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How to remove and replace your steering wheel

128K views 128 replies 47 participants last post by  Blasirl 
#1 ·
There wasnt a great write up on this that I could find after weeks on this forum. All I had was pieces and parts from threads and other websites. So I figured that when I went to take the plunge that I would take a good amount of photos to help someone, my car has less the 5000 miles on it so I didnt want to break anything, but I finally bit the bullet and went for it. This was the process I used:

BEFORE:


STEP 1:
open the hood


STEP 2:
Locate the battery


STEP 3:
Lift up access flap


STEP 4:
Disconnect Red Cable from block, cover/ cap cable so it doesnt make the connection any more, let sit for ~30 mins


STEP 5:
Once all the power in the system has been removed, get in the drivers set and put your keys in so you can turn the wheel and turn the wheel so its fully upside down, so the bars form a arrow facing up. Now there will be two holes in the back of the wheel, slide something skinny and longer (i used very small screwdrivers) into the dots towards the center. You will have to punch through a little bit of foam, this is super easy, then slid your tools along the guided path, as this photo shows:


What you are doing is sliding to metal spring clips, I have taken the clips out and taken photos so you have an idea what you are sliding. THIS IS THE VIEW FROM THE BACK


This is the view from the other side, from the front:


These are kinda a pain, but no impossible, just take your time and eventually they will unhook the airbag, after these clips the air bag will just pop off.

STEP 6:
Now that the airbag is out we will disconnect the airbag from the car, I disconnected the bag directly from the cables its easy enough to release them with your hands, no tools needed


To release the clips you have to slide the front up and then the whole cable will detach, set the airbag aside




Step 7:
Disconnect the internal wire harness, There is one that goes to the center ring, right where the airbag connects, and one for the audio controls and one for the cruise control. (wires circled in green) Remove the bolts (that are circled in red) They should be a T35.


Step 8:
Once all thats out, there will only be one bolt left, a big T50 in the center, remove that bolt, helps if you have someone else hold the wheel. Then the wheel should slid right off, I didnt need a puller and I have many people havent had to have one either.


Step 9:
Place the new wheel on, there will be grooves to help slid it new wheel on the right way, once it is slid on just do the reversal of the same steps. and when you get to placing the airbag / horn back on you line it up in the right spot and press firmly in until it click in. now your done!!!


AFTER:


If you have any questions feel free to PM me at anytime and I will try and help as much as possible! I also help this helps at least one person!!
 
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#4 ·
#3 ·
Nice write up. You're the first person who realized that pulling the positive is electrically the better solution. Pulling the negative off the battery, while technically a safer pull to do, doesn't guarantee there is no current in the engine bay.
 
#5 ·
Neutrons travel to protons
 
#9 ·
Neutrons are electrically neutral - that's how they got their name. Electrons travel to protons.

More practically speaking, there are a minimum of two "grounds" in the engine bay. The grounds are connected to each other via engine bracing. If you look at page 10-78 (2012 owners manual - it may be a different page in the 2011 and 2013 manuals) you'll see that the instructions are to connect to the positive pole of the battery, which is the same point JediSamReye pulled the battery cable but that you are to connect the negative jump cable to the engine block as far away from the battery as your cables allow. This is the proof that the engine ground is connected to the battery's negative pole. The problem with pulling the negative cable from the battery is that you still have a current route from the positive battery pole to the engine block ground and thus to the alternator's ground, which also shares the engine block as a grounding point.. Pulling the positive pole cable from the battery eliminates this route. This is circuit design 101.
 
#10 ·
I purchased this wheel from ebay, someone was parting out a cruze I lucked out and got it for $5 and then $10 for shipping. Its not perfect, the leather part is perfect shape, there is a scuff on the silver towards the bottom. but for the price I couldn't beat it.
 
#13 ·
Yeah my boss has a camaro and it seems like we have the same wheel..... Now we do I mean ;)
 
#15 ·
according to those pictures that looks like it would fit and the airbag connections are right, I just dont know about the wireharness for the controls without looking at them upclose but i bet if the sonic swapped that ours will too
 
#20 ·
No i didnt, im thinking about replacing my clock spring next so I can look when I do that
 
#30 ·
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#53 ·
I may be getting ahead of myself but what about a Verano steering wheel, will it work?
I mean it is GM.
Following up on an old post...

The Verano wheel should work but you'd have to use the Verano's airbag as well, it's shaped much differently than the Cruze airbag. You'd also have to double check the wheel controls use the same wiring connectors, though I imagine they would.
 
#33 ·
Fully loaded leather steering wheel will be in tomorrow!
Probably none of the buttons will work due to non connectivity package but will look and feel better.

Anyone know if you can wire up the cruise control to work, if its not plug and play on my car?


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#34 ·
It is my (very limited) understanding that there are two different clocksprings in the Cruze, a four circuit model for cars without wheel controls and a fourteen circuit model for those with wheel controls. If your car has only got the base clockspring there will be no way for the cruise/radio controls to talk to anything.

Now, if you were to update to the 14 circuit CS, well, if the harness in the column has all the wires and if the BCM has the cruise control logic programmed in already, and if there's nothing else to overlook, I could see CC maybe working... but that's a lot of "ifs".
 
#52 ·
#37 ·
It's weird cause I don't have the package, and it worked for me...
Some say it doesn't.

But the connectors were the same and everything.
The DIC even tells you what the mph you set it to.

It just doesn't have the led on the rpm gauge that tells you when it's on.


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#38 ·
It's weird cause I don't have the package, and it worked for me...
Some say it doesn't.

But the connectors were the same and everything.
The DIC even tells you what the mph you set it to.

It just doesn't have the led on the rpm gauge that tells you when it's on.


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
I haven't even installed your big three cables FFS. I keep borrowing my own tools from my dad and the wrong ones.

Once i install your cables, ima buy the steering wheel, worst case scenario i switch back and re read this thread 9000 times. I hate not having Cruise Control.
 
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