As a lot of us have tiptronic style transmissions I was thinking about adapting them into steering mounted paddles. Does anybody know if as I assume the tiptronic is electrically activated? If it is then a parallel set of switches hooked up to paddles behind the steering wheel would probably be not to hard to rig up. Left for down right for up for eample. Ideas, suggestions, technical inforamtion would all be appreciated.

sounds like a good idea...
lets see some prototypes

I think you would also have to have a switch to tell it,its not in normal auto mode which gets done normally when you shift the lever over to the side. :confused:

yeah thats a good point.might be one of those mods that are just not worth(money speaking) it in the end.sounds complicated,expensive.


prob void car warrenty 2

Flappy lever tiptronics are the worst invention ever, hate 'em.
If the car companies can't get it right, what's your chances?
Does nothing to drivability of any car.

Autos are so much better "old style"... ie put it into '3' and it locks out 4th.


With a manual, at least my gearstick hand knows exactly what gear I'm in.
Tiptronic? hell, gotta read the LEDs! not exactly best thing to go when
you're downshifting in the middle of a tight corner.

The paddle shifting on the steering wheel works, I tried it with some simple hook up wire and a couple of micro-switches and yes I still have my new car warranty but who cares. All you guys who have a CAI have already voided your warranty if dealership see it and want to be smart about it. And if not that, your insurance company can reject a claim if a CAI or any other crazy mod thats not standard has been installed.
Anyway the tiptronic uses microswitches itself so it was just a matter of soldering wires off that to the microswitches. I did a temp job as the switches were just ones from Dick Smith. I tried threading them up through the steering wheel but forgot about when I go to turn a corner the wire wraps up inside and gets all tight and tangled if you know what I mean. Bit of a safety hazard, hehe. I'm sure there is a way but I wasnt game to muck around with steering wheel too much as I have heard the airbags can activate if you accidently short them out. I tried just getting some double sided tape and sticking the switches to the steering hub (the part that the steering wheel is attached to and doesnt move??), but that looked lame. I still have the wires there so if I get any other bright ideas or am bored again one day I might rethink it and have another go.

The guys have already looked into some sort of setup and it was either too hard or not possible. Have a search and you will find. Driver and Phils_TH were two of the main drivers.

Revdav - He is asking about modifying a tiptronic tranny (ie. tiptronic from factory) rather than modifying a non-tiptronic to tiptronic...

The answer to his question would then be yes, they are electronically operated, and if he has a look at the wirning diagrams posted from a while ago (with the tiptronic thread of which you speak) he could probably work out the wiring of the 'paddle' microswitches.

How to run the wiring would be the next concern - ie. clockspring for SRS etc.

Cheers
Heath Young

Yes Heath, as I have a five speed auto (already tiptronic) I was thinking about this in conjunction with the gear stick. I was thinking about fixed paddles behind the steering wheel. So I dont have to worry about the turning of the wheel, also beacause of our long winded steering buttons or paddles affixed to the wheel would become too confusing. I was thinking left for down right for up. They would have to sit relatively high to avoid indicator and wiper stalks. Where is the srs clockswitch and and other triggerable parts, in the wheel itself or in the bezel behind? Last thing I would want would be an airbag in the face. :shock:

Hunt down one of the cheap buzz box's Honda Jazz or somthing the newer one's have paddles on the wheel, someone has bound to wreaked one of those and dump'd it at the wreakers and ask if you can pull the steering wheel apart and have a look around mite give you some ideas and the switches in them mite be better then something from Dicky Smith

my 2c worth

Revdav - He is asking about modifying a tiptronic tranny (ie. tiptronic from factory) rather than modifying a non-tiptronic to tiptronic...
Ahh... so he is. :redface:

Try gettin a Nos equipe steering wheel (Sounds wrong doesnt it, gives you better handleing :cool: )with dual buttons, then just wire up switches to them, sont mount them on the steering coloum or ull have the same problems as the ferrais did and wont be able to shift wheel turning the wheel

would love to but have airbags

Just a thought - it's raining, u're cornering, assend flips around and u have to do quick steering from side to side and then all of sudden want to change the gear without looking at it - how would u know which one is + or - ???
It works well in F-1 car, where the steering wheel doesn't turn much. Even Rally cars have either a lever sticking out or a ring just behind the steering wheel, not +/- pads.
Just a thought. :confused:

Wheel mounted would be alright for drag racing in a straight line.


The guys have already looked into some sort of setup and it was either too hard or not possible. Have a search and you will find. Driver and Phils_TH were two of the main drivers.That was us :D

Yes - Electronically, it's 100% possible to wire a 2nd set of switches up in parallel to the existing ones. A possible issue would be you'd then have the ability to press both buttons at the same time. This may confuse the ECU - or at least mightn't be good if it tells the autobox to say upshift, then 0.1ms later sends the downshifts command. Where as at the moment it phyiscally takes time to "belt" the shifter to the reverse position. :p

But the biggest issue I see is phyiscally installing buttons on the steering wheel. You've got to muck around with a slip-ring so the wiring doesn't get tangled. Now the verada XI(?) has steering wheel mounted stereo controls, so you could use a slip-ring from that if the stock one doesn't have extra tracks/connections.

Then if you have an air bag, I really would not want to mess around with that, or the slip-ring that helps connect it up. Short that out by mistake and you risk it going ka-bang!

Attached is a modded wiring diagram to show you how.
I agree with Drivers comments, something to take into consideration.
Sounds like you intend to fix paddles behind wheel near indicator / wiper stalks, this would solve a few probs and make selection while moving the wheel easier as they're in a fixed position eg, changing indicator from right to left on a roundabout the wheel is in motion then.

I'd like to try a foot setup just like a bike gear change.
Good luck

I would mount them on the steering wheel bezel behind the wheel and above indicator/wiper stalks. They wont move, I would really just want them for upshifting and downshifting before or after corners or in small corners, oh and without severe provication I cant get the back out. Needs to be wet and on full lock and WOT. Before you all say it, yes I know they are from a ferrari and thats how they mount them, fixed behind the steering wheel.

http://www.ferrarispy.com/images/shift_paddles.jpg

Phils Th thanks a lot. That info is great, may actually get this working happily.

http://home.swipnet.se/e-solutions/ess-racing/

http://www.importperformancetrans.com/mitsubishiauto.shtml

http://www.importperformancetrans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=37&start=0