, as is... then on the backside of the reel, where it connects into the harness, there is another plug that goes straight into the reel. That is where I changed. Plus, I also did not cut my factory plug on the harness. I bought a used 08 steering column from salvage and pulled out the pigtail on the back of that reel, and then used little jumper wires to poke into my own plug, and wrapped it up.. the jumper wires are on Frys website. Search for part number 8521609. They are male to make and male to female and you can cut them too.. great for making connections into oem devices.
the airbag connector is separate and identical between the years.
the advantage of making the wiring change on the backside of the reel, is for extra room. It all tucks away nicely in the upper steering wheel cover.
I will post later to let you know what I have. But you still need the pinouts... I bet you don't have a helm book.
You will need the pinouts to connect he jumpers or splice.. I actually bought both helm books for 05 and 08. I might be able to assist with a few pics if you decide to tackle he job..
Originally Posted by Chad05TL
From the first line above in my response, If you do not change the speedometer, then you will have fewer wires to reconnect in the steering wheel. And that is good. But you still need to change the reel because connector on the newer steering wheel is different. And i chose to make the "splice" behind the reel instead of i front where the steering wheel sits because of extra room to work.. But technically it was not a splice. I used those little jumper wires as I mentioned from frys..
but you need a new REEL. I may have 1 to sell ya.. And i have the pinouts. From both models to compare. That's how you do it. Just compare. And look at it.
I understand the clockspring wiring harness on the 04-06 TLs do not support manipulation of the MID display from the steering wheel and have no intentions of making those buttons functional. I do want to retain my cruise control, radio and HFL buttons as I use those daily.
I also have no intentions of swapping my speedometer to the updated 07-08 style, I actually enjoy the simplicity of the 04-06 style gauges. (I'm an 04, so I have no TPMS sensors to deal with. )
Changing the steering wheel "only" is a lot easier. You only get into a hair ball when you try to replace the speedo.
So for the steering wheel, the reel has a receptacle on the front and also on the back on both models. The receptacles on the reel are unique for both years. So I created a "crossover cable" out of a pigtail. There is not much room on the front of the reel, which leaves only the space within the steering wheel to do a cut and strip and splice and retape with the airbag in there too, which needs to move freely. So I chose to do the wiring on the backside of the reel. It is called a reel according to Acura parts websites. The OEM harness plugs into the back of the reel. But to do it on the back, you will need a plug and pigtail from a salvaged vehicle. And if you get a plug and pigtail for it, then you might as well buy the column which might have the reel too, intact. Then you can use those little jumpers that I got a frys (as mentioned above) to twist onto the pigtail on 1 end, then I poked the pins at the other end into the plug on my OEM harness. So that way I did not cut my car. If I ever wanted to go back to the old steering wheel, I could. (even though at my cars age now, and trying to resell it for peanuts, may indicate brain damage).
But 1 word of caution, if you buy a used reel, it will be very difficult to verify the reel is still in its oem position. So, an entire OEM steering column may be best, or buy a new Reel that you can trust is not rotated out of position. Otherwise, I would not trust ebay sellers or salvage yard people unless you know them. If it not installed in its correct rotational position, then you will get an airbag light. Although it may be possible to fiddle with it and rotate it around to a direction your think is correct by guessing, and checking to see if the airbag light comes on by turning on your car and turning the steering wheel after you have it all installed. See, pictures below. I did the steering wheel before the speedo.. So that is why you see the old speedo in the background.
By the way, the pinouts on the page you pointed to, are for a Front Reel splice. I did not touch the front. I did the back. If you get a new reel, the front is plug and play. Notice the chicken scratch on Connector B (back) and Connector C, I wrote (Front).
Based on your last post it seems best (and most simple) to just buy a new 'reel' or as some call it, a 'clock spring', for a 07-08 car and bolt it onto my steering column.
This, if I'm understanding correctly, will bolt right on to my 04 steering column, plug into the rear of the column, and give me the right front plug on the 'reel' to plug into the 07-08 steering wheel without any custom wiring - correct?
If this is the case I feel like that would be the most risk free and cleanest install route.
So it basically boils down to either re-wiring/splicing from the front of the 04 reel to the 07-08 steering wheel plug which would not allow me to revert back to an 04-06 wheel.
OR buying a new reel, and making/splicing a new adapter for wiring it into the rear of the 04 steering column but allowing the front plug on the new reel to directly plug into the 07-08 wheel.
Right. But technically you could revert but it would be much more difficult. And splicing on the front will be very messy. And you may have too .much wire inside the SW for the airbag to move freely. I think I said that already
Bump. It took a while to find this thread again. So I took all the info and cleaned it up in case someone else needs this.
Could come in handy now that we have EndlessRPM and GerzyBear CF wheels. You can plug 12/13/14 to the MID switch or tap to it so you could use both buttons. Additionally you can extend 5/6 to your shift console and tap to the shift knob to install paddle shifters.
If you're still here, Thanks Chad. This is a much cleaner and safer install than modifying/depinning the "Steering Wheel Switch".
Edit: damn I just realized I didn't merge all the way to the end and now it's bothering me and I already uploaded the files.
If anyone wants to add a 2007-08 Type-S steering wheel with working paddle shifters to a 2004-06 automatic base model, my retro fit is finally complete . Please refer to the below hyperlink, which will bring you to another thread, which details each step. https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-a.../#post16812974
If anyone wants to add a 2007-08 Type-S steering wheel with working paddle shifters to a 2004-06 automatic base model, my retro fit is finally complete . Please refer to the below hyperlink, which will bring you to another thread, which details each step.
06-25-2014, 10:37 PM
)
. Please refer to the below hyperlink, which will bring you to another thread, which details each step.
