Dear Men: I was asked to take pictures and record the removal of my steering wheel. This is it. Although my car is right-hand drive, the theory should still apply (I utilized the docs from the American Toyota tech site); perhaps the difference is that your indicator and wiper sticks are oriented differently?
Please be aware that you follow the steps I took below AT YOUR OWN RISK. Any errors or omissions are not my fault.
Getting the following two documents from the Toyota tech info website is highly recommended. They are document IDs RM000000UW801VX (Steering pad removal) and RM000000WAD015X. (Steering column assembly: removal) Although it demonstrates how to remove the wheel, you won’t need to remove the entire steering column.
I did this in order to swap out the switch assembly for one that has a dial for the fog lights.
Important: After waiting 90 seconds, unplug the negative connection from the battery. This is done to stop airbags from deploying.
You require a socket wrench with a 16mm socket, a flat and phillips head screwdriver, and a torx socket (T-30).
1. Remove these coverings as the first step;
Use an electrical screwdriver that has tape wrapped around it to accomplish this. (to stop scratching)
2. The T-30 torx bolts must then be loosened.
They will make a point and stop in front of a plastic holder (in other words, they just loosen, not come right off)
3. Remove the steering wheel pad with care. It is connected to the horn wire and the air bad connections.
The air bag couplings are strange; you have to use a screwdriver to release the yellow tabs.
4. Remove the center nut keeping the wheel in place using the 16mm socket. Additionally, the wires at the top must be unclipped (I believe they are the wires for the button controls).
5. Let’s go! The center piece should then be removed. This can be completed with some caution and without removing any wires.
6. Disconnect the wiring connector, which can be seen on the right; the new switch assembly will clip into this. (This is how your lights are wired.)
Unclip the wiper assembly to the left at the same time; it will fit directly onto your new switch assembly.
7. The switch assembly is the only item left. It took around 20 minutes and was incredibly difficult to get that off. To remove the switch assembly, you’ll need a set of pliers and to grasp a metal ring up top. When you squeeze the ring, it becomes enough loose to be pulled off. The assembly wouldn’t budge, which was the hardest part of the entire exercise. I thought maybe I had missed a clip or something, but gradually it managed to pry itself free.
Final result
My local dealer informed me that it would cost $85 to remove the wheel and install the replacement switch assembly, which greatly irritated me. That’s OK, but the man stated an outright falsehood when he said they need 45 minutes to “repack the air bag” while looking me in the eye. I never even saw the air bag throughout my removal; it is located inside the steering pad.
The entire process took close to two hours. This is primarily because I moved cautiously and gently.
In This Article...
Disconnect Battery
Now take the battery’s negative terminal off. This will, at the absolute least, stop the horn from frightening you to death while you try to unhook it. The steering wheel’s horn cover can then be removed. With a flat head screwdriver, this should easily take off, though some cars might have several screws beneath the steering wheel.
Loosen Nut
Then, unplug the horn and any cruise control or car audio controls located on the steering wheel. A single big nut in the center of the steering wheel secures it in place. This can be pretty tight, so crank the steering wheel to activate the steering lock and keep it in place while taking the keys out of the ignition.
Leave Nut On Thread
Once the nut is unfastened, mark the space between the steering wheel and the spline with a paint marker so you can precisely position the wheel once again later. Replace the nut and spin it on only a few revolutions after this is finished. That will guarantee that the steering wheel won’t fly off under the puller’s tension.
Thread on Steering Wheel Puller
Choose the two bolts from the steering wheel puller kit that are appropriate for your wheel by looking for the threaded holes in the center of the steering wheel. These should be inserted into the steering wheel by being threaded through the puller’s grooves.
Tighten Puller
The puller’s center nut should now be positioned in the shaft’s middle and tightened. This will allow you to lift the steering wheel away by gradually removing it from its spline.
Refit Wheel
Make sure the wheel slides into the spline dead straight when reinstalling it or installing a new one. You won’t have a crooked wheel when you’re driving because you got the wheels pointed forward in step one. Simply tighten the center nut to secure the wheel to the spline, then put everything back together using the same disassembly method.
What size steering wheel comes with a Toyota Corolla?
Size of the 2020 Toyota Corolla’s steering wheel The steering wheel of the 2020 Toyota Corolla measures 14 1/2″ in diameter and 4 1/4″ in circumference.