Steering wheel core install. Every core fits the same way: your factory airbag, buttons and trims move onto the new wheel. Only a few details change by vehicle. Allow about an hour.
Airbag safety. Read this first.
Turn the ignition off and take the key out (push-start: switch off and keep the key fob out of the car). Disconnect the negative terminal on every battery, including a second battery. Then wait at least 3 minutes before touching the airbag. That lets the airbag system's backup power drain.
Never test, probe or put a multimeter on an airbag or its yellow plug. Once it's out, put it on a bench padded side up, away from heat, and never sit or lean over it.
Never switch the ignition to ON or start the engine while the airbag is unplugged (ACC with the battery off is fine). It stores a fault that may need a scan tool to clear.
Carry the airbag with the padded side facing away from you. Keep it dry and out of the sun. If it's dropped, cracked or its wiring is damaged, don't refit it: message us.
Don't turn the steering shaft or the clockspring (the round reel behind the wheel) while the wheel is off.
Words used in this guide
Core: the new steering wheel frame and rim. Airbag: the padded centre of the wheel. Clockspring: the round reel behind the wheel that carries the airbag, horn and button wiring; it stays on the steering column. Spline: the ridged end of the steering shaft the wheel slides onto. SRS light: the airbag warning light on the dash. Torx security bit: a star-shaped bit with a hole in the middle, for star screws with a pin in the centre.
What's in the box
New steering wheel core
Your factory airbag, buttons and trims move across from your old wheel
Tools
Socket for the battery terminal (usually 10 mm)
Deep socket for the steering wheel nut, with an extension and a torque wrench
Small flat screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver and plastic trim tools
Torx or Torx security bits (see your vehicle below)
Paint pen or marker, masking tape, a towel
Install
1
Check it fits and get ready
Check: Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series facelift / 70th Anniversary
Made for the facelift dash and the 70th Anniversary wheel. Older 70 Series: message us before you start.
Check: Toyota Hilux N80 (2015 on) and Fortuner
Fits every Hilux N80 grade, including GR Sport, and the Fortuner.
Check: Nissan Patrol Y62 (2019 on)
Series 5 and later: ST-L, Ti and Ti-L.
The airbag bolts are single use. Get new ones from a Nissan dealer before you start.
Check: Nissan Patrol GU & GQ (1988–2016)
Which one is yours? Check the build date on your compliance plate.
GU Series 2–8 wagon (2001–2016) and GU ute with factory airbag: straight swap. Your factory airbag and cruise buttons move across to the new wheel. Nothing else to buy. The airbag bolts are single use: get new ones from a Nissan dealer before you start.
GQ (1988–97), GU Series 1 (1997–2001) and GU utes without an airbag: you need a GU Series 2–8 horn pad or airbag and back trim for the centre. Have them ready before you start. The wheel bolts on the same way.
Check: Isuzu D-MAX (2012 – Jun 2020) and MU-X (Dec 2013 – Jul 2021)
Not for the July 2020-on D-MAX or 2021-on MU-X: they use the other core.
Check: Isuzu D-MAX (Jul 2020 – May 2024) and MU-X (2021–2024)
Not for the earlier D-MAX/MU-X or the May 2024-on facelift.
Check: Mazda BT-50 (2020 – Jan 2025)
Only the 2020 to January 2025 model (the one shared with the D-MAX). Not the earlier Ford-based BT-50 or the 2025 facelift.
1
Park on level ground with the front wheels pointing dead straight and the steering wheel centred. Engine off, key out.
2
Take a few photos of your wheel from the front and the back, including how the button wiring runs. They're your map for putting it back together.
3
Disconnect every battery (negative terminal first) and tuck the terminal away. Set a timer: wait at least 3 minutes.
2
Remove the airbag
If the steering lock stops the wheel turning: key-start vehicles, put the key in and turn it to ACC (safe with the battery off). Push-start vehicles can't do this with the battery off, so in part 1: centre the wheel, switch to ACC, switch off, then disconnect the battery without opening a door. Still locked? Message us. Don't reconnect the battery to free it. Turn the wheel back to dead straight before part 3.
