Sideways

I have just bought a Momo steering wheel for my MY97 to replace the dinner plate one. I have been told I will have to change the plug for the airbag, but are there any other dangers with changing the wheel myself ? I would be gratefull for any advice from anyone that has preformed this task.

Thanks Jason

iain atkins

Jason

For what it's worth I would probably get it done by a garage, I wouldn't want one of those going off in my face!! BIG FLASHES JASON IN ASHES other wise

Is it the momo from a 98 onwards (with airbag) or is it non air bag?

If it's the airbag wheel then it should be a quick job for a garage.

Cheers


Iain

PS Let me know how you get on because i'm thinking of doing this on my MY97 as well

[This message has been edited by iain atkins (edited 17 August 2001).]

Tim Skerry

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Apparently if you disconnect it with the ignition off it wont go off. [/B]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Don't go there. Airbag systems have capacitative charge stores so that if you hit something and cut the power to the system before it tries to energise, the bags will still be able to go off. The usual reccomendantion for working on airbag systems is to disconnect the battery and leave the car for 1/2 hour. To be on the safe side, you might want to leave it for longer.
Even if you are just taking out one bag module, rather than working on the sensors, it is worth taking precautions as a new bag module will be a lot of money.
I would be surprised if it cost much to have the dealer do it, and then you leave tyhem all the risk.

Sideways

Thanks Iain, apparently if you disconnect it with the ignition off it wont go off. Its from an STi its got the airbag and is the same as a P1 wheel ( red stitching around the inside ) I'll let u know what I decide, but as my car is going to Subaru on Thursday for a service anyway might get them to do it
Cheers Jason

Sideways

Thanks Guys. I think I'll get Tileys to do it. Dont want any nasty incidents.

Cheers Jason

RobScreene

I'm in a surprisingly similar position with a MY97 car.

I've disconnected the batter for half an hour, but the splined bolts either side of the wheel that apparently hold the airbag module in are torqued so tight that I broke my spline attachment before either one would give!

My dealer has offered to fit the wheel for 1 hour labour and also offered to fit secondhand MY2000 4-pots and disks for about 2.5 hours labour.

It's currently booked in for this Friday for these and a new alternator (12.7volts chargeing under heavy load; air-con, main beam, hrw, etc. is apparently under spec, so covered under the extended warranty). Hurrah!

Comments appreciated.

cheers,
Rob.

[This message has been edited by RobScreene (edited 21 August 2001).]

andyp

Fitting is fairly easy. You'll need the following equipment:-
- Torque wrench & suitable socket
- Suitable "star-shaped-allen-key-thingy"
- A small flat-blade screwdriver
- A replacement nylon torque-washer for the main bolt, alternatively some torque-lock compound such as threadlock will do.

WARNINGS
========

- I've only done this on a MY95 using a MY99 Momo wheel
- All these instructions are from memory, so if I've missed something out, I'm sorry!!!
- The airbag connectors "may" be different. If it is, then this will require a little fudging. If you are not happy doing this sort of electrical work then ask someone else to do it. (More details on this later on).
- Airbags are pyrotechnic devices. The should only trigger when 12v (not too sure about the current) is applied across the terminals. However, they are dangerous and "could" go off (but shouldn't). BE CAREFUL!


REMOVING
========
1) Pop the bonnet and disconnect the battery - don't forget to disable your alarm system first otherwise it'll deafen you when it goes off with your head under the bonnet! (yes I found out the hard way!)
2) Wait at least 30min and then take the star-allen key and unscrew the airbag retaining screws. These are on the back of the wheel, and are recessed.
3) Take the airbag off the wheel - may require a little bit of fiddling, but should come out with little or no force required to loosen it.
4) Then you must unplug the yellow airbag connector. This can be the fiddly bit and it will either uplug easily when the connectors release catch is pressed or will be a real b*tch! If it is not cooperating, use the small flat blade screwdriver to gently prise apart the connector body and it will then release
5) Disconnect the horn connector
6) Use the torque wrench to undo the steering wheel retaining nut, remove the nut and washer and you can then remove the wheel. May require a little bit of force and "wiggling" to pursuade it off the splines!

