Steering wheel replacement/airbag?

[WestCoastSVX]

Like many of us when I got my SVX the leather on the steering wheel was pretty worn. In fact in my case there was a large chunk hanging off the top of the wheel. So first thing I did was buy a cheap cover for it. Recently I have been fortunate enough to find a replacement steering wheel in great shape for a great price.

Before I spend any $$$ though, I wanted to see if I might figure out how much additional $$$$$ might be involved in the replacement process. So.....

Question #1: Has anyone here ever removed their steering wheel? The thing I'm concerned about is the airbag and setting it off or breaking it. Should I not be doing this? Or is it totally unaffected, and if so a quick step by step would be appreciated.

Or if the answer to Question #1 is "Don't touch it if you don't want an airbag exploding in your face!" then.....

Question #2: Does anyone know what goes into the "10 year airbag inspection"? The one that got brought up a while ago here, it says on our visors to have it checked at 10 years, etc, etc. Do they take the steering wheel apart to do that? I need to have mine done anyway and if I could just hand them the extra wheel would it be something they are going to do anyway?

Thanks!

[nordique14]

I read a post somewhere (either here or on Yahoo) that said that the 10 year inspection was the best guess of the manufacturers at the time of installation. Since they really didn't know how long airbags would last, they guessed that 10 years would be an appropriate inspection period. Your dealer would know if that is still the case.

I have a '95 L that had the rubber steering wheel, gearshift and parking brake. I just replaced them with leather versions, so I can help out with the removing the airbag/steering wheel part if you want to do it yourself. It's not hard.

Before you start, get a Torx Security bit set. I think the bit size you need is either TX-30 or TX-40 (I can't remember). The difference between a regular Torx bit and a Torx security bit is that the security bit has a little hole in the center. I bought a set at Auto Nation for not too much.

Before you start, make sure that the front wheels are compeltely straight ahead before you start. That will make it much easier when you align your new steering wheel.

The airbag deploys via electrical current. So you will need to disconnect the battery. Disconnect the negative side of the battery and let it sit for 15 mintues to fully drain the charge. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP unless you want the airbag to blow up in your face.

Remove the plastic covers on either side of the steering wheel. Now you will use the Torx security bit to remove the airbag. If I remember correctly, there are 2 screws on each side. Once you have removed them, the airbag should be loose. Gently pull off the airbag. It will be attached to the steering wheel via a wiring harness. The harness wiring is not that long, so don't pull it out too far. You should now be able to unclip the harness.

You should be able to now pull off the steering wheel. It will take a few tugs to loosen it up before it comes off. Line up the hub by following the directions on hub before you put on your new steering wheel. If you don't, your steering wheel will not point the same directions as the wheels.

Now reconnect your airbag. Put the torx screws back in. Replace the plastic covers. Reconnect the battery. Start the car. Remember to duck the exploding airbag (just kidding). Look at the dash for the airbg light. When you start the car, it should stay on for about 10 seconds and then go out. If it stays on, you didn't reconnect the airbag properly. Take the car for a drive and make sure the steering wheel is lined at the top when you are going in a straight line.

That's it. It's pretty easy. Much easier then replacing the gear shift (which involved taking out the whole center console).

Let me know if you need any of these directions better explained.

Cheers,
Matt

[WestCoastSVX]

Thanks a lot Matt! Those are great directions! I think I'll probably get that wheel and go ahead and do this.

Just to clarify, when you are referring to removing the airbag, I am assuming the airbag is part of the padded center portion of the steering wheel? That whole thing lifts off with the airbag assembly nestled inside?

Thanks for your help!

[nordique14]

Yep. The airbag is just the center part of the steering wheel (horn buttons and all). It is all one piece. Removing the Torx screws will allow you to pull the whole thing off. Just don't pull to far or you'll rip out the wiring harness before you have a chance to disconnect it. You should be able to see the place where the harness connects on your new steering wheel.

One thing I forgot to mention above is that once you remove the airbag, you will need to need to remove a center nut before you can remove the old steering wheel (I can't remember the size of the nut, but it's a big one). The nut comes off easy, but the steering wheel will take a few tugs to loosen up.

When you finally have the whole thing taken apart, you should have the following pieces:
-steering wheel (duh!)
-airbag
-large center nut
-4 security Torx screws
-2 plastic pieces that covered the Torx screws (from the sides of the back of the steering wheel)

Make sure you get the Torx security bit and not the regular Torx bits.

And remember to disconnect the battery and wait 10-15 minutes before starting!!!

Cheers,
Matt

[Beav]

And be careful when you handle the air bag - static electricity is your enemy! Touch a grounded part of the car before handling it or its wiring. Do not set it down on a sheepskin seatcover or on a plastic trash bag. It's really not a big deal to work with, just use your noodle.

Beav

[WestCoastSVX]

Thanks Beav! I definitely want to take every precaution I can on this!