How to retrofit a Euro B7 rs4 airbag into a B5 S4?

**NKI 337** · 05-18-2010 08:43 AM

Guys, i just purchased a Lamborgini steering wheel for my avant and it has an Euro Audi B7 RS4 airbag. It's a two stage airbag, and the B5 comes with a signle stage airbag. I know there's a way to make them work, if i'm not wrong is by wiring the strong stage of the new airbag into the b5 one. I know several people are running this airbag and i wanted to know if anyone had a DIY or a detailed explanation of what needs to be done. Any help will be very appreciated, but please, if you are not too sure of what needs to be done, please, stay out, i don't want this bag to blow up in my face while im driving! lolol!!!
So please, if you know what i need to do, please let me know! I'm gonna install it today!

Thanks to everyone in advance!

**manguyen** · 05-18-2010 08:45 AM

Just to let you know, ive never heard of a confirmation on if the 2 stage bag works on a single stage system. Many people have done the mods on b6's and the one car i know of that got in an accident , the bag did not deploy, but there could of been other factors involved that could of contributed to that outcome also.

**NKI 337** · 05-18-2010 08:49 AM

i don't know, i have seen at least 5 b6 S4's with them airbags.... and JJ larson (dubkorps) has it in his B5 S4 Avant and with no issues....
I know there is some work to do, but it has been done, and working properly...
Thanks for the feedback!

**wdbdy2000s4** · 05-18-2010 08:54 AM

install thread: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...steering+wheel

wiring diagram: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...steering+wheel

more pictures of b7 flatbottom: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...steering+wheel

another install thread: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...wiring+harness

**Scotty@Advanced** · 05-18-2010 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by NKI 337

i don't know, i have seen at least 5 b6 S4's with them airbags.... and JJ larson (dubkorps) has it in his B5 S4 Avant and with no issues....
I know there is some work to do, but it has been done, and working properly...
Thanks for the feedback!

You won't know if there's issues or not until the bag does or does not deploy in an accident!

**NKI 337** · 05-18-2010 10:18 AM

Thanks for the links "wdbdy2000s4".
I'm still not too sure exactly what I need to do.
I wish some of the guys who actually did the install would post a step by step of what they did.

**TWiST** · 05-18-2010 11:06 AM

1100 for a steering wheel, really ?

**NKI 337** · 05-18-2010 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by TWiST

1100 for a steering wheel, really ?

Thanks for the informative post.

**TWiST** · 05-18-2010 11:19 AM

I was just looking at this thread and saw how much the steering wheel with the airbag is cause it looks sick but that price makes me want to throw up lol

Did you get all excited that you had a reply and thought all your problems might be answered ?

http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=1608159

Maybe that will help you, but probably not. No actually I do not think it will help at all.

**TWiST** · 05-18-2010 11:22 AM

http://forums.audiworld.com/showthread.php?t=1592875

http://www.audi-sport.net/vb/showthr...eel-onto-B5-S4

Google is your friend bro, instead of just sitting there waiting for someone to reply.

**Geoffafa** · 05-18-2010 03:05 PM

guys, do i splice the left wire of ingitor one(orange) with the left wire of ignitor two(green)??
I'm just afraid of the airbag exploding in my face!

**NKI 337** · 05-18-2010 03:09 PM

Sorry guys, but it was me through fafa's account....i didn't realize so here it goes again.

Guys, do I splice the left wire of ingitor one(orange) with the left wire of ignitor two(green)??
I'm just afraid of the airbag exploding in my face!

Sorry guys, but im dieing to install the wheel, and im having issues...

**NKI 337** · 05-19-2010 07:03 AM

I decided to just install it without pluging in the airbag while i figure which is the right way to wire it, but i don't want this to be too long...
If anyone hears about this, or knows how to wire this please let me know!!
Thanks!!

**Dowskeet** · 05-19-2010 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by TWiST

1100 for a steering wheel, really ?

Ballers dont look at price tags..

OP - Sweet wheel. Did you go with the ones without the radio controls?

**antoanS4** · 05-19-2010 10:07 AM

yup with no radio control i saw the car yesterday and it looks bad ass

**wdbdy2000s4** · 05-19-2010 02:33 PM

u can splice the two wires to one or get the euro b5 RS4 harness. One of those links had a wiring diagram, not sure if it still works, I just copied an old post i did a while back from a very similar thread.

**034Motorsport** · 01-23-2013 02:51 PM

So I apologize for bumping this +2 year old thread, perhaps my AZ search skills have been lost, but for my own curiosity, I was wondering if anyone else has confirmed the Dual Stage airbag working with a Single Stage airbag equipped car; specifically with the B5.

