After reading in the car by car that you need to specifically ask for the multitronic steering wheel - I did just that (3 spoke version) and it turned up without the buttons.
First line I get from the salesman is - "that it's only available on the four spoke steering wheel."
That's rubbish as I have a brochure with pics of the three spoke version. Besides, I would have expected them to get back to me so I could choose.
Before I go back and put my parts on, I'm assuming that the wiring is all there as the box itself is multitronic.
Can anyone say whether it's a big job for them to swap over and give me what I specified? I would like to go back with a b/s deflecting arguement.
Grateful for any help.
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Steve
The Back roomers will be able to help a bit more easily if you let us know which make and model you are referring to.
Regards
Charles
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Sorry Charles it's a 3 litre A4
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Remember the brochure will have photos of German spec vehicles, it will simply be translated in to English. I have just used the configurator and it appears the three spoke multitronic steering wheel is not available as an option in the UK.
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Car not accepted - which given that it's taken 6 months, pains me no end.
Anything in the "UK v German 3 spoke steering wheel" thing?
I would have at least expected to be given the four spoke option, if it was a problem, rather than have them deliver a 3 spoke without the buttons.
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Just ordered an A4 multitronic cabriolet and have been very fussy about the steering wheel!! Nothing to do with UK v's German spec.
If you ordered a standard or SE spec car the supplied wheel is a 4 spoke affair! If you ordered a Sport spec the wheel is a 3 spoke. Either wheel can be had with buttons for the multitronic but you need to pay (disgusting really!) an extra £75 to get the wheel with buttons for the gearbox.
I think the multitronic concept is fantastic but why oh why is the manual change function back to front - knock the lever forward to change to a higher gear and back for a lower one. Totally illogical!
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Audikid,
I too had been fussy about ordering the steering wheel. I also was fussy about not wanting the "sports" suspension as the ordinary set up is quite firm enough, especially with 17" wheels.
I don't think they'll argue that they have made a mistake. My beef concerns the fact that they are trying to say if a I want the buttons - it's the 4 spoke or nothing. If it came to that I would reluctantly stick with the 3 spoke because it's a much better steering wheel.
I agree totally about the "back to front" gear change on the stick - I assume this is Audi being different.
Do you know if the steering wheel can be easily replaced?
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My local Audi dealer managed to avoid that entire problem - they said they'd find an example of the car I wanted and call me to arrange a test drive. They never did.
So I ordered a 5 instead from a dealer that returns my calls, organises test drives etc etc
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Audikid - with the car you want the three spoke is a possibility, with the 3.0 litre it appears it's not an option, but thats with a quick play on the configurator on the Audi website. As HJ says it appears to be a mistake by the salesman . I blame Audi for making it far too complicated and the salesman for not knowing his stuff. I can use the configurator why can't he?
As for forward for up the box, back for down the smart is the same (although it can be changed by adding a box of tricks).
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Patently is also very right!! It'll be BMW here we come next time...
The A4 Cab is my 7th and last Audi - I'm fed up with the dealer network who work under a banner of a "customer focused service" but really dont care and don't have the right product knowledge. I started looking to order the cab at the begining of January - 6 unanswered messages at my local (nameless) dealer resulted in the offer of a test drive for 30 minutes sometime in mid February. Not good enough. My current A4 2.5tdi has been the model of reliabilty with 40K miles in 14 months but the servicing at a selection of dealers has been terrible.
Its my own car so don't know whether the servicing is more geared up to the fleet user who may not be as interested in what work has been done to the car as I am paying in hard earned £££.
Disagreeing with the service manager over whether they had actually done the tracking correctly (car pulling really badly after new tyres and £130 tracking service at another nameless dealer) resulted in been told to get out of the showroom and never come back!!! Service manager called back next day with humble apologies..
I just rate the product but not the dealer network. We'll see how we get on with the Cab due in April........with multitronic buttons or not.....
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Update - they've admitted the error. They are now "checking with the factory" to see if the wiring is there for them to replace the steering wheel.
Does anyone know if it should be there?
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Have they changed the wheel!! Are you happy with the car - or is it still in the hands of the helpful dealer (sic)!!!
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Not just Audi who use the illogical forward for up & back for down system, my Prelude Vtec uses the same on the sports sequential shift seems strange, I have redlined it a time or two it dosn\'t seem natural that way.
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They are claiming that the wiring is not there to swap steering wheels! I'm looking at another long wait by the look of things or accept it without them.
Nobody I know has been able to tell me whether the wiring should be there or not.
I've gone back to say "your problem" but what you say about the dealer response is true. They couldn't seem to care even after admitting it's their blunder.
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Don't know that I entirely agree with HJ's comment that Multitronic is useless without the buttons?!!
I had a 2.4 A4 multi for a long weekend (dealer "forgot" to service my car, called to say it was ready, I turned up to find it in exactly the same spot that I left it early that morning!!! Untouched! Had to lend me a demo for the w'end) and found I didn't really use the buttons. Maybe I'm lazy but I found the CVT so good I just left it in drive.
You say you've waited 6 months for it - seems a long time for an A4? I guess it depends on how badly you want the car, I would probably be tempted to accept it with some money off.
Come time to sell - I can't see the lack of buttons on wheel an issue.
Interested in how you get on.....??
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Echoing Audikids comments: friend has A6 TDI, without the buttons. He found the auto was so good, he'd never bothered with the manual shift until I asked what he thought of it. Driving around SE England, his left knee had become painful with constant gearbox use in his previous car ( lots of minor roads to traverse) so he wanted to remove the pressure on the joint. Having the torquey diesel helps, but the transmission works very, very effectively. Why don't you have a long trial drive in a Multi without buttons, SteveS? Might save an own goal!
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Dont think it is pre wired, so not as easy as just fitting a new wheel.
Article below shows how you can retrofit the \"buttons\" steering wheel to an A6. I am sure your car will be exactly the same.
www.audiworld.com/tech/int38.shtml
I have a Audi A4 tdi tiptronic with no steering wheel controls. Hardly ever take it out of drive except when on hairy a and B road overtaking manouvers and then only because kickdown is a little heart n the mouth.
The car is very smooth in Drive.
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Thanks very much Blurred, that?s a great help.
It shows it can be done, OK it's not as simple as just changing the wheel but it's their mistake and their problem.
Audikid ? it?s a cabriolet and I didn?t want the ?sports? (i.e. no) suspension option, hence the six month wait.
I take the point about it being very good in drive ? but when I tested one, I found the kick-down nowhere near as good as the buttons. The kickdown is the only slight disappointment - otherwise the multitronic box is superb. Very smooth, with petrol consumption less than the manual!
My previous experience of tip/geartronic would have had me less interested ? but the Audi?s are really quick.
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