If the vehicle has any voice controls, there will usually also be a button for that. Since these controls are tremendously helpful and can increase your safety on the road by making it easier to control the radio without taking your eyes off the road, the idea of losing access to their steering wheel audio controls prevents many people from upgrading their car stereo systems.
The proliferation of steering wheel audio controls has created a situation where something that was once a rare luxury is quickly becoming a real headache for anyone with a late model car and a desire to upgrade their head unit. The easy solution is to ditch the steering wheel controls altogether instead of building a premium sound system , but it doesn't have to be that way. Fortunately, there are ways to upgrade any factory head unit without losing essential features , and steering wheel audio controls are no exception.
Here, the key to tying factory steering wheel controls into a new head unit is a component known as a steering wheel audio control adapter. These adapters function by essentially sitting in between your steering wheel controls and your new head unit and interpreting the commands that the one sends to the other. Most high-end navigation head units include this functionality, and a sizeable chunk of the other aftermarket units out there do as well. The important thing is to do your research and check for compatibility before you buy.
To check whether a head unit is compatible with steering wheel audio controls, check the features list on the box. Head units that are compatible with steering wheel controls typically list something like wired remote control input or SWI, which stands for steering wheel input as a feature.
These are specific types of steering wheel audio controls that both original equipment and aftermarket car radios use. Although there are a lot of aftermarket head units that are wired to accept remote inputs, they don't know how to interpret the commands from all the different original equipment steering wheel audio control setups out there. To allow a head unit to understand those control inputs, you need an adapter to act as a middleman. There are a couple of companies that make these adapters, and each one takes a slightly different approach.
These manufacturers offer pretty good coverage, though, so you should be able to find a compatible adapter for basically any car that has steering wheel controls. Sometimes, you may also need a separate CAN adapter between the steering wheel controls and the adapter.
On the other hand, some steering wheel audio control adapters are universal, which means they can be used with virtually any head unit that accepts remote inputs, regardless of which type of SWI it is. The key is to figure out the kind of SWI you're dealing with so that you get your hands on a compatible steering wheel audio control adapter. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Cruise control has been available as a steering wheel button operation for some time, but advances in the cruise control system itself make this a high-tech piece of auto safety.
In some cars, when cruise control has been set using a button on the steering wheel, of course , sensors on the front bumper adjust the speed of the car to provide a cushion of time and or distance between your car and the one in front of you on the highway. It's commonly called adaptive cruise control, and although not every new car comes equipped with this advanced feature not yet, anyway , most steering wheel-mounted cruise control functions include up and down buttons for adjusting the speed of your car manually.
The new Ford Fusion Hybrid is an example of a very advanced set of steering wheel controls that interface with its SmartGauge on-board computer. The dashboard in front of the driver consists of two LCD displays with a traditional speedometer in the center.
Depending on the amount and type of information the driver wants to see, he or she can use the dedicated steering wheel controls to find power usage, battery life, fuel economy and more.
This is in addition to the Microsoft voice-activated SYNC system, which can also be accessed from the steering wheel. So it's getting easier and easier to follow Jim Morrison's advice to "Keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel. If you'd like more information about steering wheel controls and hybrid cars, follow the links below. Sign up for our Newsletter!
Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. How Steering Wheel Controls Work. Note the electronic controls on this Fisker Karma S steering wheel. See more car safety pictures. Almost every aftermarket radio has provisions to accept a signal that will give you […].
Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Example of a steering wheel interface. Share this:.
Trackbacks […] one of the many questions the product specialist should ask you is whether your existing radio has steering wheel-mounted audio controls. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Location Get Directions to Mobile Edge. Loading Comments Email Required Name Required Website.
0コメント