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11-23-2012, 12:40 PM | #1 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 338666
Join Date: Nov 2012
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Northeast Ohio
Vehicle:2022 Crosstrek Ltd. Magnetite Gray |
2012/2013 steering wheel, CVT shift knob upgrade:
I thought I might post this in order to provide some info to others. Having a leather steering wheel in my '03 and not having one in my '13, I decided to remedy that. I installed a factory leather wheel. Of course all controls transfer over. Since this is not considered an accessory, you have to go to the parts catalog for the necessary parts. This also means you don't get any instructions.
Now that I have done the job, I thought I might pass on what I learned. First the parts: I had to refer to a 2012 diagram since I found no listing for a 2013 Impreza. I would imagine this would be similar or the same for other models. Easiest way to get there online is to get to parts>steering column> then click on the steering column diagram. That weeds out all the other stuff you don't need. You can order the parts online, but there are no part numbers. http://halpertsubaruparts.com/parts/...iagram=7595290 Here are parts needed: 1-Steering wheel w/leather (part #1 in diagram) 2-Lower cover w/leather (part 3) (evidently this is different for with/without) 3-Lower cover. (part 8) Part #8 is actually a bright piece that is on the bottom spoke of the wheel between the leather and the airbag. The lower cover (part #3), is the plastic piece behind the steering wheel. What is missing on the diagram and does not come with the part (#8) is a small, short screw, which helps retain part 8 in position. Disassembly: (DO AT YOUR OWN RISK) I'm a private owner working on my own car! If you are not comfortable with this, let someone that knows what they are doing do it. I have found several documents that make reference to the airbag. DISCONNECT THE VEHICLE BATTERY AND WAIT A MINIUM OF 1 MINUTE. That seems like a very short period of time so I waited longer. Anyway, after I disc. the battery, I also pressed the brake pedal a few times per something I read somewhere. I then gave it all about a half hour before I proceeded forward. Evidently, there is a small power supply or capacitor that needs time to discharge otherwise the airbag could deploy. This is the part I could not find on the internet. If you look at the trim piece behind the wheel, there are three holes big enough to stick a screwdriver into. There are three spring clips that retain the air bag/ horn to the wheel. I happen to have a screwdriver that I had bent the end of for something or other that ended up being just what I needed. The easiest way to get the location of the spring clips in relation to the holes are to put the new pieces together and determine where they are. Hint: they are not right inside the holes. One at a time, push in on the tip of the spring. (Toward the center of the wheel.) It doesn't take much. This is wherre the bent screwdriver came in handy. I had about 1.5 inches if the end bent at about a 45 degree angle. That pin on the air bag will release, and you move on to the next. Once all three are released, be careful not to pull the bag assembly away or let it fall and hang by the wires. There are two plugs on the air bag and a ground wire that is just a spade connector. the plugs are a 90 degree plug. There are clips directly above the plug that you pop open. A small screwdriver will gently lift those clips up. They don't come all the way out, just lift up a bit. Then you will be able to unplug those connectors. They are color coded so you cannot put them back in the wrong spot unless you are color blind. Anyway, the spade connector that is the ground wire actually has a small clip that sort of locks it on. I had to study that for a couple of minutes before I realized how it works. It is right there on the connector itself, and is not easy to spot. It is hiding in plain sight. Don't pull on the wire itself. When you press on that clip, the connector will unplug easily. Ok, now the air bag is completely loose from the wheel. Set it someplace safe where it will not get bumped, dropped, or have anything set on it. I read someplace that it is recomended not to put it upside down as well. Evidently, it could still go off if you did something stupid. A 17mm socket will get the nut loose that holds the wheel to the column. Don't take it all the way off at first. Once it is loose, work the wheel from side to side and it will come lose from the spline. IMPORTANT: before removal, make sure the wheel is straight with no load in either direction. I took a pencil and made a mark on the tip if the shaft so I knew which way was up, just in case something moved. You will see a connector near the top where the air bag wires are going. Do not try to disconnect the air bag wires. The other two connectors need to be unplugged. (The larger center one and the one to its right.) If you have not already, take the steering wheel nut the rest of the way off. Carefully pull the wheel toward you, paying