Steering Radio Controls

pm26 · February 4, 2010

So heard back from my dealer and it turns out my stereo will not handle the audio controls. I was you got to be kidding me. So now I got to figure out what I am going to do. Will it end up working with an aftermarket HU and PAC controls? Am I going to be completely screwed? If only there was a way.....

You know, my feeling is that these steering wheel controls are just a novelty that will wear off quickly. I bet that most people who have them do not use them regularly, or not at all. I thought about retrofiting my truck with them as well, I went as far as buying a new steering wheel with buttons, all I need is a new clockspring and programming codes and 2006 truck CAN BE converted and programmed for sure but GM is very unwilling to reveal the programming doce. This has to do with the air bag and fear that the person doing the mod will somehow screw up the air bag system, making the company vulnerable to a law suit in case of an accident if the air bag does not go off.

So if you cannot upgrade to steering wheel radio controls, forget about them and enjoy your truck as is. You will not miss much, in my opinion.

jthomsen86 · February 4, 2010

So heard back from my dealer and it turns out my stereo will not handle the audio controls. I was you got to be kidding me. So now I got to figure out what I am going to do. Will it end up working with an aftermarket HU and PAC controls? Am I going to be completely screwed? If only there was a way.....

Which radio do you have? My stock radio with the single disc player worked. Do you have a base radio without the player? If the problem is truly the radio, and everything else is there, then the PAC audio with the SWI-JACK should work fine. I have the factory cd player from my truck that I would be willing to let you borrow for testing if you want. It will be locked and you would have to get the dealer to program it, but if you really wanted to know.......

I have the stock am/fm with cd player. I am thinking I will just wait and purchase an aftermarket HU and the SWI-JACK. I appreciate you willing to let me borrow your HU, but its ok I dont wouldnt want anything to happen to it. The dealer told me that some factory radios of the same model and Part # were designed to handle the SW controls and some were not. It was based on the vin # and model. I purchased the truck used with 5k miles on it so dont know much more than that. In the service department they were going to order a new factory radio and swap out the old one, but they said they were unable to since the vin called for this model # stereo. I did not say I changed the steering wheel. If you lived in austin, tx then maybe we could test by swapping radios. Thanks again, but I will hold off until tax return.

dlewis1111 · February 5, 2010

So heard back from my dealer and it turns out my stereo will not handle the audio controls. I was you got to be kidding me. So now I got to figure out what I am going to do. Will it end up working with an aftermarket HU and PAC controls? Am I going to be completely screwed? If only there was a way.....

Which radio do you have? My stock radio with the single disc player worked. Do you have a base radio without the player? If the problem is truly the radio, and everything else is there, then the PAC audio with the SWI-JACK should work fine. I have the factory cd player from my truck that I would be willing to let you borrow for testing if you want. It will be locked and you would have to get the dealer to program it, but if you really wanted to know.......

I have the stock am/fm with cd player. I am thinking I will just wait and purchase an aftermarket HU and the SWI-JACK. I appreciate you willing to let me borrow your HU, but its ok I dont wouldnt want anything to happen to it. The dealer told me that some factory radios of the same model and Part # were designed to handle the SW controls and some were not. It was based on the vin # and model. I purchased the truck used with 5k miles on it so dont know much more than that. In the service department they were going to order a new factory radio and swap out the old one, but they said they were unable to since the vin called for this model # stereo. I did not say I changed the steering wheel. If you lived in austin, tx then maybe we could test by swapping radios. Thanks again, but I will hold off until tax return.

Sorry, live in AL. Make the dealer order you a new radio. Mine was the original single disc and steering wheel controls work with it. They cannot find a problem and assume the radio, so force their hand. Get me the part number from your radio too.

jthomsen86 · February 5, 2010

So heard back from my dealer and it turns out my stereo will not handle the audio controls. I was you got to be kidding me. So now I got to figure out what I am going to do. Will it end up working with an aftermarket HU and PAC controls? Am I going to be completely screwed? If only there was a way.....

Which radio do you have? My stock radio with the single disc player worked. Do you have a base radio without the player? If the problem is truly the radio, and everything else is there, then the PAC audio with the SWI-JACK should work fine. I have the factory cd player from my truck that I would be willing to let you borrow for testing if you want. It will be locked and you would have to get the dealer to program it, but if you really wanted to know.......

I have the stock am/fm with cd player. I am thinking I will just wait and purchase an aftermarket HU and the SWI-JACK. I appreciate you willing to let me borrow your HU, but its ok I dont wouldnt want anything to happen to it. The dealer told me that some factory radios of the same model and Part # were designed to handle the SW controls and some were not. It was based on the vin # and model. I purchased the truck used with 5k miles on it so dont know much more than that. In the service department they were going to order a new factory radio and swap out the old one, but they said they were unable to since the vin called for this model # stereo. I did not say I changed the steering wheel. If you lived in austin, tx then maybe we could test by swapping radios. Thanks again, but I will hold off until tax return.

Sorry, live in AL. Make the dealer order you a new radio. Mine was the original single disc and steering wheel controls work with it. They cannot find a problem and assume the radio, so force their hand. Get me the part number from your radio too.

