Audi enthusiast upgrades 2001 A4 gear shift with old smartwatch in 3D-printed housing — vide-coded WearOS app displays gear selection, can be used to control in-car media

https://www.tomshardware.com/author/mark-tyson· May 21, 2026 · 11:45 AM UTC ·9 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 32 views

#automotive #technology #diy

TL;DR · WeSearch summary

An Audi enthusiast has creatively repurposed an old smartwatch into a gear shift display for his 2001 A4. The project includes a custom 3D-printed housing and a WearOS app that shows gear selection and controls media. Future plans involve enhancing the setup with live telemetry features.

Key facts

▪The enthusiast used a TicWatch Pro 3 smartwatch to create an interactive gear shift display.
▪The smartwatch's display changes according to the gear stick selection, utilizing its accelerometer and gyroscope.
▪The project aims to add more functionalities, including live telemetry through an OBD2 scanner.

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Tom's Hardware · https://www.tomshardware.com/author/mark-tyson

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Original publisher	Tom's Hardware
Canonical URL	https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/wearable-tech/audi-enthusiast-upgrades-2001-a4-gear-shift-with-old-smartwatch-in-3d-printed-housing-vide-coded-wearos-app-displays-gear-selection-can-be-used-to-control-in-car-media
Publication time	Thu, 21 May 2026 11:45:38 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-05-21T11:51:11.072Z
Last seen	2026-05-21T11:51:11.072Z
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Peripherals Wearable Tech Audi enthusiast upgrades 2001 A4 gear shift with old smartwatch in 3D-printed housing — vide-coded WearOS app displays gear selection, can be used to control in-car media News By Mark Tyson published 21 May 2026 Vibe coded WearOS app prevented the old smartwatch from becoming eWaste. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Desmontei on Reddit) Share Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter An electronics, automobile, and DIY enthusiast has turned an old smartwatch into an interactive gear shift display in his 2001 Audi A4 (B5) luxury…

Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Tom's Hardware.

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