NOTE ABOUT CONNECTOR: The MY95 has a different airbag connector than the MY99/MY00. If the MY97 is the same as the MY95 then you will have to either
a) Source the correct corresponding half of the connector and replace the car-side connector with this new part, or
b) Take the connector off the old wheel and graft it onto the new wheel (this is what I did).

REMOUNTING:
This is pretty straightforward apart from centering the wheel! It took me a little time and I'm sure there is a better way to do this, but I basically mounted the wheel using the locating lugs and then put the nut on and lightly tightened it and drove on a camberless road to judge if the wheel was on straight. If anyone else has a better method please let me know.
Oh yeah, don't forget to replace the nylon washer, or use some threadlock. Re-assembly everything and bobs-your-uncle, no more sweaty-plastic steering wheel!

I must do some work now, but I hope this was of help. If you require any more information please drop me a line,

Cheers,

Andy Poon
andypoon@cheerful.com

Sideways

Cheers fpr that Andy but as sods law would have it had done the job before I saw your posting. Thats what I did basically but phoned my main dealer and they said disconnect the battery for 60 secs and then you can start work which is what I did. They wern't prepared to fit it as the old connection has 3 wires and the new plug ( which was bought with the wheel ) has 2 wires. the green is unused and the yellow/blue goes to blue and the yellow/black goes to brown. This took me about 3/4 hour to do, but I was warned that the airbag can go off because it may hold a charge. Mine was ok, but it depends how brave you are.

Regards Jason
p.s. thanks for all the advice and the wheel looks great.

RobScreene

Thanks guys.

It looks the same on my MY97, three wires car-side on the connector, only two used by the airbag side.

andyp

Rob,

as I understand it the airbag trigger is simply a pyrotechnic device; that is to say it has no electronics. The trigger electronics are in the SRS unit below the ashtray on a MY95 model.
This means that (in theory) there is no polarity involved.

Please note that although I have done this on my own car, I could be talking complete bllx and can't take any responsibility for things going t*ts up. Anyway, good luck!

Andy

RobScreene

Thanks Andy,
I spoke to my dealer. He was surprised on the connector difference.

I mentioned I was going to remove the newer socket off the momo and solder on to the older shape off the bus airbag module.

He warned against this and said soldering the wires will create a resistance which the airbag warning light would detect and would then stay on.

I find this very unlikely and consider a good soldered joint to be an excellent conductor, probably better than the original wire. However the gold plating and double locking of the connector does tend to reinforce his idea.

He mentioned a customer had taken a feed for an alarm off a similar airbag line and that caused the airbag light to be on. I think that's a different thing altogether, but know he's probably much more experienced at these things than me.

As I would only find out after I have cut one or both airbag lines, I have ordered the "clock spinner" disk wiring and the indicator parts which should arrive tomorrow. Hopefully this will allow me to swap the whole thing over, without having to re-make any of the wiring loom. Indicators on the left will be a nice bonus.

Any suggestions appreciated.
cheers,
Rob.

[This message has been edited by RobScreene (edited 23 August 2001).]

RobScreene

The answer to this as I've now found out.

The MY98/99 indicator assembly (indicators on left) has very different connections and would require customising the loom.

I just cut the smaller airbag plug off the MY99 "clock-spinner" disk, cut the old unused wire (blue/white im my case) and did exactly as sideways advised:
"They wern't prepared to fit it as the old connection has 3 wires and the new plug ( which was bought with the wheel ) has 2 wires. the green is unused and the yellow/blue goes to blue and the yellow/black goes to brown"
e.g.
a) Source the correct corresponding half of the connector and replace the car-side connector with this new part, or

I preferred this as if the airbag is ever deployed, it is a simple standard part fitment. Here's the cable colours and joint (before heat shrink sleeving and tape) in case anyone needs a quide for the "two momo airbag brown wires connector" in future:

Scoty

Hello peeps,

I have a 98 UK turbo with the standard airbag steering wheel. I've just bought a momo silverjet without the airbag. Can any off you guy's tell me were to get a boss kit that will allow a garage to fit the later?

