matt@oCarbon
10-05-2012, 11:44 AM
A lot of people have been asking me recently if it would be possible to retrofit the new B8.5 facelift vent and MMI assembly into their B8 prefacelift vehicles. I estimated just looking at the pictures that it wouldn't be possible without major modifications but I wasn't certain. I recently got a big shipment of cores from Germany and could make the comparison.
B8 S4 part numbers
vent: 8K1.820.901.G
MMI (3G nav): 8K1.857.186.H
B8.5 S4 part numbers
vent & MMI assembly: 8K1.857.186.AM.TU4
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3816.jpg
A few of the cores all laid out.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3817.jpg
Side by side. Most obvious addition is the added speedo chrome.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3818.jpg
Vent pieces side by side. The actual vent is the same size.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3819.jpg
MMI pieces side by side.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3820.jpg
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3821.jpg
First noticeable differences. It looks like the plug that supplies power to the vent control light has been changed.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3822.jpg
While the tabs that hold in the actual vent are the same, two silver tabs have been added at the bottom and top of the piece.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3824.jpg
The tabs appear to be in similar spots here, but if you notice they have been flip flopped and aren't facing the same direction.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3827.jpg
After disassembly, you can see that the new vent and MMI piece is actually 3 pieces. I am not going to remove the speedo cluster completely (as it is plastic welded in, I want to keep it assembled for structural purposes.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3828.jpg
The contours of these pieces are not the same.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3829.jpg
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3830.jpg
It doesn't seem like they will fit with the new speedo cluster installed.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3831.jpg
Same for the MMI.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3832.jpg
I busted out a B8 S5 MMI piece to compare it as well.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3833.jpg
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3834.jpg
The B8 S5 MMI piece does not fit the contours either, so I doubt a retrofit is possible on the A5/S5 platform either.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3835.jpg
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3836.jpg
The only thing I was successfully able to confirm that is 100% swappable is the new vent with the chrome accent on the vent control. Above is the B8.5 vent assembly installed in the B8 vent trim piece.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3837.jpg
B8 vent control, for comparison.
Conclusions:
Can it be retrofitted? That's a difficult question.
The short answer is no, it can't be retrofitted simply by swapping out the parts. The added tabs, along with the tabs being in different directions tells me this won't be a plug and play mod. The parts around the speedometer being different shapes might also cause some problems. I'd assume that to get it to work, the middle speedometer piece would have to be removed to work on B8s, but I'm not sure if that would cause unsightly gaps in the dash. It might also effect the structural integrity of the part and cause some rattles.
However, perhaps with a little bit of work, it might be doable.
B8 S4 part numbers
vent: 8K1.820.901.G
MMI (3G nav): 8K1.857.186.H
B8.5 S4 part numbers
vent & MMI assembly: 8K1.857.186.AM.TU4
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3816.jpg
A few of the cores all laid out.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3817.jpg
Side by side. Most obvious addition is the added speedo chrome.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3818.jpg
Vent pieces side by side. The actual vent is the same size.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3819.jpg
MMI pieces side by side.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3820.jpg
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3821.jpg
First noticeable differences. It looks like the plug that supplies power to the vent control light has been changed.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3822.jpg
While the tabs that hold in the actual vent are the same, two silver tabs have been added at the bottom and top of the piece.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3824.jpg
The tabs appear to be in similar spots here, but if you notice they have been flip flopped and aren't facing the same direction.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3827.jpg
After disassembly, you can see that the new vent and MMI piece is actually 3 pieces. I am not going to remove the speedo cluster completely (as it is plastic welded in, I want to keep it assembled for structural purposes.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3828.jpg
The contours of these pieces are not the same.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3829.jpg
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3830.jpg
It doesn't seem like they will fit with the new speedo cluster installed.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3831.jpg
Same for the MMI.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3832.jpg
I busted out a B8 S5 MMI piece to compare it as well.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3833.jpg
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3834.jpg
The B8 S5 MMI piece does not fit the contours either, so I doubt a retrofit is possible on the A5/S5 platform either.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3835.jpg
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3836.jpg
The only thing I was successfully able to confirm that is 100% swappable is the new vent with the chrome accent on the vent control. Above is the B8.5 vent assembly installed in the B8 vent trim piece.
http://ocarbon.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/ocarbon-3837.jpg
B8 vent control, for comparison.
Conclusions:
Can it be retrofitted? That's a difficult question.
The short answer is no, it can't be retrofitted simply by swapping out the parts. The added tabs, along with the tabs being in different directions tells me this won't be a plug and play mod. The parts around the speedometer being different shapes might also cause some problems. I'd assume that to get it to work, the middle speedometer piece would have to be removed to work on B8s, but I'm not sure if that would cause unsightly gaps in the dash. It might also effect the structural integrity of the part and cause some rattles.
However, perhaps with a little bit of work, it might be doable.