Guys,

I am needing to take off my steering wheel to do some color touch up. It has worn at 10 o'clock pretty heavily.

I have read a forum on another site showing basic instructions but i want the advice of you all on the airbag removal etc. I need tips, suggestions, experiential advice etc.

dealer is not an option as currently it is too far away.


from my understanding this is the process:

pleas add in suggestions, tips etc as you go through this...
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PART I
make sure your wheel is dead straight before you take off the old one or you will be greiving. You need to use a small flat head to release the airbag.
turn the wheel 90 degrees. Use the flat head inserted into the hole that is exposed on the top of the steering wheel, to push the locking tab away from center.
You will need to hold the air bag in the unlocked position. turn 180 degrees and un lock the other side.
Make sure your wheel is straight, remove key and un plug air bag. loosen the center bolt, belive its a m12 triple square. swap steering wheels. Install is pretty straight forward
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PART II - addins...
theres a small hole in the back of the steering wheel would be at 3 and 9 o clockwit hthe wheel straight.
If you turn the wheel 90 degrees you will find the hole on the back of the steering wheel just about the colum cover. Do not remove any trim. You can remove un hook the battery (probaly should) but uring the steering wheel is kinda hard and it has been done with the car running. IF you flip over your new wheel you should see the holes im taling about they are about 5 inches apart. You are releaseing a spring lock, you can see where it locks into on the new wheel.
There is a metal spring on the back of the air bag that locks into the groves on the steering wheel. it really is rather difficult, the first few times. Extend the steering wheel towards you and down. Insert the screw driver horizontal and at a 100 deg angle to the the wheel (slightly down) push in and down on the screw driver, you should feel the spring move and the bag can be pulled forard a 1/8-1/4 inch
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this seems doable and i believe i can handle it but I just need some advice on this process, I am a very step by step sort of person

 

I am not one to normally reply to my own posts, however, this may help the next person down the road with the steering wheel.


i went into the garage, manned up, and did it. you need 6 extra sets of skin for your fingers, a medium length flathead screwdriver, and tenacity of a starving bear.

try and try again using the flathead to unhook the air bag clip on each side. make sure you prop the ones side youve got undone because it will clip back in when you go to undo the other.

UNPLUG the battery neg cable. just do it. dont loose your head over this.

you WiLL NOT need the car running if you put the front tired under two sheets of vinyl or hard plastic each. the wheel turns freely and DOES NOT lock when the battery is unplugged. make sure the key is left in.

once you unhook the airbag clips, it still requires a pretty good whomp to get the airbag out. from there it is pretty easy my friends. just undo the spline bolt holding the wheel down and youre good to go.

I will post pictures of my pepper, but my interior is the steel/stone grey two tone option with the aluminum package. the wheel and air bag from the factory are default the same color. the darker of the two greys. I decided to do the wheel in the lighter stone grey and leave the airbag in the darker grey. it actually looks nicer in my opinion.

if anyone has ANY questions about this process, PLEASE do not hesitate to ask me. peppa looks real good now. (well it did before)