Airbag and steering wheel removal

[neeldub]

Hey guys so i did some work on my 2015 A8 4H and wanted to share some pictures with you.

I am in the process of retrofitting the lane guidance system which only requires a new stalk module and coding of several modules on my car as it already has Adaptive Cruise control fitted.

New indicator/wiper and cruise control stalk Part number 4H0953502P. Note the button on the tip of the indicator switch which activates the lane keeping function.







1st step is to remove the airbag. Fully extend and lower the steering rake and reach to make the job easier. For this we need to put the ignition on then disconnect the negative cable of the battery to fully discharge any captive power left in the circuits. Airbags should never be removed while the car has power running thru to prevent accident deployment and error codes from registering in the control unit.

Using a 10mm socket, loosen the bolt then pop the cable out.







Now we remove the airbag unit. To do so, turn the steering wheel 90 degrees each way to reveal the opening for the clip that retains the airbag. Using a Torx 15 x 100mm screwdriver or a suitable flat head screwdriver to pop down the clip. Doing so will automatically cause the airbag to pop out.
You can view the opening easier using selfie mode on your phone camera.




Slowly pull out the airbag to reveal the wiring behind.



Disconnect the yellow connector by pulling out the green tab then unclipping from the connector.






There is another smaller connector at the bottom of the steering wheel. Go ahead and disconnect. Note how the cable is routed from the controls to the location of the connector.






You can now freely remove the airbag and place it in a safe location free of static shocks. Always place the face of the airbag above because if ever the airbag deploys and it is facing downwards it could be a very dangerous projectile.






We now go ahead to remove the bolt which holds the steering wheel to the column. For this we need a M12 triple head bolt. It's a good idea to use a marker to mark across the bolt and surrounding to know where exactly to torque the bolt back to.









Before removing the wheel, take note of the mark which indicates the centre of the steering wheel. When reinstalling make sure that the mark aligns properly!





We now have to remove the steering column trims. For this we need a small flat head and Torx 20 screwdriver. Take extreme care not to turn the spring clock as that is the angle sensor.
Pop the screw driver and pry out the trims. Once you remove the top piece that will expose 2 screws for the lower section. Remove the screws and there is a 3rd one which you can access from the bottom of the trim. The trim will drop down so be ready to catch it. This will now show the wiring harness which is clipped into the trim. There is no need to remove the wiring from there, you can leave the trim to hang while you continue with the stalk removal.



















Now go ahead and disconnect the yellow and black connectors from the steering column electronics control unit.





Using a M5 hex key, undo the bolt which secures the stalk to the column. You can then pull it forward to remove it.






Installation is in reverse.

When reconnecting the battery, ensure no one is sitting inside the car just in the case the airbag decides to set off.

I hope this write up is useful to some of you. I will continue with the lane keeping retrofit in another thread.

[Architex_mA8tey]

Thanks for taking the time - a Brilliant write up! I'll sticky this at the top of the section for future use