Ok well my radio part # is 25790298. I bought the truck from carmax and they send me to the local Chevy dealer that the work with since the factory warranty was still valid. I am thinking of taking it to the GMC dealer and let them look at it. Should I mention that I put the steering wheel controls on or not? Since they will most likely run the vin anyways.

crepitus · February 5, 2010

i see 15 pages of people that have done this swap. are you the first that it didnt work for? sorry to hear that. sounds like my luck. i am going to be trying this on my wifes acadia this weekend. just got the wheel today. keeping my fingers crossed.

jthomsen86 · February 5, 2010

i see 15 pages of people that have done this swap. are you the first that it didnt work for? sorry to hear that. sounds like my luck. i am going to be trying this on my wifes acadia this weekend. just got the wheel today. keeping my fingers crossed.

good luck, I hope it all works out for. Just remember disconnect the battery and wait 5 minutes before starting. some say 1 miinute but i rather be safe than sorry with a airbag in the face. Let us know how it turns out.

crepitus · February 5, 2010

i see 15 pages of people that have done this swap. are you the first that it didnt work for? sorry to hear that. sounds like my luck. i am going to be trying this on my wifes acadia this weekend. just got the wheel today. keeping my fingers crossed.

good luck, I hope it all works out for. Just remember disconnect the battery and wait 5 minutes before starting. some say 1 miinute but i rather be safe than sorry with a airbag in the face. Let us know how it turns out.

well the swap was simple. Only thing is the controls dont work. It was worth a try. At least now we have a leather wrapped wheel.

jthomsen86 · February 5, 2010

i see 15 pages of people that have done this swap. are you the first that it didnt work for? sorry to hear that. sounds like my luck. i am going to be trying this on my wifes acadia this weekend. just got the wheel today. keeping my fingers crossed.

good luck, I hope it all works out for. Just remember disconnect the battery and wait 5 minutes before starting. some say 1 miinute but i rather be safe than sorry with a airbag in the face. Let us know how it turns out.

well the swap was simple. Only thing is the controls dont work. It was worth a try. At least now we have a leather wrapped wheel.

Yeah its a bummer, but I said the same thing. I originally wanted just the leather wrapped wheel, but then said well I will spend a little more and get some controls too. But as far as I know and have heard, if you get an aftermarket HU and get the PAC for the Steering wheel they will end up working. I might try to get GMC to swap my factory radio if I pull enough strings. Anyways glad to hear everything went smoothly and you and your vehicle are safe.

drbob11 · February 22, 2010

hey buddy thanks for the info. let me know what you find out about the install of the wheel and controls. i will talk to my brother as he is a mech for a gm dealer. on your DIC install what did you buy and how hard was it to install? do you have a part number(s)? thanks

Well, after the DIC mod I decided I wanted to add the steering radio controls to my truck (2007 Silverado NBS/Z71 4x4/LT1). My wife's Tahoe has them and I really like the setup so I ordered the complete steering wheel setup from GMPartDirects (part no. 15917931, ebony leather wrapped steering wheel). They had just the controls but I wasn't sure if the connectors were in my current steering wheel so I didn't want to risk disasembling the steering wheel and not finding where to plug the controls. The setup was $182.91 total ($149 for the steering wheel and $32 for shipping/processing fees).
I'm still unsure if I want to take it to the dealer and have them install it for me, since I don't want to hear the "your warranty will be voided if you install this in your truck". They already told me that GM didn't sell this part and if it didn't come with it installed from the factory it can't be done.

I read a few posts and it seems fairly simple to unistall the existing one and install a new one, no special tools are needed just need the GM steering wheel puller to take off the steering wheel. But I'm still reluctant to do it because of the Air Bag and I'm not sure if the computer has to be programmed to read the controls.

I know some of you are interested in adding the radio controls so I'll post an update once it's installed. In the meantime if any of you have any inputs on how to "do-it-yourself" or any information about the programming of the computer, please jump in.

Thanks!

Jose

(in hindsight I should have gotten the LT w/ the convenience package since I also want the fog lamps...Oh Well!)

drbob11 · February 22, 2010

hey guys... i have read sooooo many pages/posts (15 pages) about the install of steering wheel radio controls that i am still confused as to what i need. GM parts direct does show the pictures of the parts so i am not real sure what i need. some of the guys posting have varying years of trucks than mine. can someone that owns a 2009 sierra 1500 sle (or equal) and has done the SW with radio controls install explain it to me in detail... and dont be shy... explain it to me like i write with crayons and please include all part numbers etc. to help me get this straight in my head. thanks!

BigBlueLB756 · February 22, 2010

drbob11, here's all the info you'll need, from the master himself, on the DIC and it's installation:

http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=63291

drbob11 · February 24, 2010

thanks guys for putting up with my laziness. i have read EVERY page now (both DIC and radio controls) and i fully up to speed on what i need to do. i found out the hard way you NEED TO READ everything! Thanks guys!

BigBlueLB756 · February 24, 2010

Well! What makes you SO special! LOL! Never hurts to ask to be pointed in the right direction. And there are plenty of people on here who don't mind helping a fellow trucking enthusiast get inside his GMT, be it GMC or Chevy.

drbob11 · February 24, 2010

thanks. whats the best/cheapest place to get a steering wheel with the radio controls? i was on ebay and boy... they are REALLY proud of their stuff. the cheapest i found was 285 bucks.