DIY: 2013-2014 OEM Steering Wheel Audio Control Install

[R.L.K.]

Awesome write up. Can't thank you enough for the easiest mod i have ever done.

Dealer that I bought the parts from said it couldn't be done, plan to show them just how wrong they were.....

LOL , my dealers Svc mgr insisted that I couldn't put the RA2 and backup cam in my RA1 Original Express ( because the truck wasn't wired for it )... so I bet him a free XAC code Flash for the BU Cam that I could
I won LOL , Then I upgraded to the RA4 8.4NA and audio controls & VR/Phone buttons , I took it in and showed him ..he was blown away !

 

[Dryates]

Easy peasy, honestly I thought the wiring harness was the most frustrating part, getting it back in properly

 

[NOcasio7]

I read every page of this thread before I installed my steering wheel controls this past weekend. Thanks all, took about 45 min, no problem. Now debating on getting a leather wrapped wheel seeing how easy it was.

 

[R.L.K.]

I read every page of this thread before I installed my steering wheel controls this past weekend. Thanks all, took about 45 min, no problem. Now debating on getting a leather wrapped wheel seeing how easy it was.

Heated wheel switch is for sale right now in the classifieds!


Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[bchap05]

@cgeorgemo

Are you aware that www.Infotainment.com is using your directions and name for their instruction sheet that goes with the $200 kit they sell? ($130 elsewhere). Hope you are getting paid for your time and write-up, or at the very least are aware of it.
Hell, they are using your pictures and text word for word (apparently because it was provided publicly). Even linked my airbag video. Can hardly read the text because whoever did it, didn't bother to adjust the font/color and just copied it from the forum post directly.

Here's the link: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0234/3499/files/Ram_SWC_Guide.pdf?3273321835123842081

Webpage:
https://www.infotainment.com/products/ram-truck-steering-wheel-audio-control-kit

PS: your OP link to the kit at AllMoparParts.com appears to be broken/moved. Here's the working link...
https://www.allmoparparts.com/1500-steering-wheel-audio-control-upgrade-black-p-5793.html

Same kit work on a 17? Allmoparparts.com only shows 16, but maybe they just haven't updated it?

 

[NOcasio7]

Heated wheel switch is for sale right now in the classifieds!


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I just ordered the wheel for a just in case i add the feature but found that the heated wheel was less expensive than the non heated wheel anyway.

I want to do heated but what is stopping me is needing to find a place to flash the code willingly.

 

[R.L.K.]

I just ordered the wheel for a just in case i add the feature but found that the heated wheel was less expensive than the non heated wheel anyway.

I want to do heated but what is stopping me is needing to find a place to flash the code willingly.

I believe infotainment.com has an OBD GENIE available for heated wheel & seats .
Also , I believe M2Mods a vendor here has heated wheel & seats harnesses built by order .
I think you'll need to change the clockspring for the heated wheel ...

Hope this helps

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[Ironwalkerrick]

Hey there, I've noticed the leather steering wheel on eBay, it says it comes with volume controls radio controls etc. So, if I buy this leather wheel, I can install plug and play and I don't need to purchase all the parts? Any insight would be great as I want to do this soon! Thanks

 

[00R/T]

Hey there, I've noticed the leather steering wheel on eBay, it says it comes with volume controls radio controls etc. So, if I buy this leather wheel, I can install plug and play and I don't need to purchase all the parts? Any insight would be great as I want to do this soon! Thanks

Yes. If you buy a complete wheel, you can install that.

 

[R.L.K.]

Agree with 00R/T , absolutely plug & play for a 13 + Ram ....I did this as well as many others as well !

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[deangtp]

Put the audio controls and a custom steering wheel in last night. Now my horn doesn't work. It'll honk with the lock and alarm, but not when I push it. Can anyone give me some insight

 

[NOcasio7]

Put the audio controls and a custom steering wheel in last night. Now my horn doesn't work. It'll honk with the lock and alarm, but not when I push it. Can anyone give me some insight

I would pop the air back back off and see if any wires are pinched and if the four triggers are working.

 

[castires]

I believe infotainment.com has an OBD GENIE available for heated wheel & seats .
Also , I believe M2Mods a vendor here has heated wheel & seats harnesses built by order .
I think you'll need to change the clockspring for the heated wheel ...

Hope this helps

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Make sure you contact infotainment prior to placing an order for it. I bought it and it didn't activate my seats. I spoke with the owner and Mike with M2Mods told them what needed to be done in order to get the seats and wheel working.

So they know what needs to be done, but I'd verify they made those changes before ordering one.


