NBTBRV8

Guys,

Can anyone give any advice on how to remove the plastic trim on the steering wheel without damaging it or the wheel? I need to change my airbag.

Thanks.

andrewgt3

couple of links to check out:

https://rennlist.com/forums/997-gt2-...ing-wheel.html

http://www.planet-9.com/reviews/caym...l-install.html

Spyerx

Great links... doing a swap myself soon.

OP: The plastic trim around the wheel is easily removable once you pull the airbag (hole in bottom).

Airbag comes out in 1 piece and all that trim is attached to it.

ShootingStar

Hammer.

Matrog

If you have the bright chrome plastic trim on the spokes, I'd recommend leaving it be. You do not need to remove it to replace the air bag. The bag module is like a coffee-can located in the center that slides in/out easily. The plastic chrome surround is affixed in such a way that you will likely crack it if your try to remove it.

I wanted to remove the chrome plastic in an effort to refinish it in flat black, but I gave up for fear of damaging it. I spoke to a number of the companies that fatten-up Porsche steering wheels and was warned against forcing that chrome surround off.

NBTBRV8

So this is for the 997.2? So the trim doesn't pull off first then the round airbag? Do you just poke a screw driver in the hole or is it a screw you need to undo?

Spyerx

I'm sorry, you're right, my comment was in reference to the .1 design... apologies.

NBTBRV8

There aren't any holes in the back of wheel of the 997.2 to poke anything in, so I am guessing that the plastic trim needs to be pulled off first.

Spyerx

Just to clarify: are you trying to remove your airbag or change out trim pieces?

Here's a pictorial on removing a .2 airbag:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/5320805...7624651083605/

Matrog

There is a small recessed hole at 6 pm on the underside of the wheel housing. It is a rubber material w/ a molded indentation. You will pierce the hole and then continue pressing your puch/tool until you feel a metal spring. If I recall correctly, you continue to press, and you'll here a "snap." This spring releases the coffee can and it slides right out.

Don't mess w/ the chrome trim or you may regret it !

It is really easy to do. Just make sure you've disconnected the battery first.

NBTBRV8

I am changing my airbag because it has some marks on the leather and the badge. Those photos are great, but it doesn't actually show how they slipped the airbag out of the wheel. Are there any written notes anywhere to go with them?

Matrog: yes there is a rubber filled indented hole at 06:00, so I need to punch through this and then find the lock clip and continue to push it.

I don't need to remove the plastic around the airbag, I just thought that I would need to in order to get the airbag out of the wheel.

Spyerx

Gotcha, so on those pictures, click the first picture, then click the little "speech bubble" the author has a little writeup on each step. Pictures 6,7,8,9 show the exact process with descriptions.

This process is super easy. Basically as has been described, find a metal object slightly smaller than that hole, you will stick the tool in the hole and it will hit a metal spring, you push on it and it releases the airbag and you just pull it straight out. ** DISCONNECT BATTERY FIRST ** Remove the wires, then reverse to put it back together. The airbag will simply snap into place.

NBTBRV8

Thanks. I'll punch the hole in and see if I can pop it out. Presumably I need to reset the spring before fitment or does it spring back automatically?

Spyerx

Nope, airbag will snap back in.

NBTBRV8

Just a post script to this. I changed the airbag, inserting a rod in to the hole on the underside of the wheel and finding the locking clip is tricky. My advice is to look a the back of the wheel from the underside and when you go to push the spring clip upwards that holds the airbag in you will see if your rod is pressing on the spring clip that is held down by the coil spring in this photo.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/5320805...7624651083605/

The coil spring can pop out of its holder, I spoke to my local tech about this and he says it happens more often than not, you you will need to clip the coil spring back in.

Reseat the spring clip making sure that it is slid down to the bottom of the wheel. Slide your airbag back in and once again to check that it has clipped the airbag back in properly by having a look at the back of the wheel and check that it has grabbed the hooks on the back of the airbag. Initally mine didn't and after a week my airbag popped out of the clip, ejecting from the wheel.

After my airbag popped back out I disconnected it all again and in doing so when I went to reconnect it I made a mistake in that I pushed the wiring clips back on to the airbag but one of the locking pins on the clips wasn't seated down properly, so even though the plug was pushed in the locking pin wasn't and this through a fault requiring the locking pin to be pushed and and reset at the dealers.

I now have to do it all again though as I have just bought another steering wheel. At least I know what to do this time.