Modifying clockspring to support stereo controls

[jaidank]

Hi,
I have a 2001 Accord Type V (2.3) that I would like to fit with steering wheel stereo controls (for a standard Bose head unit).
I did a similar upgrade on my wife's Golf Mk5 some years ago. I sourced the volume contols on Ebay in the US but the clockspring was for a 4 wire airbag, so was not suitable.

My question is, can I unplug the existing wiring from the airbag side of the clockspring/slipring and replace it with one that has a connection for the stereo controls?

I have taken off my airbag and see a seven place connection to the clockspring (below the center hole, left to right):
1) Airbag, 2) Airbag, 3) Empty, 4) Horn?, 5) Cruise, 6) Cruise, 7) Cruise
From what (non-American) pictures I can see, the volume controls should be wired to 3)

I have never seen a picture of a clockspring with the (airbag side) connector unplugged.
I tried taking the shroud from my steering column to examing the other side of the clockspring (but it refused to split apart after I removed the 3 obvious screws.

Any advise greatly appreciated.

I will post details of this modification on completion (even if it is not successful).

Cheers,
Aidan

 

[jaidank]

I finally got around to splitting the steering column shroud and was able to examine the 4 pin non-airbag socket.
I was a bit concerned that the airbag side of the clockspring has 7 connections while the column side has only 6
(2 for the airbag and the 4 pin connector above).
I was also concerned that the 4 position plug has only 3 wires (and 3 terminals, cost saving eh?) so, even if I buy a clockspring with a stereo control plug on the airbag side, I will have to trail a wire from the above 4 pin plug to the back of the Bose head unit, and figure out where to connect it.
There really is very little information available for Hondas. This was so much easier when i did it on a Mark V Golf.
Cheers,
Aidan