close attention to wires. Seems like I had to get one out of some clip or another. Anyway, the wheel, and most of the wiring, will come out as an assembly, leaving the plug and air bag wire there. You can take everything to a work bench to swap it all over. My car is equipped with the CVT transmission. The paddle shifters will still be attached to the wheel. Turn the wheel upside down. there are very small connectors where the wire plugs into the paddle shifters. Unplug them. Each shifter has two phillips screws holding them to the wheel. Remove the screws and lift out the shifters. Set them aside. (You cannot get the trim piece off the back without doing this) The trim piece is held to the back of the wheel with a couple of guide pins near the lower 3 and 9 position with clips at the top of those positions and clips on both sides of the 6 o clock spot. With careful manipulation, you can remove the back trim piece. You will have to unclip wires that are routed there to keep them out of the way of moving parts. Just take your time and it will come off when there is nothing keeping it there. Looking at the back of the wheel, you will see a screw on either side that retains the controls for the cruise and radio/bluetooth stuff. Take those out. Flip the wheel over. There is some sort of rubber piece that the wires come through. It is held with two screws onto the front center of the wheel and sits on two locator pins. You can take that off. As you work things apart just pay attention to where and how the wires are routed. The cruise and audio controls are sitting there with two guide pins that also help hold them just a little. I used a small flat object, like an allen wrench, to push on those pins a little from the back side. The switches come out the front intact with their wiring. Reverse the process and put everything back into the leather wheel. The trim piece that is facing you when complete, at the 6 position, presses in from the front and uses the small screw to help keep it in place. You can put this piece in place when ever it is easiest, but before you snap the back trim on. Put the wheel back onto the column, feeding the wires and connector back through. The wheel nut is torqued to 30 Lb/ft. Plug the air bag wires back. Don't forget the ground connector. Line up the air bag, and push down until the three pins snap onto the spring clips. Reconnect the battery and test everything. The entire job took me about two hours. Part of that was spent trying to figure out how to release the air bag in the first place. Take your time, and pay attention to how things are routed. Be sure to route everything as it was, putting all wires back into the clips where they came from. I did not compare the back cover for the leather wheel with the original, but the parts list a different one for each so I just went with it. The shift knob: although sold as an accessory, there are no directions. It is pretty easy though. The lower chrome plastic piece pops off, (downward). It is plastic and can nick easily of you aren't carefull. That will drop down the shifter and sit there. Under that trim piece, you will find a clip. take it out. (I think it pops out toward the front.) the shifte handle will slide straight up and out of the shaft. It is lubricated with white lithium grease so have a paper towell or something to set it on. Lubricate the shaft on the new shift knob and slide it into place. Put the clip back than snap the cover back on by sliding it up into place. I hope this helps someone wanting the leather wheel in their car, or simply how to go about getting the wheel out for some reason or another. John
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Last edited by Guzzi 1; 04-14-2014 at 05:44 AM. |
02-27-2013, 03:34 PM | #2 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 348473
Join Date: Feb 2013
Chapter/Region:
NESIC
Location: Easton, PA
Vehicle:2013 XV Crosstrek Wicked Orange |
This is exactly what I've been looking for! Thanks for taking the time to do the write-up.
The only thing that would top this is if you had pictures, but I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. |
02-08-2014, 12:45 AM | #3 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 380440
Join Date: Feb 2014
Chapter/Region:
BAIC
Vehicle:2013 Impreza Wagon Dark Gray Metallica |
Quote:
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03-20-2014, 05:55 AM | #4 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 338666
Join Date: Nov 2012
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Northeast Ohio
Vehicle:2022 Crosstrek Ltd. Magnetite Gray |
Sorry for taking so long to get back. I didn't realize someone had posted a question recently. A: Just the factory leather shift knob to go with the leather wheel I installed. If you pop the lower trim on the shift knob, there is a retaining clip you pop off. The knob lifts off. John |
10-28-2016, 02:55 AM | #5 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 456226
Join Date: Oct 2016
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Pictures would be awesome!
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