Thanks

Scoty

WUZ

iTrader: (14)

Scoty,
Any Momo dealer can get you the boss required to fit the steering wheel.
If all goes well are you interested in selling your airbag Momo for me to fit to my 97 UK Turbo?

Let me know!

Russell

Dub Yar Ex

i know some of the airbag equiped wheels look a bit 'bus like' or whatever but i still would think twice about replacing an airbag equiped car with a wheel with no airbag...but then due to a massive head-on a couple of years ago i owe my life to an airbag that worked perfectly so i may be biased....
just thought i'd mention it

Steve Lawson

Not wishing to rain on your parade guys BUT I know that airbags work on resistances to fire off the squib/detonator in the airbag......so even if you solder all joints(which incidentally Subaru will not allow you to do,full replacement airbag loom if damaged)I personally would not mess about replacing airbags/steering wheels.

Scenario...you have removed airbag/swopped steering wheel or whatever and then you have a crash(god forbid)of course all of you have informed your insurance companies that you have done the above haven't you.
1. Mr Insurance assesor comes along who isn't the mug you take him for and see's what you have done...Insurance void

2. You have an accident and the airbag fails to go off because of what you have done/modified...(Again Insurance void)

How the hell do you lot know whether the airbag will work after your modifcations I certainly don't and I have been working on these cars for 8 years!!!!

I am going to climb off my soapbox now and calm down cos at the end of the day I do not want to see any Snet members or lurkers possibly maimed by this "mod"

Lets all be careful out there guys

Steve

ptholt

just as another little shower on the parade, what happens when you come to sell the car and the new owner has it go off on them or it doesnt go off when it should.........

Sideways

Well I can't believe this post got revived.
I fitted the wheel in august and no dramas yet.
if it wasn't going to work then the light would warn me.
LOL at PTHOLT what a drama queen. When I sell the car I shall return it to standard.
Anyway its Friday so I'm off to the pub.
Byyeeeeeeee

ptholt

yeah a real drama queen when someone whos soldered airbag wiring ends up in court, is it really worth diy'ing it and possibly facing awful results.

i think not.

must remember not to buy a car from you.

CataIunya

Lets drag this one back up as its exactly what I need to know......But has anyone grafted the steering wheels plugs around and if so does it matter about the polarity of the 2 yellow wires ?

Mortywrx

just so i can find it later just fitted mine but still to do the wiring.

looks 10 times better then bus wheel

Darren

Mortywrx

ive done the wiring inthe airbag but both wires on the airbag side were yellow so ive had to leave it for the moment.

if someone can help reg this please throw in your sugestions.

cheers

darren

andykidman

Very useful thread this, just about to change a MY98 plastic airbag wheel to a MY00 momo airbag wheel!

andykidman

Just to drag this up again, currently got a STI8 model steering wheel, have checked the wiring and the airbag module wiring socket is different to my MY98 airbag wheel

Whats the best way to sort this, or has anyone done this?

willgill

iTrader: (1)

three wires to two wires?

CataIunya

Wow back from the dead did mine over a year ago last post in this thread March 2003 ! mines been working a treat no SRS error lights no pyrotechnics going off in my face.

Dyney

Andy K,
I have the same. I'am going to get a car electrician mate to have a look when I catch him
If you find a solution before I do post it here!

Ted Ed

Sideways

yhpm

Simon

Dyney

Here is the STI 8 wheel fitted

Thought the airbag hasn't been sorted yet

Ted Ed

Dyney

Where did you get your wheel from...what year is your car...

I was told by a dealer that it would'nt fit a my00 and the wheel was £400 + vat

Simon