Removing the steering wheel

With a disconnected battery i cannot see any risk of having the airbag blowing.
edit: You should use the same airbag of the same design and in the same configuration. switching to another airbag or from another year, model or design could make such ECU errors as you say or even make it not blow the way it should.

And keep the nut on the axle as everyone says to avoid getting the wheel in your face when it comes loose.

Biggest risk is you get a loose steering wheel afterwords if you do not tighten it properly, or the airbag will not blow because you forgot to reconnect it properly.

Other than that you will risk more pollution as you will drive more and longer, cause the leather wheel feels so much better

I had an old Baleno in my garage to pick the engine, and me and some mates had a great time sitting in the back seat while we blew the front air bags. totally worth it!
DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME!

OK, so let me se if I got it all right:

1. Battery disconnected, steering locked, wheel position in relation to the steering column marked. Do the front road wheels need to be pointing straight when the steering gets locked?
2. When I loosen the two torx screws on the sides of the steering wheel completely, I begin pulling the air bag module gently one side a bit then the other side a bit.
3. When the air bag module is slightly off the steering wheel, I poke behind it and look for a yellow clip or some clock spring (I suppose that is the same thing?).
4. I somehow lift or disconnect that clip or spring - do I remove it with a flat screwdriver, or pointy pliers, or press it in in order to disengage it or?
5. I disconnect the electrical connect connector for the air bag and remove the air bag.
6. I loosen the big nut on the steering column which holds the wheel in place, but do not remove the nut completely?
7. I wiggle the steering wheel until it snaps loose and gets thrown into my face, but the nut (which I had just loosened but not removed) will stop it in its tracks.
8. Then I loosen the nut completely and remove the steering wheel altogether?
9. Will any spring or something get separated from the steering column when the nut is completely removed and the steering wheel taken off?


I suppose that the installation is the reverse procedure, but I have some questions there too:
1. After putting the wheel back on the steering column (and aligning its marks with the marks left on the column), is it sufficient just to tighten the nut or should the wheel be somehow snapped or locked into place first?
2. What is the tightening torque of the main steering column nut?
3. I will return the same air bag which was on the vehicle - only the wheel will be swapped.
4. When returning the air bag into place and after connecting its electrics, what exactly should be done with that yellow clip or that spring to return it into place properly?
5. Tighten the two torx screws and all should be done?


I know I am nitpicking about all this but I am generally afraid tampering with the steering and the air bags, so I need some clarifications to ease my fears.

Bosanek wrote: OK, so let me se if I got it all right:

1. Battery disconnected, steering locked, wheel position in relation to the steering column marked. Do the front road wheels need to be pointing straight when the steering gets locked?
2. When I loosen the two torx screws on the sides of the steering wheel completely, I begin pulling the air bag module gently one side a bit then the other side a bit.
3. When the air bag module is slightly off the steering wheel, I poke behind it and look for a yellow clip or some clock spring (I suppose that is the same thing?).
4. I somehow lift or disconnect that clip or spring - do I remove it with a flat screwdriver, or pointy pliers, or press it in in order to disengage it or?
5. I disconnect the electrical connect connector for the air bag and remove the air bag.
6. I loosen the big nut on the steering column which holds the wheel in place, but do not remove the nut completely?
7. I wiggle the steering wheel until it snaps loose and gets thrown into my face, but the nut (which I had just loosened but not removed) will stop it in its tracks.
8. Then I loosen the nut completely and remove the steering wheel altogether?
9. Will any spring or something get separated from the steering column when the nut is completely removed and the steering wheel taken off?


I suppose that the installation is the reverse procedure, but I have some questions there too:
1. After putting the wheel back on the steering column (and aligning its marks with the marks left on the column), is it sufficient just to tighten the nut or should the wheel be somehow snapped or locked into place first?
2. What is the tightening torque of the main steering column nut?
3. I will return the same air bag which was on the vehicle - only the wheel will be swapped.
4. When returning the air bag into place and after connecting its electrics, what exactly should be done with that yellow clip or that spring to return it into place properly?
5. Tighten the two torx screws and all should be done?


I know I am nitpicking about all this but I am generally afraid tampering with the steering and the air bags, so I need some clarifications to ease my fears.

Nitpicking is good when it comes to safety!

1. Good. pointing wheels forward straight is recommended yes. keep it tidy.
2. yes. more or less straight out, no hassle as i remember it..
3. there is enough wire to flip it around to allow easy acces to the connections.
4. The connector in the center of the airbag module has a little yellow clip in the middle of it that i lifted just a bit like 5mm with a flat screwdriver. after that the connector can be lifted and unhooked. My yellow clip broke a bit but still good. I should have used my reading glasses.
5. also disconnect the single ground cable on the side in addition to the center connector.
6. correct
7. correct
8. correct
9. no, nothing else will come loose.

installation:
1. just to place steering so the splines enter correctly and tighten the nut. You might have to try different entering places for the splines to find the correct straight position.
2. Dunno, the torque might be found in the service manual. I am used to tighten nuts so i trust my own force enough to not over tighten but still tighten sufficiently. But using a torque wrench is allways recommended.
3. good. or similar or same series or year model and with the same connectors.
4. connect single ground cable which is a common flat connector, and then hook up the center connector pressing it firmly into place, and depress yellow clip after connecting.
5. correct.

five minutes in shows the connectors.

Three points you have to take a consideration:
- Disconnect Battery, make sure steering is locked

- Undo two bolts under wheel

- Carefully remove airbag, making sure clock-spring does not spin too far

Thank you so much for all the help and guidance!

A video truly speaks for a million words. Now I am confident in doing this job.

What mostly frightened me is the sheer amount of harsh warnings written all over the place in the chapter about the steering system in Jimny's service manual. There are more warnings there than in a field mine's installation and decomissioning manual.

After disconnecting the battery simply wait 30 minutes for anything in the system to discharge. The worry being that the electronic components in the car have capacitors in them which hold a little charge. Disconnect the battery, have a coffee, start work without worry.

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