Hey Everyone, just a quick question:

What exactly are you able to control with the buttons on the steering wheel, and I guess equally interesting, what CAN'T you control with the steering wheel?

I'm referring mainly to the phone/infotainment system. Obviously opening the sunroof with the steering wheel could be a challenge

 

On the EX... you can control quite a bit.

The nominal functions are:

Audio source (CD/Pandora/AM/FM/USB/iPod/Bluetooth/HDMI)
Volume up/down
Next/previous track
Phone answer/reject/voice command
Cruise control master/on/off/accel/decel

Then there are two menu buttons that can change the functions of the other buttons allowing you to change screens, bookmark tracks in Pandora, stop/start tracks in Pandora, navigate phone features in a call... there are probably a few features I'm leaving out as I haven't used everything.

Voice command also doubles as the Siri eyes-free trigger if you have an iPhone.

As for what you can't control. You can't start or stop iPod tracks (oddly). Can't control the climate control system. Can't master power off the infotainment system. Can't change brightness of the screen. Can't change the currently displayed trip computer screen on the dash itself.

 

You can control
volume
next track
previous track
play/pause (using a two-button combo)
switch between phone mode/audio mode
scroll through audio source

Pick up phone call
End phone call/back button
Voice control button (press once for car-based voice control, hold for SIRI, holding does not work for Android). *I haven't been able to get the car based voice control to work, not even once.

cruise control on
set cruise
cancel cruise
resume cruise
+ speed
- speed

That is about it.
I have been unable to figure out how to completely avoid touching the screen at all, as the buttons dont work for menu navigation. You also cant "select" anything on the screen using a button press (Example, you switch to phone mode, see your favorites list, but have no way to actually make a call without touching the screen). Same thing with any of the menus, etc. You also cant switch to the "info" screen without touching the HOME button, info, etc (wait 2 sec between each button press or it wigs out).

If anyone knows how to navigate and select items. in menus using the wheel let me know. That is a major annoyance.

 

Cool! I tried messing around during a test drive but I wasn't able to really get into it. I appreciate the input.

Hope you're enjoying your new fits!

 

It's interesting how there's a lot of control and yet it can be a dangerous distraction trying to work them. If you don't use them a lot and learn them, it can still be a challenge even though they're right at your fingertips. Also I find the back light of the controls can be rather dim, but that could maybe be adjusted with a brightness control? I'm referring to my 2012, BTW, but about the same.

 

 

Not enough dials.

 

 

Germans and Italians make things too complicated.

 

I love the steering wheel controls! Especially the volume and being able to switch modes or sources

 

I found that if you hold the "next track" button (while using USB source) it will skip to the next folder.

 

Thats cool , i didnt know that. On bluetooth source i tried to hold the button to see if it would fast forward but it just jumped to the next song.

 

In their rush to enumerate all the bells and whistles everyone missed two very important functions:

If you push on the middle of the wheel the horn sounds.

If you turn the entire wheel the car changes direction toward the direction the wheel is turned.

Please, while figuring out all the other functions do not lose track of this last function. My life may depend upon it!

 

Oh, and if you hit a tree the thing blows up in your face!