Installed Steering wheel Audio control today

[Style4X4]

UPDATE:

POSTED LOTS OF PICTURES AS PROMISED

Today I decided to just try and see if the unit works (no cutting anything...)

I loosened the two star screws on each side of the steering wheel (one next to the cruise control, one under the little removable plastic piece on the other side)...

The horn/airbag assembly came off easily.

Then snapped the new streeing wheel audio unit in on the left side of the steering wheel where it belongs. It fitted nicely in there... I unplugged and removed the wire harness going to the horn assembly, plugged in the ones attached to the audio control (they look the same).

tried volume up, down, tracks, mode... all worked beautifully.

decided to remove the audio control and install it later when I had my tools, but I couldn't...

it was stuck in there and didn't want to come out.

I didn't want to force it too much or break it either...

I was stuck!

I secured the horn assembly to the steering wheel with my ipod charger wire, drove to the nearest home depot, bought a little japanese saw and started cutting the hard plastic to make the horn assembly fit....

I did not remove the yellow wires attached to the horn/airbag assembly ( I think those are the horn/airbag wires...) simply because they looked a bit tricky and I was impatient (unsure).

So cutting like that was a little cumbersome in that little tiny space with my right hand on left side of the steering wheel while the whole thing was unstable and tilted back and forth.(it was surprisingly windy and cold that day so I didn't want to leave the driver door open either)

Finally after a few cuts and sanding with a sanding block, I pushed the horn assembly back in its place and fasteded the star screws. The steering wheel with the audio control looked really nice ( just a little bit of gap on the top and the bottom part which is not noticeable & a few small scratched on the audio control).

It looks great but can someone tell me if it's normal for the top part of the horn assembly not to be snug and all the way in the steering wheel? If I look at the streeing wheel from the top i can see a little gap...if I try to push the horn assembly in a little, I just blow the horn and it's annoying... Did I not cut enough. Is there a wire or something in the way?

All in all it was a good experience... I have steering wheel audio control in my Fj now

Thanks to colink1, audiox, wolfbak, Swicago and to everyone else who helped and encouraged me to do it myself!

cheers


(I know I posted too many images but I am very visual so I thought it might help those other Fj owners like me who were not sure if they could do this. The cutting was the hardest part. Everything else was plug-&-play! Overall this was a very easy mod, even for a noob like me! If any questions please ask!
Good luck to all!)

Simple tools needed...


I had rotated these next 4 pics before uploading them but I see that you'd still have to tilt your head to the left, right, left, and then right to view them correctly...










You do not need to remove the star screws just loosen them!


I didn't know how to unplug those yellow wires but your work would be a lot easier if you did unplug them. Please read in this thread how the other forum members did it...


Opposite view:


You need to detach and remove this wire harness completely to plug in the audio control wire harness. It has 3 attachments:




Bye bye!


The audio control unit snaps in easily, but, make sure you want to complete the install. I could not remove it so I was stuck & I had to finish the job...


Then plug in the three heads of its wire harness... (easy find)


Now you need to try and see if the audio control works...


Start sawing... use a ninja sword if you think it's a better choice than my little Japanese saw...


You have to remove the spider web-like plastics in the back. I used a swiss knife...


Final sanding...


Make sure this short wire is out of the way before putting the horn assembly back onto the steering whee:l






Some forum members did a better finish job but most people can't tell it's a mod. I think it looks good!


What's in your wallet?

[layonnn]

i am not quite sure what gap you are talking about.
A picture of what you are referring to would get you a much quicker answer.

[Style4X4]

Thanks Lyonnn, I'll take a picture and will post it. Maybe it's just me & it was like that before. I noticed that my (!) light is on. Not sure if it's because there is a new hardware in the car or it's something unrelated. I'll take it to the dealer tomorrow for that.

[FJDave]

It took me a while to figure out how to get the airbag wires off, and you are right - it's a bit tricky. B ut if you pull out the littel yellow pieces of plastic , the clips come apart. I know, too late, but maybe someone else will see this and go, "Ahhhhh, THAT's how you do that!"

[Style4X4]

I know, but I managed to do everything without pulling the yellow wires off. But, does your horn/airbag assembly look like it just does not snap into place like before? I have a feeling maybe the first top short black wire from the harness that goes from audio control and plugs into the radio socket is in the way and nothing can be done about that, the wire is too short. maybe it's just my imagination and everything is fitting well.

[LandCruiserSteve]

Hey Style . . . . when you get some pics, could you plug them into your first post so I can add this topic to the Tech Article section??

Thanks.

[FJDave]

Style - there has to be a gap between the airbag/wheel center and the actual steering wheel - that's how the horn operates. If it's too close to the wheel, the horn no-soundy.

[Style4X4]

Landcruiser, I'll try to take pictures of every step again except the sawing part...

FjDave I took it apart and put it back on., I wish I had taken a picture of it before. That is exactly what I was thinking. The gap is supposed to be there for the horn. Thanks

Cheers

[Style4X4]

UPDATE:

POSTED LOTS OF PICTURES AS PROMISED

Layonnn, here is a picture of the gap I was talking about. It's a birds eye view.. as FjDave also mentioned I think this gap is there for the horn to operate...

[felonious]

Nice write up and install of the steering wheel controls. you took your time and showed where all of the screws and wires need to be for it to work and go back together properly.