XC70 steering wheel replacement

[Pjrebordao]

The leather on my steering wheel is completely cracked...
Can I replace the whole steering wheel, or are the electronics in it, also tied to car VIN ?

Thanks

[Brendan W]

For starters there is an airbag in there. Then there are all the controls for various stuff. If it was me I would explore possible ways to recover it before considering going in.

[Pjrebordao]

You're probably right...

[GrahamBrown1]

You can get leather wheel kits online to refurbish your steering wheel without removal ect. From what I have seen there are some good suppliers and they are Taylored to your car. As long as your handy with a needle and thread be much easier than possibly changing a wheel and then finding nowt works!

[4candles]

I was under the illusion that the steering wheel can be changed as it has no module requiring programming, not sure on that though.

You'll end up with a fat wheel using those kits and you would need to do many before even coming close to getting it to look factory perfect,

my 2d.

[cheshired5]

In this country, we have Royal Steering Wheels who do amazing quality work. http://royalsteeringwheels.com
Picture taken from this thread
http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=234740

[Anduril]

Hi there!

New poster here, often online but only as a simple reader of this excellent forum.
Much more vivid and helpful than other Volvo forums I go on, French speaking ones I mean.

Just a quick note to let you know that you can change your wheel quite easily, that's not a too big job. I personaly changed the 4-spoke wheel from my '02 V70 D5 for a 3-spoke from a '05 S60.
In fact the steering wheel consists of several parts that are easily done apart.
Basically you have
- A steering wheel rim
- A metal plate being the bracket for electronic modules (cruise control, audio controls,..)
- An airbag module

So you could just find a used wheel rim as a replacement of yours that's worn, and transfer your plate+modules and airbag on your new rim.

Before removing your wheel, don't forget to disconnect the battery, so as not to trigger the airbag when reconnecting it!

[Pjrebordao]

Thanks Anduril !

I agree I'm a bit wary of removing a wheel with an airbag...

How did you do it (besides disconnecting the battery) ?
How do you remove the airbag to get to the locknut behind ?

PS - There's a very good car upholsterer close to me, so I'll ask first if he can do the wheel...

[Anduril]

If I remember well, you have two T25 screws holding the plate/airbag on both sides of the wheel, you access them from behind at an outward angle.
You may also have to move away both upper and lower steering column shells (three T25 screws from below the steering column)

Check this Youtube video, I think it may help
https://youtu.be/xD89HejwEQE

[reggit]

Can't remember which is which (V70 v's S60), but one of them has 2x torx screws holding the airbag on and the other has 2x spring clips inside little holes on the back of the wheel.

Airbag module then comes out forwards and unplugs - be aware of setting SRS errors!

Undo big nut holding steering wheel on - can't remember if the squib ring needs to come out first, but it's obvious how it fits - and wheel pulls off. The nut is supposed to be a single use one I think.