Paddleshift Functionality for 4.8 Auto

[Chris Skinner]

Hey Guys, one of my other vehicles has a paddleshift for the tip-tronic, and I find it very useful and effortless to use, especially gearing down when slowing down - I normally use the gears to assist with braking as this dramatically extends life of brakes which aren't so cheap any more for good quality ones. When towing, or driving in traffic, I need to keep one hand on the gear lever to change up and down.
I was thinking how awesome it would be to have a paddle or even a switch on the steering wheel to change up and down. I realise that connecting more wires to the steering wheel will require some kind of slip-ring mechanism, but I am thinking of using one of the existing switches (eg the volume control up and down buttons) - all I need to do basically is disconnect this from the radio system somehow and connect a wire to the switch that the tip-tronic uses where you push and pull the in the gear lever for the tiptronic function. My logic tells me this should work.... but I don't really have the skills to do this alone.
Ideally I would have a switch on the dash somewhere where I can either select the volume function, or divert the current from steering wheel to the gear selector switches.


Can anyone help.... any auto electricians out there?????

[Peter Connan]

On many of the early paddle-shift systems the paddles were just mounted on the steering column. Eliminates the need for slip-rings...

[Chris Skinner]

I like the idea of it on the steering wheel.
Do you think my plan is feasible Peter?

[Peter Connan]

Chris, I don't really know enough about it, but it seems reasonable.

I would say go and visit Grootseun at his workshop in Strydom Park.