Rover 45 steering wheel airbag removal ?

[Burnside]

My Grandad has somehow managed to break the wiper stalk on his Rover 45. Having managed to pick up a 2nd hand replacement this weekend it appears the wiper and lights / indicator stalk on the oppersite side of the steering wheel come togther as a whole unit so the steering wheel and airbag needs to be removed to allow me to replace it.

 

Anyone know how best to go about removing the airbag to access the steering wheel i.e what bolts / screws etc and where as we don't have a Hanyes Manual and if I break anything my Grandad wouldn't let me hear the end of it!

 

Here is a pic of said steering wheel.

 

 

 

[djoptix]

Looks like an mgf one which iirc is retained by a couple of awkwardly angled screws that come in from the back. You might need to remove the upper and lower cowls from the steering column to get at them.

[sierraman]

Disconnect battery for minimum half an hour, then proceed with caution.

[155V6]

I think they're Torx screws on the back of the wheel.

[Burnside]

Thanks for that info so far. I wasn't sure how it came out as the airbag was already removed on the scrap yard vehicle. I've disconnected the Battery already as it needed charging due to lack of use so hopefully by the weekend when I pop round I can safely remove it. Must admit I'm bricking it about removing that airbag still though!

[oldcars]

Yes i think they are two torx screws on the back, they are on a 75.

[gadgetgricey]

Apologies if teaching the sucking of eggs here, but

 

If you have power steering, find the "bolts" first and position steering wheel for easiest access.

Battery disconnected for at least 30 mins and make sure no electric in system (Turn radio on etc)

Remove torx bolts

Remove airbag carefully as will be connected to steering wheel by a short cable. Disconnect cable.

This cable will probably be connected to the wheel via the clock spring, you'll need to find where this is connected and remove as well.

Now the fun starts as you need to remove the bolt.

Find the right socket and remove as needed. 

However

Make a note of exactly orientation of wheel, so that its goes back on the same way. (so straight ahead for the wheel, stays as straight ahead when driving)

Also dont fully remove the nut at this stage. leave it on the last bit.

Now you will need to give the steering wheel a good tug to free it.

This normally involves it releasing very quickly and you will be thankful that you left the nut on the last bit, so that it stops the wheel from coming off fully and leaving a Rover shaped emblem on your face,.

Once wheel is free, remove the nut fully and take the wheel off.

 

Change what you need for indicator wiper etc, and as per the normal Haynes line, reassembly is the reverse process.

 

Just remember to put wheel back on at correct "angle" and be careful when reattaching wires for clock spring/airbag.

 

Never done a Rover 45,  but the above is from Xantia's and Saabs so assume process is the same.

[Pillock]

A dob of tippex or a dot punch on the end of the splines and the wheel will help you line it up. 

If using tippex don't put it on the splines as the nut/wheel will scrape it all off when you remove it

 

Airbags don't tend to go off by themselves, you'll be reet. Just remember to duck really fast if it starts to inflate.

[gadgetgricey]

Airbags don't tend to go off by themselves, you'll be reet. Just remember to duck really fast if it starts to inflate.

 

Should have also said dont leave the back doors open.

If someone walks past and slams the back door (someone similar to my son, the bastard ), you wont half shit yourself as you'll think the airbag has gone off when your face is resting on the wheel trying to locate the torx bolts.

[Burnside]

Cheers everyone again for the replies. From what I could see at the scrapyard the weekend that sounds right with the Torx Screws holding the airbag from what was left on the Car.

 

It looks like this will be up For Sale soon after speaking to family earlier. Not sure on a price yet. It past the Mot last month no trouble and had a headgasket replacement last year which cost £600! It'a 1.4 usual giffer marks but tidy. Only done 83k if anyone interested PM me and I'll try and find out.

 

Recent pic after Mot vist last month.

 

[Isaac Hunt]

All advice chaps give sounds right from when I stopped a rotor coupler on a Rover 25.

 

I would make sure Wheels are straight ahead and steering wheel is level, much easier to get it back straight.

 

As chaps say, mark the wheel and spline with tippex / tyre paint pen. Also 'sight' The wheel spokes to the dash and make a note. Remember the 'Haynes' principle........ re-Assembly is the reverse procedure to dismantling, fine until you forget how it came apart.

 

Also mark the rotor coupler and don't rotate it or let it move when it is off. Some masking tape to stop it moving is useful.

 

You'll feel like one of the bomb disposal guys out of die hard, if i touch this will it go off, but you be fine.

 

Good to see you helping your Grandad as he had a big bill for OMGHGF, but I'm sure they did a good job for that figure.

[sierraman]

Yeah forgot to say that, for god sake leave the nut on 3-4 turns if you don’t want a bloody nose.

[twosmoke300]

Three minutes is enough for airbags between disconnecting battery and working on them . It’s only to discharge the deployment capacitor which is done straight away on disconnection.

 

Useless fact . The airbag Ecu has a capacitor in it that has enough charge to fire the airbags if you are unlucky enough to tear the battery lead off the exact moment to crash

[sierraman]

If you’ve been in a bang big enough to rip the battery out of the clamps, that airbag isn’t going to help you.

[twosmoke300]

Indeed

[Christine]

Put a couple of thick blankets on your lap,just in case ..

 

ALWAYS  think of the crotch area  when doing something like this..

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ex-Army-Bomb-Suit-Ppe-Military-Disposal-Kit-X-army-Rare-Collectors-Item/392179937423?hash=item5b4fbef08f:g:SNIAAOSwal5YK2Su:rk:1:pf:0

[sierraman]

Don’t get your cock fast in the coin tray as you wrestle with the wheel.

[Burnside]

Good thinking on marking the spline for reference and with leaving the bolt slightly threaded in before removing the steering wheel 1st. Mind you with my inability to attract a women any loss downstairs will likely make sod all difference!

 

Barring me buggering this up I'll report back next week.

[Burnside]

Well update so far is that this hasn't gone to plan. An no a Airbag thankfully hasn't hit me in the face yet!

 

Spent about half hour stripping down the Rover earlier in the week to find out that the replacement stalks we brought won't fit as there is various differences that aren't apparent till its removed. So took it back to the scrapyard and tried the only other Rover they had in getting soaked in the rain to find that is also the wrong one. So I guess a ebay hunt etc is now on the cards.

 

Some pics of both stalks via my brothers 106 seat bellow to show the differences. The correct one is the top one in each picture. The incorrect one has a Lucas stamp on it unlike the other which has none. Both have different part numbers too so it should at least hopefully aid sourcing a correct item.

 

 

 

[Burnside]

Update as of tonight this is now fixed !

 

Thankfully after the disaster last week with getting the wrong stalk. We did some internet searching of the part number from the original stalk and it turns out it's the same stalk as the Honda Civic this car shares it's DNA with. No surprise really. Unlike the later models where they have changed to a different stalk as previously pictured.

 

So another trip to a scrappy and a 98 Honda Civic provided the goods. No pics but hopefully everything seams to have gone back together ok. Best bit is the airbag still in one piece!

 

Will sadly be selling this shortly along with his Transit Camper, as my Grandads ill health is preventing him from driving at the moment.

 

So if anybody looking for a cheap Mot'd motor or a major restoration project ( Transit ) etc drop me a message.