View Single Post
Old 01-25-2009, 04:44 PM
  #4  
kramtrah
Senior Member
 
kramtrah's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Bothell, WA
Posts: 644
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default RE: Steering Wheel Emblem Replacement

Hey Bro, I'd like to take credit but I got the info from someone else, but will love posting the details to help you all out.

You'll first have to remove the two bolts holding the airbag assembly/center cover to the wheel. Located on the rear of the wheel spokes, you will see two tapered openings with a couple of 10mm head bolts in them. They're not on tight so this aspect is simple. Once you have loosened and removed the two bolts, the entire airbag assembly will be loose, but you must be careful with the horn and airbag firing connectors on the backside. Simply pull the airbag assembly a SHORT DISTANCE. You should first disconnect the horn wire at the assembly top with the single locking mechanism of the connector located on the top of the connector. The airbag has two firing connectors (one black one yellow) to the airbag and has two locking mechanisms on either side of each connector.

Having now removed the airbag assembly and cover from the wheel, flip it face down and you'll notice the rubbery cover has a number of square holes inside the portion that attaches to the metal frame. You simply push in the front of the cover while prying gently outwards at the corresponding point all the way around the cover until all the holes in the airbag cover are loose from the frame (I used a screw driver and soft cloth to assist this process). The frame and airbag can now be removed from the rubbery cover, setting aside airbag and frame.

Nearing the end of you work, look at the back or underside of the rubbery cover. There are two circuit boards that have bonded to the inside of the cover. You can clearly see the attachments for the emblem if you look in the space between the two circuit boards. There are three small metal clips which hold the emblem in place. One of the clips can be easily seen in the gap between the circuit boards and is pretty simple to get loose using an angled pick tool, although I used a small screwdriver. The other two are under one of the circuit boards, making them more of a challenge, but none the less, accessible. If you push on the front of the cover, it should flex enough so that you can either use a small screw driver as I did, or use a 90 degree pick to pry them off. Be careful in this area as the clear plastic circuit boards with the horn contacts could be damaged if you are impatient.

I have heard of some people managing to just pull the emblem loose, but that could leave the three clips floating around inside the cover, possibly shorting the horn or airbag circuit board or even where they might fall down and start to rattle. It also makes it likely that you would rip or distort the rubbery cover.

Finally, now having removed the emblem, you may re-assemble the wheel completely. Take some rubbing alcohol to ensure you clean the area a couple times where the emblem was. Let it dry and then mount the new emblem in place.

I found this site that has many different options and it's a high quality product from what I see:
3D-Decals
ORIGINAL: tommyroadrunner

How about some info so us Washingtonians can be fashion leaders, movers and shakers: where did the emblem come from, how to..........