1
Turn the wheel a quarter turn each way and look at the sides and back of the hub. Prise off any small covers. Then, at each release point: a star-shaped screw head (Torx): undo it until it spins freely (some need a security bit with a hole in the middle). An empty hole or slot: push a flat screwdriver straight in until the spring clip lets go, then ease that side of the airbag forward. Your vehicle's notes are below.
2
Lift the airbag forward just enough to reach the plugs behind it. Don't let it hang on its wiring.
3
Touch bare metal on the car body first to get rid of any static. Then unplug the airbag plug (usually yellow; some airbags have two). Release the lock first (a small lever or slide on the plug), then pull the plug straight out by its body, never by the wires. Unplug the horn wire.
4
Put the airbag on a bench, padded side up, out of the way.
Airbag, what we usually see: Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series facelift / 70th AnniversaryUsually two T30 Torx screws, one behind each side of the hub. Undo both until they spin freely; they stay in the airbag. Refit torque: 8.8 N·m (not sure? confirm with your dealer). If yours has empty holes instead, it's the clip type: use the method above.
Airbag, what we usually see: Toyota Hilux N80 (2015 on) and FortunerClip type, no screws. There are three clips, reached through the access points on the sides and back of the hub. Release each one with a flat screwdriver, as above.
Airbag, what we usually see: Nissan Patrol Y62 (2019 on)A small cover each side of the hub. Behind each one is a Torx bolt with a pin in the centre: it needs a T27 security (tamper) bit. Undo both. Fit the new bolts on refit. Refit torque: check the N·m figure with your Nissan dealer when you buy the new bolts.
Airbag, what we usually see: Nissan Patrol GU & GQ (1988–2016)GU Series 2–8 wagon and GU ute with factory airbag: a small cover each side of the hub, with a Torx bolt behind each that has a pin in the centre. It needs a T50 security (tamper) bit. Undo both, and fit the new bolts on refit. Refit torque: check the N·m figure with your Nissan dealer when you buy the new bolts.
GQ, GU Series 1 and GU ute without an airbag: the horn pad either prises off from the edge, or is held by screws from behind the wheel. Remove it and unplug the horn wire. Your old horn pad isn't reused.
GQ, GU Series 1 and GU ute without an airbag: the horn pad either prises off from the edge, or is held by screws from behind the wheel. Remove it and unplug the horn wire. Your old horn pad isn't reused.
Airbag, what we usually see: Isuzu D-MAX (2012 – Jun 2020) and MU-X (Dec 2013 – Jul 2021)Usually clip type: a release hole on the back of each side of the hub. Push a flat screwdriver straight in until the clip gives, ease that side forward, then do the other side.
Airbag, what we usually see: Isuzu D-MAX (Jul 2020 – May 2024) and MU-X (2021–2024)Usually clip type: a release hole on the back of each side of the hub. Push a flat screwdriver straight in until the clip gives, ease that side forward, then do the other side.
Airbag, what we usually see: Mazda BT-50 (2020 – Jan 2025)Usually clip type: a release hole on the back of each side of the hub. Push a flat screwdriver straight in until the clip gives, ease that side forward, then do the other side.
3
Remove the steering wheel
1
Unplug the button plugs between the wheel and the clockspring. Note where each one goes.
2
Make a paint mark on the end of the steering shaft, in line with the top centre of the wheel hub. This is how the new wheel goes back exactly straight.
3
Hold the wheel firmly with one hand and loosen the centre nut with the other. Leave it on a few threads. That stops the wheel flying off at your face when it lets go.
4
Hold the wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock and rock it firmly towards you until it comes free of the spline. Then remove the nut and lift the wheel off, feeding the plugs through the hole. If it won't come free, use a steering wheel puller. Never hit the wheel or the shaft with a hammer.
5
Put a strip of masking tape across the clockspring and the column cover so the reel can't turn while the wheel is off.
Nut: Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series facelift / 70th Anniversary19 mm socket.
Nut: Toyota Hilux N80 (2015 on) and Fortuner19 mm socket.
Nut: Nissan Patrol Y62 (2019 on)19 mm deep socket.