I've read all the wiring diagrams and such, and in theory it should "work", but I've seen more instances of the bag not being deployed compared to it working like advertised. Since there is some wiring involved, it's safe to say some human error could be responsible for bags not deploying, but with something as important as an airbag, not something I would want to risk and testing them is well...very expensive.

So far I've only seen 1 case where the bag deployed in an accident like it was supposed to, and 1 case where the bag deployed during a live test to see if it worked and it did. But I've counted over 8 confirmed situations where the bag did not deploy. Luckily no one died in any of them.

**greg@dubaudi** · 01-23-2013 03:19 PM

I have a b7 RS4 wheel in my Avant.... I wired to one of the stages, not both like some people have done. The way I look at it is (two stage) is to have two chances to inflate the air bag if the car has a second front end impact in a crash. I'm still very tempted to buy a A8 bag on Ebay and test it. They sell for 40-100 bucks with a scratched cover.

**034Motorsport** · 01-24-2013 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by greg@dubaudi

I have a b7 RS4 wheel in my Avant.... I wired to one of the stages, not both like some people have done. The way I look at it is (two stage) is to have two chances to inflate the air bag if the car has a second front end impact in a crash. I'm still very tempted to buy a A8 bag on Ebay and test it. They sell for 40-100 bucks with a scratched cover.

That would be a great experiment (albeit dangerous) to do. I actually have no interest with installing one of these wheels on a B5, but I'm just very curious for my own reasons.

Is the A8 bag you are referencing a D2 or D3? With the amount of non-deploying accidents I've gathered data from, I'm seriously surprised people are willing to take a chance. I definitely wonder how that affects insurance as well.

If it's only $100 for a 2-stage airbag that is the same as the B7 or Gallardo, I'd certainly consider buying one and testing it out.

**greg@dubaudi** · 01-24-2013 05:22 PM

http://www.ebay.com/itm/300801382439...84.m1423.l2649

Its the same bag as the B7 RS4. I think part of the problem is that people were selling the recall bags they were swapping for new ones at the dealer. I remember doing a ton of them when I worked at the dealer. I'm glad my wheel and bag came brand new in a special someones suitcase from Germany. Lets get a few people to chip in to buy one and you can test it. Wish I payed more attention when we blew off dozens of them at the shop before we tossed them out. I'm pretty sure we had to blow one stage at a time.

**Fourplay** · 03-03-2013 07:25 PM

nvm

**Schoolbus4** · 03-03-2013 07:50 PM

Congrats on a nice looking car

**Fourplay** · 03-03-2013 08:08 PM

Originally Posted by Schoolbus4

Congrats on a nice looking car

Thanks man. It's a beautiful car, but it's been nothing but problems since I got it. Multiple misfires under WOT boost, big vibrations at highway speed, steering wheel is misaligned, car pulls heavily to the left, water/meth tank leaks, shifter is either misaligned or the synchros for 1/2 are bad, and ABS/ESP warning lights are on. Should be awesome once I get it fixed up though.

**AudiHolicS4** · 03-04-2013 09:35 AM

If the car is pulling to the left just pay to have an alignment done on it and tell them to make sure the steering wheel is straight on before they align it. Its part of the job to put the wheel locker on it to make sure the wheels straight then adjust alignment so maybe you could kill two birds with one stone per say. Good luck!

**s vier** · 03-04-2013 09:55 AM

I'm in the same boat with my euro RS4 flat bottomed steering wheel. It's installed but the airbag isnt connected yet. It's no big deal yet as I don't really drive it. Once it's driven, I'll want that airbag. I would consider chipping in on a test bag if a solution and a definitive answer came from it.

**nynoah** · 03-04-2013 10:08 AM

Sometimes vanity is not worth death

**Fourplay** · 03-04-2013 10:09 AM

Originally Posted by AudiHolicS4

If the car is pulling to the left just pay to have an alignment done on it and tell them to make sure the steering wheel is straight on before they align it. Its part of the job to put the wheel locker on it to make sure the wheels straight then adjust alignment so maybe you could kill two birds with one stone per say. Good luck!

Yeah, I was going to have them do that and raise the suspension a couple of inches while they're at it. I'm not really a "stance" guy - the car looks fantastic at its current height, but the RS4 bumper scrapes on almost everything and going over speed bumps scrapes the DPs pretty severely.

**Thomas Chagrin** · 03-04-2013 10:56 AM

I think it's funny that people freak out about putting in an airbag that may not work, but people remove airbag steering wheels all the time and put in a Sparco/Momo/Personal/etc. and drive around with that without freaking. My dad's Superformance Cobra has no airbags. Classic cars have no airbags. I don't know - it just seems like a non-issue, for the most part.

