Adding steering wheel climate controls?

[Lewis&Clark]

My '08 Limited V8 came with steering wheel-mounted audio, voice recognition, and phone/bluetooth controls. It doesn't have climate controls for the automatic climate system, though there are blank button spaces on the steering wheel.

Has anyone had any luck adding such functionality? I don't know if the climate system even has an interface that would allow for it, but it did, I'd be really interested in making such a mod work. It's the single biggest thing I miss from my other cars.

It's my understanding from reading other threads about replacing the steering wheel that the buttons/controls for phone, audio, climate, etc. are independent of the wheel itself, and the steering column. I was originally thinking I'd have to buy a Lexus steering wheel to get climate controls (with the added benefit of maybe picking up a wood trimmed wheel), but if the buttons are independent, I'm wondering if I can just pick up the controls themselves from a parts store or junk yard, and wire them into the empty steering wheel control slots on my T4R's existing wheel. (As much as I want a wood trim wheel, I'm not up for the cost of it right now).

Thoughts?


Dan

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I don't remember ever seeing Climate Options on that design of Toyota Steering wheel. The left side is Radio Controls and the right is Hands Free.

Some of the newer Toyotas I think have some climate control options I think (I can't remember off the top of my head.) To be honest with you, I have never had to change climate controls frequently enough to justify it. Some other brands have them I know, but I always found it a waste of steering wheel space.

Also you'd have to splice into the board/control wires probably to get any ad hoc button system to work properly.

 

[Lewis&Clark]

I don't remember ever seeing Climate Options on that design of Toyota Steering wheel. The left side is Radio Controls and the right is Hands Free.

Some of the newer Toyotas I think have some climate control options I think (I can't remember off the top of my head.) To be honest with you, I have never had to change climate controls frequently enough to justify it. Some other brands have them I know, but I always found it a waste of steering wheel space.

Also you'd have to splice into the board/control wires probably to get any ad hoc button system to work properly.

Yeah, I had a feeling that might be the case. Since there's a blank spot for a couple buttons on the wheel, I was hoping that maybe it was wired for it but the feature never made it into the market.

So even getting a steering wheel from a Lexus that has the buttons won't help since the climate head unit isn't wired for the functionality anyway.

No worries. Was worth a shot. Not a big deal, tons of other things to LOVE about my truck!

Thanks for feedback.

 

[97BlackAckCL]

Never heard of such a thing