Nut: Nissan Patrol GU & GQ (1988–2016)Check the size with a socket before you start, and use a deep socket. Older ones can be tight on the shaft: if it won't rock free, use a steering wheel puller (cheap to hire or buy at an auto parts store).
Nut: Isuzu D-MAX (2012 – Jun 2020) and MU-X (Dec 2013 – Jul 2021)19 mm deep socket.
Nut: Isuzu D-MAX (Jul 2020 – May 2024) and MU-X (2021–2024)19 mm deep socket.
Nut: Mazda BT-50 (2020 – Jan 2025)19 mm deep socket.
4
Move your parts to the new core
1
Lay the old wheel and the new core side by side, face down.
2
Undo the screws holding each part and move it to the same spot on the new core. Keep each part's screws together; they're often different lengths.
3
Route the button wiring exactly as it was on the old wheel (check your photos). Clip it into the same holders so it can't be pinched when the airbag goes back in.
4
Do screws up snug. They go into plastic or soft metal, so don't overtighten.
Move across: Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series facelift / 70th Anniversary
- Steering wheel button switches (left and right)
- The button wiring that runs around the back of the wheel
- Lower trim cover and any spoke trims
Move across: Toyota Hilux N80 (2015 on) and Fortuner
- Steering wheel button switches (audio, phone, cruise, and lane assist on later models)
- The button wiring that runs around the back of the wheel
- Lower trim cover and any spoke trims
Move across: Nissan Patrol Y62 (2019 on)
- Steering wheel button switches (audio, phone, cruise and driver assist)
- The button wiring that runs around the back of the wheel
- Lower trim cover and spoke trims
Move across: Nissan Patrol GU & GQ (1988–2016)
- GU Series 2–8 wagon and GU ute with factory airbag: cruise control buttons, the button wiring on the back of the wheel, and the lower trim cover
- GQ, GU Series 1 and GU ute without an airbag: fit the GU Series 2–8 horn pad or airbag and back trim to the new wheel and connect the horn wire to it. Check the horn contact on the back of the core touches the horn ring on the column.
Move across: Isuzu D-MAX (2012 – Jun 2020) and MU-X (Dec 2013 – Jul 2021)
- Steering wheel button switches (if fitted)
- The button wiring on the back of the wheel
- Lower trim cover and spoke trims
Move across: Isuzu D-MAX (Jul 2020 – May 2024) and MU-X (2021–2024)
- All steering wheel button switches, including the lane-keep button on the right spoke
- The button wiring on the back of the wheel
- Lower trim cover and spoke trims
Move across: Mazda BT-50 (2020 – Jan 2025)
- All steering wheel button switches, including the lane-keep button
- The button wiring on the back of the wheel
- Lower trim cover and spoke trims
5
Fit the new core
1
Check the clockspring hasn't turned (most have a centring mark or window that should still line up), then remove the tape. If it has turned, don't guess: message us before you go further. Check the front wheels are still straight.
2
Feed the button and horn plugs through the hole in the new core.
3
Line up the tabs on the clockspring with the matching slots on the back of the core. Slide the core onto the spline with the shaft mark at the top centre of the hub and the spokes level. It must sit fully down by hand. If it won't, stop: never use the nut to pull it down.
4
Fit the nut. Hold the wheel firmly and tighten the nut with a torque wrench to the figure for your vehicle below. Never use a rattle gun.
5
Plug in the button plugs and the horn wire.
6
Plug in the airbag plug (or both, if there are two) until it clicks, then push the lock back into place. A loose airbag plug is the most common cause of an airbag warning light.
7
Fit the airbag using the reverse of how it came off. Spring clips: press it in evenly until it clicks home on both sides. Torx screws or bolts: tighten to the figure in part 2. Then pull firmly on the airbag: it must not move.
8
Check nothing is pinched and the airbag sits evenly all round.
Torque: Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series facelift / 70th AnniversaryNut torque: 50 N·m. Not sure? Confirm with your dealer.
Torque: Toyota Hilux N80 (2015 on) and FortunerNut torque: 50 N·m. Not sure? Confirm with your dealer.
Torque: Nissan Patrol Y62 (2019 on)Nut torque: check the N·m figure with your dealer, then tighten to that with a torque wrench. Not sure? Ask your dealer before you drive.