**Fourplay** · 03-04-2013 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by Thomas Chagrin

I think it's funny that people freak out about putting in an airbag that may not work, but people remove airbag steering wheels all the time and put in a Sparco/Momo/Personal/etc. and drive around with that without freaking. My dad's Superformance Cobra has no airbags. Classic cars have no airbags. I don't know - it just seems like a non-issue, for the most part.

If I wanted a quick-release wheel, I would put that in. If I put in a wheel with an airbag, obviously I want it to work. Classic cars don't have airbags, but they also have much higher injury and fatality rates in accidents. I don't plan on getting in an accident, but I'd rather not suffer brain damage from a wreck that would have been minor with an airbag. Definitely not a non-issue.

**happy2B5** · 03-04-2013 12:33 PM

Hmm. Let me ask you this. Care to share the rpf1 wheel specs? Are they still on there?

Was a BIG secret at one point lol :rolleyes:

**Thomas Chagrin** · 03-04-2013 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by Fourplay

If I wanted a quick-release wheel, I would put that in. If I put in a wheel with an airbag, obviously I want it to work. Classic cars don't have airbags, but they also have much higher injury and fatality rates in accidents. I don't plan on getting in an accident, but I'd rather not suffer brain damage from a wreck that would have been minor with an airbag. Definitely not a non-issue.

I totally respect your viewpoint. I guess it's not a non-issue, no, but we are venturing into uncertain territory by wiring up these airbags. I want my two-stage bag to work with my Gallardo wheel, too. I'll do the best I can and roll with it. I DO understand the concern. I guess I'm just not that worried about it because I will be putting few miles on my S4. I wouldn't take the chance with a car that I put a lot of miles on.

And to happy2B5, who are you talking to about the RPF1's? I have a set, but I don't believe that I've ever discussed them in any thread. They are plain old silver 18x8+35 with 12mm front spacers and 15mm rear spacers. I didn't really think you were asking me, but I thought that I'd say what I have anyway! :-D

**happy2B5** · 03-04-2013 01:04 PM

No, nki 337 old avant that fourplay bought

**Fourplay** · 03-04-2013 01:43 PM

Originally Posted by happy2B5

Hmm. Let me ask you this. Care to share the rpf1 wheel specs? Are they still on there?

Was a BIG secret at one point lol :rolleyes:

Yeah, they're still on there, I'm just going to make a thread for the car later today because I've already hijacked like 3 threads talking about it. The wheel fitment is pretty much perfect; they are tucked under just right (I hate stanced cars but this thing looks amazing). That said, I am going to raise the car because everything scrapes on the shitty Atlanta roads I drive on.

Sounds like some typical AZ/VWVortex forum drama with the wheels.

**8520** · 03-04-2013 01:47 PM

I looked in to d3 a8 wheels because I wanted an upgrade from my b5 wheel, to something ideally wood grain with mfsw but after much research, the air bag issue still concerned me.

I went with this instead.

**happy2B5** · 03-04-2013 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by Fourplay

Yeah, they're still on there, I'm just going to make a thread for the car later today because I've already hijacked like 3 threads talking about it. The wheel fitment is pretty much perfect; they are tucked under just right (I hate stanced cars but this thing looks amazing). That said, I am going to raise the car because everything scrapes on the shitty Atlanta roads I drive on.

Sounds like some typical AZ/VWVortex forum drama with the wheels.

Fair enough. Some stupid exclusivity BS. Hope you get it sorted. I love laser avants!

And that steering wheel above is nice! How does one pull off that? Just a wood grain surround?

**8520** · 03-04-2013 02:03 PM

Euro b5 a4 wheel. Cost me about $300 shipped w/o airbag.

Currently my favorite interior mod. Absolutely love it.

**Schoolbus4** · 03-04-2013 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by Fourplay

Yeah, they're still on there, I'm just going to make a thread for the car later today because I've already hijacked like 3 threads talking about it. The wheel fitment is pretty much perfect; they are tucked under just right (I hate stanced cars but this thing looks amazing). That said, I am going to raise the car because everything scrapes on the shitty Atlanta roads I drive on.

Sounds like some typical AZ/VWVortex forum drama with the wheels.

Are u going to get rid off the wheels?

**Fourplay** · 03-04-2013 08:43 PM

Originally Posted by Schoolbus4

Are u going to get rid off the wheels?

Hell no, they look amazing. The car just needs to be raised, it's ridiculously low. It literally scrapes in my apartment's parking garage, which has the most gentle slope ever. It's borderline stupid for what I drive over on a daily basis.