Following several online videos / instructions to swap my steering wheel - Im having a hard time getting the airbag to pop out. I feel the spring tension inserting a screwdriver through the hole (lol), but the airbag isnt going anywhere and I cannot get it to release. Tried pulling / tugging on airbag with no results. Short of ripping the airbag off, I cannot feel even an ounce of release out of it.

Anybody else ever run into that issue and any suggestions on what to try next?

 

You have to press pretty hard on the tool you insert into the hole. I used a long L-shaped allen key, straight piece into the hole, and a rag covering the L-piece to get some leverage from my hand. It takes a couple of tries to hit it straight and you press harder than you think, but it works and will release.

Keep trying!

 

try prying from the bottom, lift upward. Sometime it is PITA.

 

^What he said. Push really hard and make sure you're coming at it with the correct angle. I used a long thin screw driver to get good leverage.

The first time I did it, I couldn't get the airbag to release either. I was about to give up and take it to the dealer. Finally I gave it one last try, pushing much harder than before and it suddenly popped out. The next time I did it, it was a piece of cake.

 

A hex key works better than a screwdriver as the surface is broader. Be sure to look at the replacement wheel to know what you are pushing on.

 

Also, I found that when pushing with the allen key as noted above I press down slightly on the bottom of the airbag to relieve some of the tension. It is a very hard push up on the tool.

 

The angle of insertion is key... or so she said

seriously...the angle you insert will make all the diference.. I use a small flat head screw driver with the blade edge parallel with my line of sight.. so I am looking down the thin edge of the screwdriver...

when you insert the screwdriver the angle of attack is not just straight up... it's actually up and a bit more towards your chest ... Not up and away from you... and if you are feeling the spring tension, then just push a little harder then expected as suggested.. Hope that helps!

 

Couple of other things. Mark the location of the wheel relative to the hub before pulling it off or you'll more than likely end up with it off center once you put it back on. Highly annoying to look at. Also....there's a little "channel" at the bottom of the hub where the wiring goes. Make sure the wiring rests in that channel before pushing the air bag back into place or things can go sideways. I screwed this up putting things back together and the out of place wiring not only disabled the horn but also got tangled up in the airbag release mechanism so there was no way the pop the bag out again. No way for me that is. Brought the car to the dealer and one of their techs sat down and started prying from up front with a small screw driver. Not through the hole underneath but on the face of the steering wheel. Took him less than a minute to pop the bag. And he didn't even bother to disconnect the battery which some say is a must for this project. I asked him how he did that and was told it's a trade secret

 

Opposite experience for me. I tried a hex key first, but couldn't get enough leverage. A long flat head screw driver did the trick.

 

Good points, the .2 is a tricky one. Looks like the op has a .1 though. I did an install thread on the .1, check it out.

 

Remember this is all designed to have to hold together in a massive collision with the explosive airbag deploying... so its not going to come apart except in exactly the right way.

 

If you are trying to release the airbag because you have installed it and it’s not seating correctly, then there’s a chance the wire harness which runs the depth of the wheel hub (and attaches to the airbag at the bottom) is crimped/not properly aligned.

If this is the case, you’ll need to simultaneously release the spring with the allen wrench or flathead screwdriver, AND push the airbag outward FROM BEHIND (WITH ANOTHER SCREW DRIVER) in order to release the bag enough to grip it with your hands. DO NOT pry from the top as that will only get you a scarred wheel hub.

With the wheel all the way extended, you can look back behind the hub and see a rather large opening where you can insert a tool to help push the airbag forward out of position once the locking spring is released.

If your situation has nothing to do with a stuck airbag, then keep trying. Once you release the spring lock once and you see what it is you actually were doing with the screwdriver or allen wrench, you’ll not have this problem again.