MK5 Golf Leather 3-Spoke Steering on Polo 9N

Replacing the stock plastic 4-spoke item, not a complicated mod if you know what you are doing, but so far I have not seen anyone else done the same thing yet. This wheel from a wrecked MK5 Golf fits directly onto a Polo 9N (and pretty sure on 9N3 also), to get airbag and the horn working you'd need to replace the yellow connector on the new steering wheel with the one from your old steering, do remember to leave disconnected the other wires corresponding to the multi-function buttons on the MK5 steering, you won't be able to enjoy those on a Polo 9N without extensive modifications anyway.

When installing a steering wheel, disconnecting the battery is a must to prevent the airbag from deploying. After the 3-spoke is in place and battery reconnected, for a moment I found missing the “one-touch window up-down” feature on both driver’s and passenger’s side. So what did I do? I reset the power windows by lowering the driver’s side window all the way down and holding the switch for about 10 seconds, bingo! “one-touch window up down” is back on both sides. (This trick works on all MK4 and Polo 9N/9N3s, not sure about MK5s)

Despite knowing that my plan is workable, the steering wheel has been sitting at the corner for more than a year, either these local motor service shops did not want to mess with replacing the steering wheel connectors and spicing out wires corresponding to the multi-function buttons, or they did not have VAG-COM tool in-house to reset airbag warnings when necessary.

I am the kind of VW enthusiast who knows exactly what works on my car and what does not, but lacking the tools, the time and the skills to do them myself. After several attempts seeking help from renowned euro-tuners in town including TW and Take One (both refused to perform the steering wheel swap, and I probably know VW electrical better than their technicians), I finally secured assistance from 堅哥 at 大利輪胎 in Taipo. He drives modded Mercedes’ and a MK3 Cabrio himself and has previously performed a Japanese-spec 16V 2.0 engine swap onto a local MK3 Golf. Unlike other motor service shops, he proactively searches for the best deal in parallel imported parts at places like九龍城利源for me, a cool dude who knows Euro.