I thought about this before too. Pretty sure everyone with the sporty has. It would be really cool not sure how hard it would be though. I imagine the the shifts for the sportronic shifting are just sensors similar to the sensor that sets off your brake light when hit the brake pedal. Maybe if you came up with paddles with a sensor that makes contact each time its hit it would work. It seems a little pointless though cause the sport mode gives no advantage over regular auto mode in the first place

 

you mean make it like my Celica? It's fun, but other than that eh. You can do it, but you'd have to loose the steering wheel audio controls and use those wires for the buttons...hell use those buttons! Just get the upshift wires from the stick base and wire them to a momentary on the wheel (volume up?) and the down wires to the other button (volume down?) and voila! you could do it without pulling the wheel or any extra cost other than some wires. if you just piggy back you can also still sport shift normally. do it, let us know.

 

:lol: I'd love to see this done.

 

i think i read along time ago, like when i first joined, that there is a kit out there and that someone did it and the shifts are hella delayed and kinda unpredictable.

 

Like it already is? :lol:

 

I'm not looking for edge, just convenience and to do it for the he'll of it. I'm sure it's just a pulse or sensor that could be tricked. I don't have steering wheel audio control, but I do have an old xbox steering wheel with paddleshift buttons.. What if i used those buttons as a base unit. Each recognizes a button click. I'm gonna have play when I get home..

 

That would be really cool, spray paint them black and try to mount them to the audio controls on the back of the steering wheel. Or maybe you can find paddles off a wrecked evo or r32. You should really try it though. If there isn't anymore delay in the shift compared to the regular slap shift id say its a success.

 

It's possible. But honestly, stupid. :lol:

You gotta tap into more electrical issues than if you were going to do a manual swap.

 

You can't turn a sow's ear into a silk purse and you can't turn an automatic into a real car.

 

true but you can try to make it atleast a cooler automatic

 

A pig with lipstick is still a pig.

 

Works Bell used to make a shift kit for the 350Z, it was a quality unit, but ultimately failed because, what is the benefit really?

Here's a Univeral kit but again, why?

 

Again, the point is not to make a race car, it is not to make my car a super car, and it's not trying to pose as a 5 speed.

I want to do it because it would enhance my personal driving experience when I use it, and would be a cool add on. If you didn't have the money or time for a 5 speed swap, and could do something like this for cheap and it would work well, wouldn't you?

 

It would be easier/faster/better to throw in the 5 Speed bud

 

How could that be?

 

Oh who cares, if he wants to play with this then let him. Atleast he's not asking what body kit looks best in off topic like some dumb noobs.

 

I wish I never got an automatic. I needed a car for school as mine shit the bed, and I was a month away from having shoulder surgery and was going to be unable to drive standard for 6 months so automatic was the best choice. Regret getting it but I'm 20.. I have plenty of time to get the perfectcar for myself, so for now I'll enjoy this one.. I'll update this as I research more.

 

I'll update this as I research more.

Here's a Univeral kit but again, why?

There's nothing to research, I already gave you a link to a universal slap shifter; you just need to buy it and figure out the wiring and you're done.

Note***
This Kit will work on all make and model vehicles with Tiptronic/Manumatic style transmission systems.

 

Just so you understand I'm not all talk and have no knowledge, I dissected that xbox steering wheel. As I thought it is all just circuit board running off 5volts.

So it's really simple, each of those paddles has it's own little trigger system. It's a double trigger so it can be pushed forwards or pulled to activate it. All I'd need to do is desolder these two units, and wire each one up individually on each side of the steering wheel. As for making them run the triptronic, that's where more research is needed. I'm assuming all need to have the toggle switches click on a relay so I can use it to manipulate 12v instead of just 5, assuming that's how the sportronic shifts by either using a negative or positive pulse. I'll end up making new paddles, or ordering some to fit onto the plastic ones. Those wont hold up I'm sure. All it is is plastic paddles held on by a plastic pin horizontally and two push rods on the bottom that click each side of the trigger units.

 

funny I am busy with the same thing.
only I do an outlander 2010 steering wheel conversion, and use the paddles from the same outlander.

 

XBox controller for your transmission? I've seen everything, now.

 

Back to the original topic...

I was thinking about the same thing. I took apart the sequential switches in the center consul and from what i can tell heres how it works.
When you shift up a switch competes a circuit signaling the transmission to shift.
Its the same with shifting down, switch completes a different circuit though.
So i think paddle shifters would be quite simple in theory. One just needs to connect the two ends of each switch to two switches behind the steering wheel. Thus being able to use the sequential controls on the consul and steering wheel. Ill post a tutorial when i get to it.

 

Yes, it would be stupid simple. As I said, you could wire this to the steering wheel audio controls very easily and not worry about wires stretching when you turn the wheel since its all passing through the clock spring.

 

i thought most steering wheel controls used either digital signals or a resistor ladder setup-- either would only require 2 wires, not 3-4 like what you are recommending.

with a resistor ladder setup, it would be possible to have both the audio controls and the shifter paddles--they just need to be different resistances-- you would just need something like a arduino to grab the signal and activate a output that closes the contacts on the autostick..


and if you only tie into the autostick wires, you could still use the shifter for the same functions-- that could take care of some of the 'shifting while turning' debate.

 

I was thinking of mounting them to the column to avoid rotating then with the wheel

 

Won't that suck if you want to shift when the wheel is turned? :lol:

 

Well I thought about it. I feel like it'd be more difficult because when I'm turning my hands aren't at the wheels 9 and 3 positions, they're at the columns 9 and 3. I feel like it'd be easier to shoot my hands back to concrete positions for when I need to shift

 

Didn't someone use an Outlander steering wheel? I believe those have paddle shifters...

 

yes, that is me.
and yes I am putting the paddleshift on my car.

but it isn't stuck on the steering wheel. it sits behind the steering wheel on the collum.

there are 3 wires
-1 ground
-1 up
-1 down

so just wire it up to the up and down of the shifter will do the job I guess.

but I am still not ready to put the steering wheel in, so I can't test it now

 

^+1

mounting to the column instead of the steering wheel would be best.

95% of the time you will be shifting before or after a turn, not in the middle..

and, you'll save all the hassle of the clock spring wire..

 

no, you should not need any diodes.

you need at least 3 wires, possibly 4-- you might need to separate the switches.

i don't know how the autostick feature is wired to the ecu so there is a good chance that it uses a different type of wire arrangement then the outlander setup.(rule #1 of electrical mods to cars-- never plan for the oem stuff to be predictable)

i would plan on running a 4 conductor wire just in case..


the easiest way to check this is to ohm-out the connections on the autostick switches-- if they use a common ground, then 2 of the contact's should read as a dead short no matter what.

 

Thanks for the advice soundman, I know maxxie is just using the outlander steering wheel on an eclipse. I'll look into figuring out how the shifter works

 

Would you be able to retain function of hand shifter? To engage "sporty" mode would you just use the hand shifter? Or would create another engage?

 

Still seems like a lot of effort for little benefit, to me :dunno:

 

kinda like my led projects.. it isn't a performance mod, just something to play with that makes the car 'a little different'...