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[deangtp]

Horn came unplugged. All better now. Steering wheel looks bad ass

 

[AllMoparParts.com]

We have changed some of our URL's so here are new links to the Black and Canyon Brown kits

https://www.allmoparparts.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=ramaud

Thanks,
Benny

 

[kad]

I finally got to install mine tonight. I had intended to take photos to replace the ones in the OP that got eaten by Photobucket, but due to finding out AFTER taking the airbag out that my steering wheel puller would not work on the truck and having to make two trips to find one that did, I ended up doing most of the install in the dark by assorted small lights. I do have a couple of pointers to pass along though.

1> Get yourself one of the Airbag Removal Tools. I bought the Lisle #56200 one from Amazon and it was worth every penny. It just slides in from the back and pops the clips right off. No messing around with screwdrivers, trying to use mirrors of cell phone camera to see what you're doing. It took longer to crank the wheel around to each of the three positions than it did to release the clips.

2> Steering wheel puller - Make sure you've got the right kind. You need the one with the j-hooks, not the one with the bolts. And try to get one with a long main shaft, I had to use a deepwell socket to extend the one I had.

By far the hardest part for me was getting the wheel back together, in particular getting the wires tucked back in where they needed to go.

-Keith

 

[R.L.K.]

Wow , this was terribly easy for me , sorry you had troubles ....I was able to just YANK my wheel off though ..

Glad you got it done Sir !

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[trailerparkjesus]

Registered to reply to this thread. Just finished doing the install. A couple of comments/pointers.

1) Having the airbag removal tool helped immensely.
2) TURN THE WHEEL BACK TO THE 12:00 POSITION BEFORE YOU PULL IT OR YOU WILL LOSE YOUR POSITION WHEN YOU TRY AND REINSTALL IT.
3) Had trouble figuring how to use the steering wheel puller, always ended up getting it cocked at an angle. Found the best way is to position the hooks facing inward for even pressure on the steering wheel. Came off easily after that.
4) Routing the wiring and and putting the steering wheel back together was a bigger PITA than I thought it would be. Protip: Route the wires on the back cover first, make sure everything is tidied up then connect everything up in the front.
5) Getting the bolt back into the steering column was tough. Might have ended up some how cross threading the steering column hole and couldn't get the bolt all the way in. Couple of washer fixed that problem.

Overall, glad I did it. Don't know why RAM didn't include these as standard when steering wheel controls are part of nearly every car/truck nowadays.

Thanks for the write up!

 

[R.L.K.]

Registered to reply to this thread. Just finished doing the install. A couple of comments/pointers.

1) Having the airbag removal tool helped immensely.
2) TURN THE WHEEL BACK TO THE 12:00 POSITION BEFORE YOU PULL IT OR YOU WILL LOSE YOUR POSITION WHEN YOU TRY AND REINSTALL IT.
3) Had trouble figuring how to use the steering wheel puller, always ended up getting it cocked at an angle. Found the best way is to position the hooks facing inward for even pressure on the steering wheel. Came off easily after that.
4) Routing the wiring and and putting the steering wheel back together was a bigger PITA than I thought it would be. Protip: Route the wires on the back cover first, make sure everything is tidied up then connect everything up in the front.
5) Getting the bolt back into the steering column was tough. Might have ended up some how cross threading the steering column hole and couldn't get the bolt all the way in. Couple of washer fixed that problem.

Overall, glad I did it. Don't know why RAM didn't include these as standard when steering wheel controls are part of nearly every car/truck nowadays.

Thanks for the write up!

Welcome to the forum Sir !

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[damaltor]

Got my parts mid-week and did the install this morning, couldn’t be happier with the results.

- picked up the Lisle #56200 airbag tool, as mentioned by “kad” and the airbag practically removed itself
- didn’t need a steering wheel puller, a couple good tugs and then it wiggled right off
- when I undid the white plug on top, I noticed kind of a locating hole for the clock spring, I borrowed one of the wife’s crochet hooks and stuck it in the hole and this prevented the clock spring from moving during removal and re-install of the wheel
- spent a fair bit of time taking the wheel apart and installing the new harness, switches and cover, being careful not to pinch any wires, accidentally unplug anything, strip screws, etc.
- spent a couple hours total with the install and everything works beautifully

Thanks to ALL that contributed to this thread with their info and tips, it made everything easy and straight forward.
And a special thanks to “cgeorgemo” for posting the tutorial to do this install, “Mpgrimm2” for his airbag removal video and the pics of harness routing in the back cover and “R.L.K.” for all his tips and info.

Next up, a DB3 - THCHD3 remote start coming from Doug next week…