2011 T5 cruise control

[m_w_sea]

Hi all,

Called my local VW about fitting cruise to my 2011 T5 manual. (Has elec windows) Read the thread on here about earlier T5's and thought I'd do similar i.e. buy the new stalks, install myself and get it activated next service... I was told that only worked up to 2010, after that for rh drive one's it wouldn't work.

He suggested something like this:

VW T5 Transporter Manual 2009> VW03S Autostrada Cruise Control Kit LH - 4WD Industries

Anyone got any experience here? I guess this would do fine, but it would be nice to have the OEM stalks...

Cheers
Mitch

[Sunny43.5]

NO NO don,t do it that way , I have fitted 4 cruise controls to the T5.1 range and they were genuine factory units sourced from the UK from this company VW Direct - Online Shop - Transporter T5.1 GP 2010 - 2013 Retrofit Cruise Control Approx $230 Australian delivered but you may have to allow for the 10% GST on top as the thieving Australian Government now impose on overseas purchases . They do require coding after fitting but that a no brainer . The actual stalk unit is a direct replacement to the original one you have now . The fitting is a little bit fiddly as you have to remove the steering wheel air bag and connect a few wires along the way , but the worst part is one single wire has to be fittted into a relay which is under the battery its a bit of fiddling but doable . The kit does come with all wiring instructions and the coding instructions . ONE warning do not ask a VW dealer to do the coding as they will not do it for a customer fitted job due to liability issues .Please read the information on the kit I posted to ensure you get the correct one for your van , there are several ones on their site for the T5,s so make sure you get the correct one or better email them a request for correct model with your vans details .

[kamold]

I second Sunny43.5's advice. Get the oem kit.
I did an install a few weeks back of this same kit.
The instructions are largely very good (apart from some RHD specific things like the relay location, harness not being long enough etc)
Took me about 5 hours, but I am not familiar with Transporters so would probably take half that the second time around.

[Sunny43.5]

Yes correct Kamold 5 hours for the first around two for the second and slightly less for the next two . The short harness is easily sorted by just extending the wire to the relay under the battery box . Getting to those relays is the one thing I hated as the one relay you need to plug into is at the very bottom of the racks of relays so you have to unlug them one rack at a time until you get to the right one ,because as it transpires there are two relays the same colour . At least the instructions point that out , each other relay's are colour coded which makes replugging them easy .

[kamold]

Yeah those relays under the battery took a bit of time to figure out.
I took my time and triple checked all my pins etc and it all worked first time.
Only thing I haven't done yet it add the wiring between the steering column connector and the instrument cluster for trip computer functionality.
The owner is thinking about upgrading the cluster to highline so will do it then.

[m_w_sea]

Once again this place is a wealth of information. Thanks guys. My preference is OEM for sure, so I'll just have to find someone to do the coding.

Just wondering though, are the aftermarket ones problematic? Or just preference???

[kamold]

In general I tend to lean towards an OEM solution wherever possible.
Means it has been engineered and qualified to the extreme.
It's also cheaper than the aftermarket solution in this instance (not always the case).

[Sunny43.5]

Aftermarket cruise controls have generally for the last 19 years been very expensive , the manufacturers had to keep upgrading them for the new electronics in the cars . I fitted dozens of aftermarket ones through the 80,s and into the 90,s and you had to be so careful as there was a cable connection from the vacumm actuator to the carby or intake and it was extremly important to prevent any chance of the cable getting jammed which would be a drama . Those days we had to fit brake light switches to the clutch and in some cases magnets to the drive shafts or tail shafts as they we used to pick up the magnetic pulses which controlled the units . Now days a single wire can do all of those functions [as long as you know which one ] !!