Torque: Nissan Patrol GU & GQ (1988–2016)Nut torque: GQ: 29–39 N·m. GU (all): check the N·m figure with your Nissan dealer. Not sure? Ask your dealer before you tighten it.
Torque: Isuzu D-MAX (2012 – Jun 2020) and MU-X (Dec 2013 – Jul 2021)Nut torque: check the N·m figure with your dealer, then tighten to that with a torque wrench. Not sure? Ask your dealer before you drive.
Torque: Isuzu D-MAX (Jul 2020 – May 2024) and MU-X (2021–2024)Nut torque: check the N·m figure with your dealer, then tighten to that with a torque wrench. Not sure? Ask your dealer before you drive.
Torque: Mazda BT-50 (2020 – Jan 2025)Nut torque: check the N·m figure with your dealer, then tighten to that with a torque wrench. Not sure? Ask your dealer before you drive.
6
Test it
1
Nobody in the front seats. Reconnect every battery (negative terminal last).
2
Reach in from the open door, keeping your body out of line with the wheel, and switch the ignition ON. The airbag (SRS) light should come on for a few seconds, then go out. If it stays on or flashes, switch off, disconnect the batteries, wait 3 minutes and recheck the airbag plug. Still on: don't drive it; message us.
3
Press the horn all the way round the pad.
4
Press every button: volume, track, phone, voice, cruise and any driver-assist buttons.
5
Indicate right, turn the wheel a quarter turn right, then back to straight. The indicator should switch off by itself. Repeat for left.
6
Engine running, turn the wheel slowly all the way left, then all the way right. Listen for rubbing or clicking; nothing should catch.
7
Short test drive on a straight, flat road. The wheel should sit straight when driving straight, with no warning lights. A stability light can show briefly after the battery has been off; it should go out after a short drive.
Note: Toyota Hilux N80 (2015 on) and Fortuner
2020-on models with lane assist: if a lane, steering or stability warning shows after the install, the steering angle sensor needs resetting with a scan tool. Message us.
Note: Nissan Patrol Y62 (2019 on)
If a stability, slip or lane warning shows after the install, the steering angle sensor needs resetting with a scan tool. Message us.
Note: Isuzu D-MAX (Jul 2020 – May 2024) and MU-X (2021–2024)
These have lane keep assist that steers the vehicle. Mark the wheel carefully (part 3) so it goes back exactly straight. If a lane or steering warning shows after the install, the steering angle sensor needs resetting with a scan tool. Message us.
Note: Mazda BT-50 (2020 – Jan 2025)
These have lane keep assist that steers the vehicle. Mark the wheel carefully (part 3) so it goes back exactly straight. If a lane or steering warning shows after the install, the steering angle sensor needs resetting with a scan tool. Message us.
Troubleshooting
Airbag (SRS) light stays on
Ignition off, disconnect the batteries, wait 3 minutes. Remove the airbag as in part 2, touch bare metal, then unplug and replug the airbag plug until it clicks, then push the lock back into place. Check no plug at the clockspring is half in. Still on: the fault may need clearing with a scan tool. Don't drive it; message us.
Horn doesn't work
Check the horn wire is plugged in and the airbag is fully clipped home on both sides.
Some buttons don't work
Check each button plug at the clockspring, and that the wiring wasn't pinched when the airbag went back in.
Wheel isn't straight when driving straight
It's one spline out. Front wheels straight. Battery off, wait 3 minutes. Remove the airbag and unplug it (part 2), unplug the buttons and take the wheel off (part 3), tape the clockspring, then refit the wheel one spline over and do parts 5 and 6 again. Don't turn the steering shaft while you do it.
Indicators don't cancel
The wheel is sitting too far from the cancelling tabs on the column. Check the core is fully down on the spline and the nut is at full torque. Message us with a photo.
Lane, steering or stability warning after the install
The steering angle sensor needs resetting with a scan tool. Any workshop with a scan tool can do it. Message us.
Rubbing or clicking when turning
Check the plastic cover around the steering column isn't touching the back of the core, and no wiring hangs below the wheel.
Need a hand?
Message us with your vehicle, build date and a photo of the problem.