Guide to removing vy/vz steering wheel

[Lumps of cheese]

Hey all,
I know there is some threads around with some instructions here and there on how to do this but since i was doing this today i thought i'd take some snaps whilst doing it to help people along. Keep in mind this is just a guide and i take no responsibility if you stuff it up cutting corners and end up wearing your airbag!

For starters, disconnect your battery and leave for a period of time before starting, 10-15 should do it.
Also make sure that you have your front wheels straight as well as your steering wheel so you don't go putting it back on crooked.

1. Take a small flat blade screwdriver and insert into the slots on the back of your wheel. There are 2 per side, once in turn the screwdriver whilst gently pulling the airbag towards you, you will feel the airbag come away slighty from the wheel.Continue this until all 4 are done and the airbag should be free of the wheel.

2. Once the clips are released you'll have to unplug the bag. Gently remove the yellow plug in the centre of the bag shown below, then remove the red wire also from the bag assembly. The airbag will now be completely free of the wheel.

3. Place your airbag facing up away from the car just in case, heard a couple of stories of bags going off!
Grab a phillips head screwdriver and undo the screw holding the green wire to the wheel.

4. Undo the clip connecting the steering controls shown below.

5. Using a 30mm socket with extension undo the centre nut of the wheel.

6. Thread wire looms through opening at the back of the wheel and gently slide the wheel towards you off the spline, the wheel should now be free.

7. If you are changing your spokes on your wheel grab a phillips head screwdriver and undo the 2 gold screws on the wheel as shown.

8. Flip wheel over and grab the plastic case and just pull towards you, it should come free of the wheel and expose the screws holding the spokes in.



Work in reverse to fit your wheel back up, just remember not to hook your battery up until everything is back together!

[derrro]

thanks for that dude! Good description and pix.

[Lumps of cheese]

thanks for that dude! Good description and pix.

No probs.
Feel free to add anything i may had missed.

[HoldrodeoLT]

Great guide i never would of thought i could take my steering wheel off by my self untill i read this... note to anyone else (this was purley my carless fault) when removing the steering wheel it was obviosly the 1st time it had been taken off since it was built, so i gave it a real good pull and the steering wheel control wire got caught and got torn out of its jack... so in future others may want to make sure every wire is out of the way if its abit tight...

apart from that the new spokes look great

[Lumps of cheese]

Great guide i never would of thought i could take my steering wheel off by my self untill i read this... note to anyone else (this was purley my carless fault) when removing the steering wheel it was obviosly the 1st time it had been taken off since it was built, so i gave it a real good pull and the steering wheel control wire got caught and got torn out of its jack... so in future others may want to make sure every wire is out of the way if its abit tight...

apart from that the new spokes look great

Yes good point.
Loctite on the spline would be the reason for this so take it easy guys.

[Weekend Warrior]

awesome guide! Thanks heaps, only thing which may help would be how to correctly disconnect the battery

[wingwang99]

Can i suggest that anyone doing this removes the airbag fuse. I have heard shorts occuring (although very unlikely) and the airbag going off. I can't imagine what your face would look like with a close impact from an airbag...

[vzo5martini]

so how do you connect your steering wheel controls to a different stereo. Is it hard. How does it work?

[Ozzie]

Any idea if the VY-VZ wheel will fit into a VT-VX?

I take its the same sort of procedure to take out a VT-VX wheel

[Lumps of cheese]

so how do you connect your steering wheel controls to a different stereo. Is it hard. How does it work?

If you're talking about aftermarket stereos then most likely you'll need the cat interface. Use the search option, there are some threads that have already covered the subject.

[Lumps of cheese]

Any idea if the VY-VZ wheel will fit into a VT-VX?

I take its the same sort of procedure to take out a VT-VX wheel

I'm not sure about fitment, pretty sure they're different.
The wheels are different, removing the airbag will be different i would think. I never had to remove the wheel from my vt so i'm not 100% sure how they come out.

[Ozzie]

I'm not sure about fitment, pretty sure they're different.
The wheels are different, removing the airbag will be different i would think. I never had to remove the wheel from my vt so i'm not 100% sure how they come out.

Yep im sure the wheels are different as the vt air bags have security screws behind it.

Just wondering if the splines are the same vt,vx,vy,vz?

[Lumps of cheese]

I would think they'd be the same, just check with holden on that one.

[sp001in]

can someone give me close up picture of the yellow airbag wire, does it slide off or pull off?

[HoldrodeoLT]

can someone give me close up picture of the yellow airbag wire, does it slide off or pull off?

Pulls off.

[Sorak]

Thanks for a great guide!

I removed my VZ wheel to fit new spokes only to find that mine are molded rubber. Bugger!

Taking this as a good excuse, I bought a leather wheel off eBay, but the seller claims that the wheel only suits VY. I thought that VY and VZ wheels are interchangable?

Anyone know if this would be true or not?

Cheers.

[HoldrodeoLT]

As per my above post, when taking of my steering wheel the steering wheel control wire got caught and broke.. i drew up a quick diagram on what happend... anyone got any ideas on how to fix this?

[alien]

Goto your local Dick Smith store and ask for a 2-way nylon connector (Part Number P5102) for about $2.39. You can then replace the whole clips (both sides) with these. If you want you can also spray them a colour IF you want to :P

[AussieHolden]

Can I also add that before disconnecting the air bag wiring that you press your brake pedal a few times to discharge any current left in the power system this could explain the stories of air bags going off!

[AussieHolden]

I eventually got my airbag off only first to discover that you need to drop the fuse panel to get better access to the rear clips.

The secound problem that I came accross is that I do not have a normal 30mm bolt and by looking at the images the 30mm is not factory so that steering wheel has come off before and the factory hex bolt has been replaced as you can see the outline of the hex bolt in the image.

So I can't get my steering wheel off. If I can not get the Hex socket from bunnings I will have to go to Holden to change my steering wheel.

I don't even know what size hex socket to even get. ?

This has been very disappointing for me.

[Lumps of cheese]

I eventually got my airbag off only first to discover that you need to drop the fuse panel to get better access to the rear clips.

The secound problem that I came accross is that I do not have a normal 30mm bolt and by looking at the images the 30mm is not factory so that steering wheel has come off before and the factory hex bolt has been replaced as you can see the outline of the hex bolt in the image.

So I can't get my steering wheel off. If I can not get the Hex socket from bunnings I will have to go to Holden to change my steering wheel.

I don't even know what size hex socket to even get. ?

This has been very disappointing for me.

Well, i've done this in 4 different cars, 3 vz's and 1 vy and they all have this same bolt so i don't know what to tell you. I'd say yours is the one that's not factory.

[AussieHolden]

I dropped by Smith Holden to ask about doing this for me and I didn't like the quote I was given but I asked about the bolt and yes far as they know these bolts are factory as they are tamper proof but some tyre joints replace them back to normal bolts because they are easy to stuff up.

No matter I picked up a tamper proof kit from supercheap and used the T45.



All is good and now I have my leather steering wheel with my satin finnish on the spokes.

[Gero SV6]

NEVER place air bag face down. sit it so if the air bag goes off it comes out the top.if it goes off face down it will fly into the air

[Capt Baldman]

Thanks for the above details, one point, any issues when reconnecting the Battery...ie, clock..radio..or other electronic gizzmos..?...do they all just keep working as before...

Thanks again

[Capt Baldman]

Also, i have just checked my steering Wheel, it appears to be Rubber, including the spokes....does that therefore mean i can't fit the new Satin Chrome spokes...!!....did i read that somewhere here....( "04" VZ Acclaim Wagon )

Ta again