How To: Retrofit cruise control

[FiftyPence]

Please refer to the following PDF document which explains the entire Audi R8 cruise control retrofit process.

Click here to download the PDF guide

Brief summary - refer to PDF for hardware installation process and troubleshooting


1. Buy the parts required
First things first, I ordered the following parts:

Cruise control stalk Part number 953 513 D9 B9 GBP56.59
Lower trim Part number 953 512 A6 PS GBP23.90

Cruise control box label


Cruise control and turn signal stalks


Lower trim labels



Steering column lower trim with aperture for turn signal and cruise control stalk




2. Coding using VCDS

I found VAS-PC to be a maze of options so I chose to recode the vehicle using VCDS as follows:
View the full size pictures by clicking the banner at the top of each picture

a) This is the main menu in VCDS from which we select 1. Engine


b) We are then presented with the following screen in which we click the Coding button:


c) We are then presented with the following screen in which we click on the Long Coding Helper button


d) We are then presented with the following screen in which we click on Byte 6 to display the coding for that Byte.
This screenshot shows the coding 00 with cruise control inactive


e) Once the checkbox to enable cruise control is selected, the coding changes to 01


At a later date I will explain the hardware installation process.

Here are the instructions for operating cruise control

[mark25]

Your car didnt have cruise control? Surprised any car like this wouldnt be specced with that? I should imagine it wouldnt be that tricky tho. I want to get the engine bay lights retrofitted and dont think it will be that expensive to do.

[FiftyPence]

Its a little peculiar as its otherwise fully loaded.

[harrison]

I thought cruise control was standard on all R8s. Hope all you have are software-not hardware issues. Could this be a "Guernsey" thing ? And Marks' car came without engine bay lighting ?? Sheeese.

[FiftyPence]

They don't make a specific Guernsey model Harry, mine is a UK model. I figure the US market gets cruise control as standard but the UK models do not.

[randombloke]

I thought cruise control was standard on all R8s. Hope all you have are software-not hardware issues. Could this be a "Guernsey" thing ? And Marks' car came without engine bay lighting ?? Sheeese.

audi vary the spec according the market - the uk v8 came with virtually nothing as standard, the v10 has a bunch of standard kit but even on the v10, cruise control is an option. Mind you, I specced it on the v8 and never used it once in 3 years - specced it again on the v10 and I expect the same usage pattern.

[FiftyPence]

Cruise control won't be used much at all here in Guernsey but I intend to use it in Europe and it will add nicely to the list of fitted options on the vehicle when I come to sell it.

[Moggy]

I use cruise control quite a bit. coming down from the hills, there's a long stretch of 25mph road that's a notorious speed trap (CA84 through Woodside). I cruise control through at 25mph, calm in the knowledge that I won't accidently over speed and be snagged.

[KfabR8]

Ditto on the 25 mph speed trap. I use cruise quite often just to keep LEO at bay - if I don't I look down and discover I'm running 80...

[harrison]

I do use the cruise control a lot too. Especially when driving along side LEOs. I set it at 9 mi above the posted speed limit. Has kept me out of plenty of trouble.