fitting a non air bag steering wheel

[candy kane]

A few weeks back i managed to get hold of an early phase one gsi steering wheel for just £7.50 (bargain) i currently have a later wheel with an airbag. I was wondering if anyone has done this and how do you overide the air bag etc so the light doesnt come on

cheers guys

[candy kane]

Anyone??

[TINTIN]

Do a general google search dude, its really as simple as one wire but i'm buggered if i can remember for sure which right now.

[candy kane]

Ok cheers bud ill look it up

[BigDave1979]

Not fitted a non-airbag steering wheel, but have had to replace an airbag steering wheel and noted a couple of things that might be of help.

The airbag wheel has a spring loaded disc thingy, the correct name for which escapes me right now. This has the flexible wiring for the airbag and the horn buttons. To get the horn working you'll need to connect the horn wire from the plug that goes to this to the sprung contact pin that contacts the back of the non-airbag wheel. Maybe a little extra fiddling to do with the wiring to make it work properly.

To put the light out as said have a google search. The numerous aftermarket boss kits come with what I presume is a resistor to plug in to keep the airbag ECU happy or I'm pretty certain you can just unplug the airbag ECU altogether, assuming it's just got the one airbag.

[TINTIN]

You can fit non airbag hubs but need to amend the wiring a little. I cant remember exactly how but i do recall it being as simple as one wire.

[Gsilee91]

just take the old wheel off and put the boss on, and new after market wheel, only problem is if you have steering wheel controls u wont be able to use them

[TINTIN]

just take the old wheel off and put the boss on, and new after market wheel, only problem is if you have steering wheel controls u wont be able to use them

And you'll have the airbag light illuminated constantly until you over ride it.

[Craig-S]

I think the plastic cowling is different between the two models too. But i may be wrong. I know it is on a cavalier.

[TINTIN]

It is dude, you're right. You need the cowling from a non airbag non adjustable cavalier. Good luck finding one, lol

[Astra Dan]

Or a non-airbag, non adjustable Mk3 Astra of course.

The airbag ECU is under the tray behind the handbrake just unplug it, although you might still have to remove the bulb in the dash.

[TINTIN]

Nope, gotta be a cav one I believe as all phase 2 Astras had airbags and the positioning of the ignition barrel and design of the lower half of the cowling was different on a phase 1.

[GTE 16v]

Where would you stand at MOT time, not having an airbag in a car that is supposed to have one?

[nibnob21]

Where would you stand at MOT time, not having an airbag in a car that is supposed to have one?

Well for a lot of older cars where airbags weren't on all models I'm sure it's a bit of a grey area as your MOT tester is unlikely to know every model that did and didn't come with one, so I'm sure you cold get away with fitting a non airbag steering wheel to a corsa b u.at originally had an airbag, for example. After a certain date though airbags came as standard in all cars so you would have thought it's these cars that the new rule will apply to.

Fairly sure you can still get away with removing it though if it is for example a track car. Other than that though the airbag has to stay.

[Craig-S]

You can remove any airbag and pass an MOT so long as the light isnt on.....

Its just that if its in the car it has to work, Very much like ABS, Rear seats, rear view mirror etc

[nibnob21]

You can remove any airbag and pass an MOT so long as the light isnt on.....

Its just that if its in the car it has to work, Very much like ABS, Rear seats, rear view mirror etc

Yes, but they are bringing in new regulations very shortly saying that any car that was fitted with an airbag out of the factory isn't allowed to have it removed.